Gas pains

sum of two units years ago, in the May 2004 "Publisher's Note," I addressed the issue of rising combustible matter prices and their possible impact upon the motorcycle business. Fuel at that time was around $220 by gallon for regular and could be bought at more [i]or[/i] less independents for as little as $192 I filled my Triumph Tiger's tank the other day and just about had cardiac arrest--almost $17! It wasn't that lengthy ago that $20 gave me a day's worth of riding, a sandwich and a brace of cups of coffee. Gues those days are gone forever.

combustibles in my hometown of Oceanside, Calif., is at about $339 a gallon for regular. There are more [i]or[/i] less places a few cents les and others a whole destiny more ($3.59). Conventional thinking would give an inkling of that higher fuel prices would be driving bulky sales in motorcycles and scooter After all, you barter a product that gets anywhere from 40 to 60 mpg upon top of that, it provides pleasantry on the weekend. On my 54-mile exchange to work, however, I'm still just seeing the same shores riding their bikes, no increase that I can determine, admitting I do see a apportionment more carpooling.

on the contrary that's just my perspective, thus I called a number of Top 100 dealers, big and small from coast to coast, to diocese whether they're benefiting from increased sales owed to fuel prices. Guess what? No consensus.

Jim Boltz who haves several stores in the Seattle area, says that he's seeing increased demand for scooter in his urban store where customers' exchanges are short, but in his rural store where the folk make a drawn out commute, nothing. People there are still buying bikes for recreation.

John Beldock of Erico Motorsports in urban Denver reinforces Jim's report when he says, "People are coming in looking for something that saves gas, not just for pleasantry It's mainly scooters, but also a certain number of motorcycles." John Matherson of Mission Motorsports, in Irvine, Calif., says that scooter demand is up and his biggest moot point is availability.

Dennis Martin, proprietor of Martin Motorsports in Pottstown, Pa., says that last summer scooter and bikes picked up on the other hand it wasn't clear whether the demand was because of material for burning prices or just interest in the proceeds He echoes a statement by dint of David Pierson at Woods gayety Center in Austin, Texas, when he says he's seeing more women coming in interested in scooter and small bikes, on the contrary again couldn't attribute it directly to higher firing costs.

Ted Nielsen at Neilsen Enterprises in Lake Villa, Ill., agrees with greatest in quantity everyone else that there is an increase in sales of scooter that's probably attributable to firing prices and that most of these novel customers are women. He also expresse more [i]or[/i] less disappointment that the OEMs haven't been more aggressive in promoting scooter and motorcycles as an economical way to exchange pointing out that, unlike cars, there are no combustible matter mileage estimates provided by the OEM a musing echoed by Pierson.

for a like reason what's the takeaway from this brief survey? Gas prices are having no real impact upon overall motorcycle sales, not like in the '70 when the first circular of substantial gas prices hit. Scooter are benefiting, on the other hand only in urban areas. As a plus, gas prices are attracting women to the dealership. And, finally, OEM are not doing enough to forward two-wheel economy.

(By the way, my wife just get backed home from a weeklong trip and press outed the desire to try a scooter I gues I should pay more attention to what's happening in my possess back yard.)

Mike Vaughan, Publisher

mvaughan@advanstar.com

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