07-06-2017, 11:24 AM
(07-06-2017, 10:12 AM)Flynrider_imp Wrote: 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.
I agree completely. When I started riding in the mid-seventies there was any number of small bikes in the 175-350cc range. At some point, as we became more experienced we graduated to 500s and 750s. Until recently the small bike offerings disappeared and the industry got into a displacement and horse power escalation. A 750 which was once the epitomy of a big bike is now deemed to be a mid displacement offering. I see people decry the hp that the CB1100 has but seriously when would you ever need any more? Remember in the seventies 50-60hp was considered huge. What I see now is an industry that has realized it abandoned the entry level rider that they need to, in the long run, maintain and bolster sales of larger bikes.