A Matter of Opinion
A Matter Of Opinion
EDITORIAL
And it's your opinion that matters
IT'S EASY TO BELIEVE THAT IN THE grand scheme of things, you don't matter. It’s easy to become convinced that your opinion doesn't count, that you’re unable to have even the slightest impact on the way things work, that no one really gives a rat’s behind what you need or want.
A lot of people think that way these days. And what makes that point of view so easy for so many to adopt is the large body of prima-facie evidence that supports it. No matter where you turn, things seem to be going to hell in a handbasket, and there appears to be little that any one person can do about it. Civic-minded people are always admonishing everyone to “get involved,” but as far as you can tell, you as an individual are powerless to improve the system. The government will continue to overspend, big business will continue to steamroller the “little guy,” the educational system will continue to deteriorate, and nothing you can do will change all that.
In other words, you don’t matter. Motorcycle enthusiasts aren't immune to this way of thinking, either. Most of them harbor some strong opinions and ideas about how the two-wheel industry could be improved and how motorcycles should look and run; but aside from when they’re either hip-deep in a serious bench-race or advising a friend on the purchase of a bike, motorcyclists tend to keep their opinions to themselves. After all, they think, what effect can one rider from East Podunk have on a giant industry like motorcycling? It would be a waste of time even to try.
They might not think that way, though, if they knew a little more about how motorcycles are conceived, styled and equipped. Essentially, bikes are designed to service either an established market or a market that already exists but is not being tapped, or to create a new market altogether. But regardless of how a new model is targeted, its sales success ultimately depends almost entirely on how well the product planners and marketing gurus have interpreted the wants and needs of the consumer. The old saying, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” sounds inspirational as hell, but in the Real World, that mousetrap is better only if the consumer thinks it’s better, even if in actuality it isn't.
Consequently, the manufacturers want—or in some cases, desperately need— input from potential new-bike buyers. They know that in the end, it’s your vote—the one you cast with your wallet—that will make or break any new model. So they want to learn about your two-wheel tastes before they build the bike, not afterward.
Willie G. Davidson of the company bearing his (and Harley’s) name gets that sort of input by mingling with the masses, by riding to and participating in certain motorcycling events and both asking and answering questions. Any number of Harley models have been conceived as the result of such endeavors. The Japanese often collect information in a similar fashion by sending representatives to major motorcycle gatherings with instructions to be quietly observant, to ask discreet questions and to record on paper everything they see. Honda’s Aspencade is perhaps the most successful example ofa model configured in that way. And many companies often get important marketing direction through various types of rider polls, focus groups and individual rider interviews. Quite a few Yamaha models, including the original Virago 750, were direct results of such programs.
Regardless of how the manufacturers get their consumer information, the point is that they do get it. And right now, today, they hunger for more of it than ever before. The motorcycle industry currently is a bit “soft,” to put it in the Wall Street vernacular, and at the same time seems to be in the midst of a significant evolutionary change. And frankly, the manufacturers aren’t completely sure in what direction the industry is heading or what kinds of motorcycles will take it there. So they're probing, soliciting input, asking more questions than ever in hopes of coming up with new and better and different models—models that will sell. If you want hard evidence of the industry’s current search for untapped market segments, just look at machines like Kawasaki’s Eliminator dragbike, Yamaha's VMax hot-rod and BW200 funbike, and Honda’s daring Rebel 250.
And don’t think this quest for consumer input is limited only to entire motorcycles; the manufacturers want to find out what you like and dislike right down to the smallest of details. They know that some seemingly trivial aspect of a new model—the shape of the instruments or the way the engine burbles irregularly at idle—just might be the one that either triggers your buying response or causes you to reject any notion of ever making that bike your own.
So never before have the manufacturers been more receptive to input from the masses than they are right now. And that's your cue. If you’ve always felt that you don’t count, here’s an opportunity to rectify the situation. Write the manufacturers and let them know what you want or don't want in a motorcycle. Put your thoughts together and mail them off to the people who can actually do something about them. There are no guarantees, of course, that simply voicing your opinion will get results; no manufacturer is likely to build a new model based on the suggestion of one individual. But if enough individuals voice similar opinions, it’s a fair bet that something will happen.
Besides, what have you got to lose? The chances of anything happening if you offer your opinion are slim; but what do you think the chances are if you don't?
Paul Dean
