Tim Kreitz blogs about the motorcycle cruiser market, advancing a question that Fred Rau posed in the April 2007 edition of Motorcycle Consumer News, is the cruiser on its way out?

While they still make up the bulk of US motorcycle sales, Fred points out that they are in the midst of a 4-year state of decline as a bike category. All this at a time when motorcycling is experiencing a 26-year high in popularity.

• Many people who already own cruisers, are now buying tourers as their second-bikes. That doesn't mean they got rid of their cruisers, it just means they own two or more motorcycles.



• Cruisers are largely recreational motorcycles; their sales rise and fall with the economy. A downturn in sales is more of a reflection of harder times than popularity. Higher interest rates is what's keeping consumers away from Harley Davidson, not lack of popularity.



• The sales of cruisers that Motorcycle Consumer News tracks are deliveries of new motorcycles to dealers, not necessarily sales to consumers. Moreover, they don't reflect sales of used motorcycles out of eBay, classified ads, etc.

Labels: Motorcycle Sales