New Auto-Dimming Motorcycle Mirrors

December 2, 2007 - The "Digital Auto-Dimming Motorcycle Mirror" by AlphaMirror has sensors to adjust the mirror tint to various lighting conditions and are claimed to improve vision in all weather.  They offer a couple of different shapes, made from 6061-T6 extruded billet aluminum, either polished and chrome plated or black.

The mirror assembly is claimed to be designed to minimize vibration and is fully adjustable.  The auto-dimming feature runs on a CR2450 Lithium battery with a claimed average lifespan of 3 years.  The mirror glass is available in several unique colors, including Red, Purple, Amber, Blue and Orange. 

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European Campaign for Synthetic Oil Use in Motorcycles

November 20, 2007 - The MotorCycle Community in Europe (MCC ) has launched a European-wide awareness campaign promoting the use of synthetic oil for Powered Two Wheelers.  This campaign is supported by the European Commission.

It is generally recognized that the type of lubricant oil has a direct and immediate impact on the emissions of Particulate Matters.  Synthetic oil ensures a good environmental performance and correct and long-lasting effectiveness for new technology Euro2 and Euro3 vehicles. 

However, a large number of two-stroke “conventional” pre-Euro1 Powered Two Wheelers in use could contribute to Particulate Matters reduction up to 50% by using synthetic oil.

The objective of the campaign is to inform the owners of these vehicles as to the advantages of synthetic oil, which will contribute to a better and cleaner environment.  The campaign is also intended to safeguard the mobility of two-stroke engine users in congested city centers, where “conventional” pre-Euro1 vehicles are increasingly faced with issues related to air quality.

The MCC also wishes to increase the awareness of the urban mobility advantages of motorcycles and scooters in comparison with cars.  The MCC calls on the authorities to make use of environmental fiscal incentives to stimulate the renewal of the fleet.

The message, reflected by the logo and slogan devised for the campaign, “Be smarter, be cleaner, use synthetic oil!!”, is positive and environmentally friendly.  It intends to reach, through the internet, users, dealers, retailers and the press in order to maximize the efficiency of the campaign.

All material related to the campaign can be found in different European languages and downloaded from a dedicated website www.usesyntheticoil.info.

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Adventure Motorcycle Gear Back in Business?

November 17, 2007 - Many visitors have written to us in the past about problems with Adventure Motorcycle Gear.  Some of the issues were discussed in an older webBikeWorld review of the Biker's Comfort in Action and other winter riding gear provided to use by Adventure Motorcycle Gear about 6 years ago.  We received so many complaints about the retailer that we added a note recommending caution when purchasing from the retailer.

Adventure Motorcycle Gear has since moved from Virginia to Arizona, but it's not clear to us whether the company is under the same management.

So as an experiment, last week we decided to place a small order with the retailer to see what happened.  We're happy to report that the entire order process and delivery went smoothly.

We ordered a pair of Orina 118 waterproof winter gloves ($59.95) and a "Bike Pit" neck and chest wind blocker ($36.95) for a total of $96.00 (reviews coming soon).  Shipping charges of $7.35 were added, bringing the total to $104.25.

The order was placed on Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 1:28 PM and charged to a credit card (always recommended when ordering online; check with your card issuer and know your rights before you order anything from anyone).

An order confirmation was immediately sent and received, but it did not include a tracking link.  However, the package arrived mid-day on Friday, November 16, 2007 via UPS, which is a very acceptable response and delivery time for a nearly coast-to-coast delivery.

Based on this experiment, we've removed the "caution" warning for Adventure Motorcycle Gear, but obviously it's not possible to evaluate every retail interaction. 

See our review of the Biker's Comfort in Action and other winter riding gear for more recent comments (including the comments that were previously here which have been moved to that page).

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U.S. Motorcycle Sales Report for 3rd Quarter 2007

October 24, 2007 - U.S. Motorcycle sales are down across the board so far this year, with one exception.  The dual-sport category is up by about 4% compared to the same period in 2006.  This may be due to the popularity of motorcycles like the updated KTM 990 Adventure or the popular BMW R1200GS.

The remaining categories, including off-road and street bikes, have suffered in 2007.  Off-road sales are down about 15%, while street bike sales are off by nearly 5%.  Even scooter sales are down by nearly 2%; the scooter market just can't seem to gain momentum in the U.S.A., even with relatively high fuel costs persuading many to find more efficient methods of transportation.

Overall motorcycle sales, including all categories, are down by 6.4% so for the first three quarters of 2007 when compared to 2006.

