WEBVTT

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<v SPEAKER_1>Welcome to the Throttle & Roast podcast.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Motorcycles can be used just for leisure or as a regular transportation vehicle.

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<v SPEAKER_1>This episode, we'll delve into this divide some more and look at what might be missing if you're focused only on one versus the other.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So let's define these.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So leisure riding is just going out for a fun ride.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's a ride just for the love of riding.

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<v SPEAKER_1>These are usually limited to weekends or holidays when our normal work activities don't get in the way.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So the total miles ridden each year is reduced because of fewer days in a month to ride.

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<v SPEAKER_1>We often tend towards being fair weather riders.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So if it's raining or cold, we'll leave the bike at home.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Transportation riding, on the other hand, is essentially all the activities we would normally use a car or public transit for.

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<v SPEAKER_1>We ride pretty much every day, getting to work, running errands, relying on our motorcycle to get everywhere we need to.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Because it's our main transport, we adapt to the weather.

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<v SPEAKER_1>We may have installed larger windshields, handlebar muffs, maybe even a skirt on our scooter, to keep the weather out and allow us to ride in much cooler weather.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Riders who use their bikes for transportation don't give up on leisure rides, but rather they can enjoy riding much more often.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I'll preface this section by saying that the regional tendencies I'll highlight may not represent your own riding style.

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<v SPEAKER_1>There are always gonna be some differences, but I do think the tendencies in each region are fairly typical and represent what I've personally observed in my travels to each of these regions.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I'm gonna start with Asia, because quite frankly, it's the largest market for motorcycles, with Royal Enfield building their bikes in India, other brands like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki are building their bikes in Asia, not just for world markets, but for the local areas as well.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Triumph manufactures many of its models for the global market in Thailand, and recently added the 400cc series that was built in India.

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<v SPEAKER_1>KTM and BMW produce their smaller capacity bikes in Asia as well.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, while many will assume the reason so many bikes are built in Asia is due to a lower cost of labor, it's also due to the enormous market in Asia.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If we don't have to transport them across the globe, that also helps keep the prices low.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I mentioned it's the largest market for motorcycles, and in fact, more motorcycles are sold in Asia than anywhere else in the world.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Over 40 million motorcycles and scooters are sold each year in Asia.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And essentially, this is just making them cheaper than cars, and as a result, more often used for regular transportation.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, this doesn't mean that riders in Asia don't enjoy riding their motorcycles for pleasure.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But if you look at city centers in India or China, they're filled with motorcycles and scooters, often outnumbering cars.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So whether it's commuting to work or deliveries, bikes are frequently used in place of a car in Asia.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, Europe also has several home brands ranging from Triumph in the UK to BMW in Germany, KTM in Austria and Moto Guzzi, Ducati and Piaggio in Italy.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The UK was the birthplace of the Cafe Racer.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Compared to Asia, though, the unit sales throughout all of Europe are much smaller at about two and a half million bikes per year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Europe doesn't have as many people riding for regular transportation as a percentage of the population in Asia, but it's not unusual to see many more bikes, especially in city centers, and those being used for regular commuting.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I can remember many trips to Amsterdam and Paris, where scooters and motorcycles are parked on nearly every block.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Most scooters had skirts to protect the riders' work clothes from all types of weather and keep them warm in cooler temperatures.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Of course, lots of outstanding roads throughout the continent encourage riders to use their bikes for leisure as well.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, I'm based here in the United States, so I can speak very clearly to the typical rider tendencies that we have in the US and in North America more generally.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, if you ask a non-motorcyclist what they think of as a motorcycle brand, they'll inevitably name Harley-Davidson.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's the most well-known brand here and often the best-selling brand.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Harley mostly builds very large-capacity bikes, often with touring options.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And these bikes can be very expensive, often well over $20,000.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So the volume of sales is reduced.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, Harley in recent years has been targeting even higher-ticket models, with the assumption that they can be profitable by going up market.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But there's only so many people that can afford the latest CVO.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Also, being big bikes, they often weigh well over 600 pounds, and that weight also makes them a bit less nimble.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So many riders focus on riding only for pleasure.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, Harley is the top-selling individual brand, certainly in the United States, but they average only about 27% of all motorcycle sales in the US.

