07-06-2017, 10:12 AM
I agree that the industry is changing, rather than dying. For years (decades?) I thought the lack of smaller displacement bikes for beginners was shortisighted. While some people are willing to tackle a big, powerful bike when starting out, most are not.
When I started riding you could get a street bike in virtually any size you wanted. We beginners usually went for something in the 350-500cc range. Light enough to handle, but with enough power to take to the highway. A few decades later, there wasn't much for the small bike rider other than a few (mostly underpowered) 250s. I'm glad to see manufacturers are starting to pay attention to the small bike segment of the market. Not only for new riders, but also for those who just want a smaller, lighter bike for local riding.
When I started riding you could get a street bike in virtually any size you wanted. We beginners usually went for something in the 350-500cc range. Light enough to handle, but with enough power to take to the highway. A few decades later, there wasn't much for the small bike rider other than a few (mostly underpowered) 250s. I'm glad to see manufacturers are starting to pay attention to the small bike segment of the market. Not only for new riders, but also for those who just want a smaller, lighter bike for local riding.