Do the British not like motorcycles?

[Whosthedaddy]

Its just occurred to me that I have seen loads of car manufacturers adverts, some good, some shite. But, I have never seen a motorcycle being advertised

Why do motorcycle manufacturers not advertise on TV? I haven't seen a bike ad in any of the glossy magazines, unlike cars advertising there latest deals. The only ads seen have been the occasional ones posted in the net.

Are motorcycles a taboo subject? Advertise them and people will buy them increasing the number of deaths on the roads?

Is it a conspiracy set up by the likes of the Ford Motor Company for worldwide domination?
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Bezzer]

Just a matter of justifying the cost, you see bike adverts on the satellite channels, Eurosport etc. That's a lot cheaper than using the main terrestrial channels. Bikes are an insignificant minority so it doesn't justify mainstream advertising. the Eurosport ones are only on when there is biking stuff on at the time so at least they've got a chance of being seen by their target audience. Same with magazines and papers they can be expensive and not guaranteed to get to their target that's why you only see them in bike mags.
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I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite so sure.

[zephyrgirl]

I've seen ads for the Suzuki Bandit on Sky (Eurosport, I think - during breaks in racing) and I was rather surprised to come across a newspaper ad for the Harley Sportster in the Daily Mail a couple of days ago.
It was being promoted by a chap lying on his back along the length of the bike and the tagline was something like
'Have a Harley for less than you think' or summat.

Making a big deal of the fact that you could own a piece of the Harley dream for less than 5 grand.

I think that you don't generally see ads on the mainstream telly due to the fact that we really are quite a small, specific market. If you are going to buy a bike you usually have to spend time on knowing what you are looking for, not just trawl through the adverts in your local paper as if you wanted to buy a car. Lets face it, there's not many people who just will go out, take their test & buy a bike with no knowledge whatsoever about what they are throwing their leg over.

Plenty of people will just go & get a car totally clueless about what they are driving.

Another factor could be that as cars are so mainstream, you are subconciously 'guided' towards passing your driving test and getting your first car as a practical means of transport. This means that bikes are in a minority.

Adverts are not cheap to produce & put on telly, and as the audience are more likely to be car drivers who will go and buy the cars being advertised, bike adverts stick to the biking press or the time between bike orientated tv programmes to get the target audience.

You never see adverts for Porche, Aston, etc in the breaks between Corrie because again they are a niche product and the majority of folk watching are not going to be interested. (in purchasing one)

I think that if tv advertising of bikes became more commonplace you may see an increase in bike ownership, but the bike maufacturers obviously don'y think it is a viable way of seling machines.
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Fly away on my Zephyr?
I bloody wish.

[Whosthedaddy]

[mrchips]

Car ads will appeal to a large sector of any channel, no point of putting a bike advert in between Coronation Street if only 15 percent of the viewers ride a bike. Better advertising directly at the target market for instance in a bike magazine or a motoring channel.
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Northern Irish? www.nibikers.com

[palmer]

I saw a GSR600 advert the other day... was shocked.

[Whosthedaddy]

If not advertising a motorcycle, what about a ped?

If manufacturers could target chavs (only kidding )and college aged youths, then could they not be attracting them to 2 wheels and not 4.

They could sweeten the deal by taking the age to ride compared ot drive angle
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[stinkwheel]

Honda tend to just advertise the honda brand rather than specific products.

There recent 'impossible dream' adverts featured several motorcycles.
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[Keen]

I don't think its the kind of market that needs advertising. Motorcycling is one of those special-interest areas where the average biker is very clued up on the market and the products available. Biker's make their purchasing choices based on their own technical knowledge and reviews from the motorcycling press, not on cheesy tv ads.
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"he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"- Dr. Johnson

[Jack_Cheese]

Quite a lot of bikes that sell well do so due to the word of mouth. Biking is more of a tight-knit comuunity, where advice is usually more appreciated. Bikes like the SV650 sell on the word of mouth.

Smaller manufacturers who need to boost sales would be absolutely burning cash by advertising on tv. Too much advertising cost for too little return. Targeting bikers as an audience is tricky, hence why adverts have been screener during commercial breaks in races.

Having said that, i would sure as hell like to see GR make an advert for the gixxer

Jack
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[riichy]

suzuki ads are on M&M all the time........

just really about cost i think..
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.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[Keen]

what surprised me was when the kawasaki zx10r came out a couple of years ago (ish) I was in the states and they ran adverts for it on normal tv all the time.... I mean, surely a bike like the 10r is for hardcore enthusiasts only, don't seee what they had to gain by advertising it on mass market tv
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"he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"- Dr. Johnson