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<v SPEAKER_1>There's a very long tail of other brands, but that doesn't negate the impact of Harley-Davidson on the overall motorcycle habits of American riders.

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<v SPEAKER_1>With sales of only around a half a million motorcycles per year, the US is a much smaller market than either Asia or Europe.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But what is the reason?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Well, in the US, we have very limited public transit options compared to other parts of the world.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Much of our daily travel is through a private vehicle, but we more often choose to use a car for that.

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<v SPEAKER_1>On average, people in the US drive about 10,000 miles per year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>We love our SUVs and trucks to head over to Walmart or Costco and carry a huge amount of things that we bought back home.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But it's much rarer to find someone running those errands on a bike or commuting to their work.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Common Tread had an article about how few miles American motorcyclists ride.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It was based on a study by an insurance company named VOOM.

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<v SPEAKER_1>While the survey was sent out to about 7,000 people, they got responses from about 500 people that rode motorcycles.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So it's by no means scientifically rigorous, but I did find the results interesting.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The statistic that really jumped out to me is that 49.5% of the riders said they rode their motorcycle fewer than 1,000 miles in a typical year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And only 12.2% said they rode more than 5,000 miles in a year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, if nearly half of all riders in the US ride fewer than 1,000 miles in a year, yet the average driver does 10,000 miles per year, it seems most riders don't use motorcycles as basic transportation.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And with less than 1,000 miles in a year, how many of them are actually doing any type of trips with those big Harley touring bikes?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Is it possible American riders love the look and the potential to do big trips on their huge Harley, but rarely take them?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, I can only speak about some of the region that I've been to in the world with any sort of clarity.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I'd love to hear from you though, if you're from another region, be it South America, Africa, Oceania, what's typical in your region?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Text the show from the link in the show notes, and I'll share your thoughts in a future episode.

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<v SPEAKER_1>There are efforts to increase riding.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Here in the United States, there's an effort called Ride to Work.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And it was inspired by AeroStich's marketing materials with the phrase Work to Ride, Ride to Work.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And this effort is really about encouraging riders to ride more often.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Of course, the unofficial riding gear is the AeroStich Road Crafter Suit.

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<v SPEAKER_1>This is what I personally have used for commuting because of just the convenience.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I can have my work clothes on and put the stitch on top of them in about 30 seconds.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So I'm still protected in the event of a crash, plus I have wind and weather protection.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And it fits under the seat of my Vespa so I can leave it on the bike, making it very convenient to commute.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's not the prettiest looking riding gear, but AeroStich has embraced the road-grimed astronaut description of riders sporting a Road Crafter.

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<v SPEAKER_1>When I got my first motorcycle over 25 years ago, I used it to commute from my house in Westchester County into New York City.

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<v SPEAKER_1>At the time, there were motorcycle-specific parking spaces by Madison Park, where I could park for $3 a day.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Combined with the fuel economy of a motorcycle and the low parking fee, this was actually cheaper than taking mass transit.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, I also had many late nights, so the train schedule ran on a reduced schedule, so riding was about half the commute time that the train would have been.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I was putting an average of 1,000 miles a month on the bike with my 40-mile round trip.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So even if you don't ride every day into work, adding just a single day a week could be a great way to get on two wheels and get some more miles under your belt.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Another great way to sort of expand the number of miles that you do per year is looking at some of the REVER challenges.

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<v SPEAKER_1>They've got a number of these challenges to encourage you to recording your miles and enhancing your miles.

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<v SPEAKER_1>These range from destination challenges to total miles per year, and there's something for everyone to gamify their riding.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Couple ones that I wanted to highlight here is the Road Warriors Challenge.

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<v SPEAKER_1>This one's focused on the number of miles you complete each year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And in fact, REVER gives away prizes for the top riders each month.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So if you need a more of a nudge than self-motivation, this might help get you riding some more miles this year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>A fun one for riders based in the US is the Park Ranger Challenge, where you aim to visit each US national park.

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<v SPEAKER_1>While there are 59 national parks in the US, 49 of them are actually accessible by motorcycle.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So you have a large number of places to go visit.

