Motorcycling On the Rise
MOTORCYCLING ON THE RISE
TAKE A LOOK AROUND and you'll most likely notice that there are a few more motorcycles on the road these days. In fact, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, the number of registered motorcycles has increased by 30 percent over the last eight years. The latest poll, the 1998 MIC Motorcycle Owner Survey, estimates that 6.6 million motorcycles and scooters were in use in the U.S. in '98, as opposed to 5.1 million in 1990.
Motorcycle owners, too, have evolved. Of the 5.7 million bikers in 1998, 58.8 percent were married, up from 56.6 percent in 1990. Also, the median age increased from 32 years to 38; as did the number of females, up from 6.4 percent to 8.2. Average annual household income
was $44,250 in ’98, compared to $37,005 in ’90. And 45 percent of all owners had attended college, over the 40 percent in 1990. And that’s not all. Various and sundry juicy tidbits were buried in the MIC’s statistics sheet. For example, 67 percent of motorcycles were purchased used. And of those used bikes,
79 percent were procured from a private party and not a dealer. Overall, the survey reports that 76 percent of all motorcycles were bought with cash.
When it comes to actual use, motorcyclists are a wandersome lot. In ’98, 4.8 million bikes were ridden on the highway at some point. Average annual street miles accumulated were 2613, an 11 percent increase from 2361. Meanwhile, 2.2 million off-road bikes were roosting the countryside, with 7 million people operating them. Talk about ride-sharing!
Bottom line? The motorcycle industry is thriving. And then some. -Wendy F. Black