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National Transportation Safety Board, Helmets and the AMA

September 11, 2007 - OK, let me see if I have this straight:  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a press release that says "Deaths from motorcycle crashes have more than doubled in the past 10 years -- from 2,116 in 1997 to 4,810 in 2006 -- an alarming trend.  Another 88,000 people were injured in motorcycle crashes in 2006.  The yearly number of motorcycle deaths is more than double the annual total number of people killed in all aviation, rail, marine and pipeline accidents combined.  Head injuries are a leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes."

That sounds pretty serious to me, yet the AMA and others, instead of proposing to do something about it, immediately start nit-picking the methodology (see "AMA: Federal panel's motorcycle safety recommendations fall short"). 

Earth to AMA!  We have a serious problem here!  Unless the number of reported deaths are an outright lie -- which I very seriously doubt -- then admit it -- there's a problem.  A big one.  How about leading the way with a proposal to do something about it?

So what does the AMA do?  The very next email in my inbox was from the AMA: "Miller Brewing Company and AMA launch national motorcycle safety program" (see "AMA partners with Miller to encourage safe riding").

You have to be kidding me, right?  I looked at the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1.  Or maybe the email came from a joking spammer?? 

We have a motorcycle death rate that's soaring, and if we -- that's me and you and the industry -- don't do something about it, we're not only going to lose more of our fellow riders and friends, the Government will step in and do something for us.  And it probably won't be pretty.  So what does the AMA start touting?  A partnership with a manufacturer of alcohol!

Check out this chart, courtesy of the NTSB:

I don't care how you slice it -- and yes, there are more motorcyclists on the roads: the number of motorcycles has not doubled since 1997, yet motorcycle deaths have more than doubled.  Whatever the cause, this is seriously bad.

The point is, let's not get into a debate over how the numbers got this high or the reporting methodology; let's do something about it.  And partnering with Miller Brewing is not the way to go.

NOTE:  "In the USA between 1991 and 2001, the number of registered motorcycles increased by 17% and the number of riders killed increased by 14% (NHTSA, 2004).  Over a similar period in the UK (1993-2001) there was a 28% increase in motorcycling traffic and a 7% increase in motorcycle fatalities (AGM, 2004).  In Australia, the number of registered motorcycles also increased by 24%, but the motorcycle fatalities actually decreased by 6% (ATSB, 2002."

From "The Human Element: The 2006 International Motorcycle Safety Conference".

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U.S. Motorcycle Sales Report for January - June 2007

July 24, 2007 - U.S. Motorcycle sales are mixed over the first 6 months of 2007.  Dual Sport sales continue to improve, with a sales gain of +2.8% from 2006 for a total of 21,322 in the first two quarters of 2007.

Meanwhile, sales of off-road motorcycles are continuing to suffer. There were 19,340 fewer sold so far in 2007 over 2006, which is a 15% decrease.  So far only 109,893 off-road bikes have been sold this year.

Street bike sales are also off slightly, down 5.0% from the same time period in 2006, with 389,765 units sold, compared to 410,421 sold during the first 6 months of 2006.  Scooter sales were relatively steady, down 0.6% (181 units) at 29,719 versus 29,900 for the same time period in 2006.

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U.S. Motorcycle Accidents Increase for 9th Straight Year; Now Higher Thank Pedestrian Deaths

July 23, 2007 - The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released their annual Traffic Safety Assessment for 2006 (.pdf file) today, and motorcycle deaths have unfortunately increased for the ninth straight year.  In fact, the 4,810 motorcycle deaths in 2006 now exceed pedestrian deaths at 4,784.  Motorcycle fatalities in 2006 increased by 234 (5.1%) over 2005 (4,576).  88,000 motorcyclists were injured in accidents in 2006, an increase of 1,000 from 2005.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported on an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Transport Forum study on July 24 that the U.S. now ranks 42 out of 48 countries in the number of road fatalities per capita (all vehicles, not just motorcycles).  Australia, Britain, France, Germany and Japan all have made significant improvements but the U.S. has not.

The U.S. was No. 1 in 1970 in fatalities per distance driven but now ranks 11th, with some countries reporting rates that are 25 percent lower.  Here's a graphic comparing the accident rates over time.

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UK Adventure Touring Sales Show Dramatic Increases

July 18, 2007 - The UK reported a 14% rise in new motorcycle registrations in March, with year-on-year growth in all sectors.  Adventure Touring (or Adventure Sport) motorcycle sales rose by 67%, led by the BMW R1200GS, one of the best-selling bikes in the UK. The Harley Fat Boy and the Dyna Street Bob were the biggest sellers though.