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<v SPEAKER_1>The Pass Climber Challenge is another US-centric challenge where you aim to ride each of the hundreds of mountain passes in the United States.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Well, many of these passes are beautiful paved roads.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Others are the remains of an old wagon trail.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So you might want to use your adventure bike for some of them.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But if you're somewhere other than the USA, there are other challenges that might be a good fit.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Our neighbors to the north have the Knuckle Best of Canada Challenge.

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<v SPEAKER_1>For riders in Africa, take a look at the Best of South Africa Challenge.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And if you're in the land down under, the Best of Australia and the Best of New Zealand challenges are right at home.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you're based in Europe, there's an Alpine Pass Challenge similar to the Past Climber Challenge in the United States.

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<v SPEAKER_1>A lot of rider clubs also have mileage contests.

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<v SPEAKER_1>In fact, one of the biggest ones that I belong to is the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And they have these annual motorcycle mileage contests.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And top riders in various categories, including by individual state, are published in the BMW Owners News Magazine after the riding season ends.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And with an annual rally at a new location somewhere in the United States every year, BMW MOA members are known for putting in a lot of miles each year, many of them just getting to the rally.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, this year's rally was in Redmond, Oregon just a few short weeks ago.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So if you're on the East Coast, like I am, you would have had well over 5,000 miles just on the round trip to the rally.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, my local BMW Riding Club similarly has a mileage contest.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Being we're based in the Northeast United States, we ignore the winter months.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So it runs from April 15th to November 15th, since many riders will avoid riding in the winter.

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<v SPEAKER_1>If you belong to a local riding club, see if they offer a mileage contest.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Maybe even propose it to them.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Our listeners on the other side of the pond may have heard of the weekly publication, Motorcycle News or MCN.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And they have an effort to encourage riders to ride 5,000 miles each year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And their site has links to their Facebook group and a downloadable supplement, giving plenty of ideas on how to get to 5,000 miles in a year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, if 5,000 miles seems unattainable, really think about it what it is on an individual day basis.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's just 14 miles a day.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So with so many great options in the British Isles, plus a ferry or the Eurotunnel can get you over to mainland Europe to hit some of those great Alpine passes, 5,000 miles in a year is pretty doable.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I have to admit, when I saw the article from Revzilla, I was shocked that nearly half of all riders in the US complete less than 1,000 miles in a year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>While I don't consider myself a high mileage rider, not even an iron butt rider, I do ride many more than 1,000 miles in a year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Whenever I've bought a new bike, it's typically about 600 miles for the initial break-in service.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I've usually completed that within the first week or two, just from being so excited about the new bike.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So only doing 1,000 miles in a year is just hard for me to fathom.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Then again, I'm perfectly happy riding 100 miles to try out a different coffee shop, so your mileage may vary.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, I do have a scooter that replaced a second car we had.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And when I was commuting into New York City every day, I rode the scooter to the train station in my town, including in the winter with my trusty AeroStich Roadcrafter.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I use it for errands into my town to grab takeout, even heading to the hardware store.

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<v SPEAKER_1>It's not a far ride into my town, maybe 6 to 10 miles round trip, depending upon where I'm heading.

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<v SPEAKER_1>But I still average about 1,400 miles a year on the scooter, and that's the lowest mileage bike in my country.

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<v SPEAKER_1>And I've been tracking every tank of all of my vehicles with Fuelie since 2011, so I have a lot of data on my usage.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, the vast majority of the miles in that time have been for leisure.

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<v SPEAKER_1>While I use my scooter for basic transportation since I got it in 2019, my overall median annual miles since 2011 is about 6,000 each year.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So the 1,400 a year on the scooter isn't the majority, but I've also had much more regular riding in the past few years, where my average over the past three years is about 10,000 miles a year on the bikes.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So my leisure rides are way up.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Now, a lot of that is due to the effects of working remotely.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I found grabbing a quick ride before work really just helps clear my mind.

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<v SPEAKER_1>Even a short 30 to 50 mile ride before you start work can get you out on the bike more if you're not ready to try using a motorcycle to commute.

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<v SPEAKER_1>So thanks for listening to this episode.

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<v SPEAKER_1>I'd love to hear your thoughts on leisure versus transportation riding.

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<v SPEAKER_1>How many miles do you ride each year?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Do you ride just for leisure or also to work and for errands?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Do you wish you could use your bike more?

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<v SPEAKER_1>Try texting the show and I'll share your feedback on a future episode.