whats happened to bikers?

[spannermonkey...]

What's happened to Britain's biking population? I ride all year around on a zx7r and love it but why are so many people afraid? Their are a few guys I see on my commute on various machines but when it's sunny they all come out.
All I seem notice on sunny days is the race rep Rodney's who 's only throttle control is on and off with limited mechanical sympathy and the triumph themed bike lot.

What's gone so wrong with the biking world in the UK?
____________________
Current machines - Aprilia RS250. Kawasaki H1A 500. Past machines - Kawasaki ZX7r P6, Yamaha RD250E (the one that got away), BSA Racing bantam (revs over 10'000 sweet as), Yamaha RXS100, Suzuki GP100, Suzuki GS500K2 - best all year machine ever - come rain, sleet and snow just epic.

[Itchy]

I was like you 10-15 years ago.

But a lot of us got older, got more responsibilities and less time and more money.

So 2003ish when it rained/snowed motorbike! Each time everytime... that's because all I had was a motorbike.

2015 I've got 2 cars and a motorbike. It rains I think meh and get into the car.

The licensing laws also killed off the younger riders from entering. As a full licence is a ball ache compared to when we did it.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Andy_Pagin]

____________________
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[DRZ4Hunned]

The stupidly hard and costly route to obtaining the required licence for new/ young bikers.
____________________
DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[nowhere.elysium]

TBH, I can't imagine that having sanctimonious 'old hands' grumbling about how the current generation are a shower of poofs for not wanting to risk hypothermia is helping much, either.
____________________
'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[monkeybiker]

Most people just see bikes as toys and also people are wimps.

[kerr]

Personally i have the bike for fun and a van for work, i just don't find riding in the rain fun so i don't bother, temperature doesn't bother me too much.
____________________
aprilia 125 Af1 Futura >> Suzuki gsxr 600 srad >> J1 zx6r >> cbr 600rr >> Speed Triple

[mentalboy]

[spannermonkey...]

Bikes are for riding not polishing, I clean mine but it's not a show pony for the rivet counters. I have a car but it's so much nicer to ride than to be sat in a box that has no character and isolated from the real world. Modern kit is awesome days of hypothermia have gone unless you ride motorways in the winter and it gets cold but you get used to it.

I understand the licencing rules being strong but then most of us know other bikers who have jumped on a ICBM (inter county ballistic missile) and come off some worse than others and some dead.

Cars are safe boring and predictable. The fun is in riding a machine all year, enjoying the turns in the seasons and learning to ride smooth.
____________________
Current machines - Aprilia RS250. Kawasaki H1A 500. Past machines - Kawasaki ZX7r P6, Yamaha RD250E (the one that got away), BSA Racing bantam (revs over 10'000 sweet as), Yamaha RXS100, Suzuki GP100, Suzuki GS500K2 - best all year machine ever - come rain, sleet and snow just epic.

[nowhere.elysium]

[chickenstrip]

[arry]

[Pete.]

A few days rain does wonder for clearing the roads - of fair-weather bikers and Rossi wannabes.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Pigeon]

[spnorm]

I didn't pass my car test until I was 39 in 2008, but have had a company car since then. I got rid of my winter hack (VFR750) as I no longer needed it.

My commute is only 4 miles, so it's pointless unchaining the bike, getting it out of the garage and putting my gear on for a short ride, especially if it's going to get ruined by salt in winter. It's easier to use the 320d or cycle and keep the bike for touring and weekend fun

[c-m]

There are about as many regular horse riders as there are bikers in Britain. Not a good state of affairs. This figure is pretty small for our population when compared to Europe.

I've never done any research into the motorcycle market, but the equestrian market is worth £4bn

However while the number of regularly equestrian riders has fallen over the years, they are on the whole getting younger.

It's a shame the motorcycle industry doesn't have the same 74% female bias.

[DrSnoosnoo]

I ride all year and let the missus use the car. If/when we get more prosperous, we may buy another car a bit more "practical" than a Gen7 Celica, the back seats are for show.

Let's be honest riding to work when it's raining sideways isn't fun. I will continue to ride through all weathers while it still saves me time to get to work.

If riding a bike made no difference to my arrival time I'd use a car through the worst of the weather too.

If I'm on a rideout or going on a bike trip, the rain won't stop me in that instance.
____________________
I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[recman]

[Rogerborg]

[chickenstrip]

[Irn-Bru]

My bikes just a toy to me, only do about 3000 a year. I don't live in Laaaandan so getting around by car is easy. If I got a new job that required commuting through town or something I'd get a commuter bike straight away, I'm far too impatient for traffic, that's why I got into bikes in the first place.
____________________
KTM 990 SMT & Suzuki DR-Z 400 SM

[Sable]

[chickenstrip]

[Wonko The Sane]

[DrSnoosnoo]