Welcome New Riders
A milestone was reached the other day; it cost me $20 to fill up my motorcycle. Even at that, it is still less expensive for me to ride than to drive any of the four-wheeled vehicles that I own. I ma seeing a lot of folks on the road reaching the same conclusion. With gasoline now exceeding $4 per gallon there is a sharp increase in the number of first-time riders on the roads.
Recently I attended a poker run and open house at a local motorcycle dealership. This dealership also sells a line of scooters. During the 3 hours that I was there I overheard many conversations between prospective scooter owners and the sales staff. Invariably, the first or second question asked was, "What kind of mileage does it get?"
I also witnessed several prospective scooter riders taking machines for test rides. Often with a dealer demo helmet because they did not yet own one of their own. Watching them wobble down the dealer's driveway and out onto the (thankfully) quiet street, I cringed and wondered each time if rider and machine would return unscathed. In each case, they did.
I don't know how many of these folks actually completed their purchase on that day. But I do know that the ranks of new riders are growing rapidly in response to the rise in gasoline prices. It caused me to wonder, what does this mean for those of us for whom motorcycling is more than just practical transportation?
On the plus side, more riders may translate into more awareness of motorcycles and scooters on the part of drivers. It may translate into more pressure to provide motorcycle-specific parking facilities in downtown areas or other pro-motorcycle efforts.
On the down side, more new riders will likely result in more crashes and fatalities. Many of these new riders, perhaps seeing their new little scooter or small motorcycle as little more than a glorified bicycle, may not seek training or equip themselves with proper gear. The resulting carnage may lead to calls from the non-riding citizenry for more anti-motorcycle legislation.
As motorcyclists we have an opportunity to move this situation in a favorable direction. Each of us was a new rider once upon a time. I wanted to take each of the scooter customers that day aside and ask them to seriously consider the risks and rewards of two-wheeled travel. To encourage them to get the right gear, get trained, and get endorsed. With a positive experience these folks may become as passionate about riding as so many of us.
John Davis is a rider and writer. His current ride is Victoria, a candy red Honda VTX1800 Retro. John writes for several web sites and blogs in addition to his own site, NorthwestCycleReport.
