Tough Time for Motorcycle Shops

The economy’s deadly recession continues to hurt the motorcycle industry. The most recent example is Marin County, where Harley closed it Corte Madera shop, the BMW dealer closed, and the only dealership left is Hattar Motorsports, the Ducati Triumph dealer.

For Harley owners, the nearest warranty work is either Michael’s in Cotati (a long ride), or Dudley Perkins (which moved to a less convenient location closer to the airport than downtown).  BMW riders fare better, as the BMW dealership in San Francisco is located closer to the heart of the City.

For riders, this may mean a big bill for trailering to the dealership, depending on the problem.  For the industry, this means that only the most dedicated riders are staying with the sport.  For all riders, this means diminished choices in every aspect of the sport.

Parenthetically, this makes efforts like the effort to revive the Norton name seem somewhat peculiar.

As a motorcycle accident attorney, I wonder how rider safety is affected.  At some level, the fewer motorcycles on the road, the less awareness car drivers have of the need to keep a lookout for motorcyclists.

Those in the industry have started to focus on the perceived shortage of new riders.  Personally, I think the time is ripe for a return to the Japanese strategy of the 60′s.  Get riders started on small, cheap, two wheelers, and they will naturally move up.  In fact, this is happening with a proliferation of scooters, and growth in the electric two wheel market.  It just isn’t as organized an effort as it could be.

Of course, this is a myopic view of the world.  Sales of boats, RV’s, and every other form of recreational transportation are also at all time lows.

In the meantime, I am happy to be one of those still up and riding.  I appreciate my local dealers, and I support them.  Might be something to think about the next time you look at helmets locally, but make the purchase over the internet.