There were 4,400 sportbikes sold in March, led by the Yamaha R6 and then the Suzuki GSX-R 1000, with the Honda CBR1000RR in third place.  Enduro and off-road motorcycle sales dropped by 27% due to restrictions on land use.  Meanwhile, scooter sales rose 14% in March; Sport Touring bike sales increased by 40%; and touring bike sales rose 11%.  Naked or basic bike sales were about the same with 2,890 sold in March.

June 26, 2007 - Motorcycle sales in the UK are still on the increase over 2006, according to the Motor Cycle Indusry Council (UK).  About 59,000 motorcycles have been sold so far in 2007, which is approximately 5,200 more than the same period in 2006.  The most popular type of motorcycle is the Supersport, with 3,327 sold.

May 23, 2007 -  Motorcycle News reports that Adventure Touring bikes like the Triumph Tiger and BMW R1200GS make up the fastest growing segment, with sales up 53% so far in 2007 and over 67% in March alone.  BMW will release the F800GS two-cylinder Adventure Touring bike in 2008, with looks similar to the R1200GS.  Adventure Touring sales in the UK mirror those in the U.S., where the "Dual Sport" segment grew faster in the 2006 than any other segment.

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First Quarter of 2007 U.S. Motorcycle Sales and Statistics

April 26, 2007 -  First quarter 2007 motorcycle sales are off from the first quarter of 2006, with street bike sales down 3,259, a drop of 2.6%; off-road bike sales dropped 17.8%; scooter sales down 4.6% while dual-purpose bikes are about stable with a 1% sales decrease.

Total current first quarter 2007 sales for off-road, dual-purpose, street bikes and scooters are 195,092, compared to 209,860 for the first quarter of 2006.  This is a drop of 14,768, or 7.0% overall.

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Summary of 2006 U.S. Motorcycle Sales and Statistics

March 28, 2007 -  The final numbers for 2006 are in and they show a modest increase in overall motorcycle sales, which totaled 1,022,332 (Including scooter, street, dual sport and off-road types).  This compares to 1,009,588 in 2005 for an increase of 1.3%.

Here's the breakdown:

The big surprise is the drop in scooter sales, which have been predicted to rise, based on the increased fuel prices in the U.S.  The dual sport category is also interesting, with another big increase in 2006.  If ATV sales (747,581, a decrease of 4.2% from 2005) are factored in, total sales dropped for the first time in 14 years of consecutive growth (18 brands included).

However, the growth in street bike sales does continue the 14 year trend.  Other statistics reported by the Motorcycle Industry Council include an estimate of 8,802,000 motorcycles in use in the U.S. in 2003, the latest year for which figures are available.  About 76% of these motorcycles are in the over 749cc category and 16% are 450 to 749cc's. 

The largest number of motorcycles are in California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York, with 33% of the total motorcycles in use in 2003.  You may think that the West Coast has the largest number of motorcycles, with 2,187,100, but the South beats this with 2,645,100 (although this is a somewhat meaningless number due to the arbitrary numbers of states in each region).

In 2004, approximately 5.7 million motorcycles were registered for use on public roads in the U.S.A., which equals about 2.4% of all vehicle registrations.  Estimates of market share for 2005, the latest year for which numbers are available, show Honda in the lead with 24% of the market, followed by Harley-Davidson and Buell with 22.6%, Yamaha at 15.9%, Suzuki at 11.8%, Kawasaki at 9.1%, KTM at 1.7%, BMW with 1.2% and "Other" at 13.7%.  Why Triumph isn't broken out separately remains a mystery.

In 2005, the motorcycle industry generated an estimated $25.5 billion in consumer sales, services, state taxes and licensing, including $9.8 billion in motorcycle retail sales.  Also in 2005, there were 12,013 retail outlets selling motorcycles and related products, with 148,675 employees earning an annual estimated payroll of $4.0 billion.

There's been a dramatic change in the age of motorcycle owners since 1985.  For example, owners under 18 years old total only 3.7% of the percent of total ownership in 2003, compared to 14.9% in 1985, while the owners age 40 and over total 53%, compared to 21.3% in 1985.

Motorcycle injuries have been on a steady increase since 1996, from about 55,000 in 1996 to approximately 85,000 in 2005.  This comes as MSF trained riders increased from about 125,000 in 1996 to about 325,000 in 2005.  Fatalities have also risen dramatically, more than doubling from about 2,100 in 1996 to about 4,550 in 2005.

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