News
'Wild Hogs' Opens to Early Mixed Reviews by the Motorcycle Industry Council
IRVINE, Calif.-(Business Wire)-March 1, 2007 - "Wild Hogs," the new road-trip comedy opening in theaters tomorrow, shines a high-beam on the good and the bad about suburban baby-boomers taking to motorcycles across the country, according to two-wheel industry leaders. Motorcycle sales have increased in the United States for 14 straight years, as reported by the Motorcycle Industry Council, with annual sales topping one million. But safety concerns also are on the rise.
"We want to give 'Wild Hogs' a thumbs-up for inspiring even more Americans to take a look at motorcycling and everything great it has to offer, the sense of freedom it provides, the adventure," said Tim Buche, president of the MIC. "At the same time, we want to continue to encourage new and returning riders to go about it the right way. After you've taken the ride vicariously in the movie theater, enroll in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCourse(SM) and learn about two-wheeling in the real world."
At the MSF Basic RiderCourse, students take their first boot steps toward a lifetime of enjoying motorcycling, Buche said. Besides taking the formal training, all motorcyclists should become properly licensed, wear all the right protective gear all the time, never use alcohol or other drugs while riding, ride within their skill and endurance limits, and also become lifelong learners who regularly come back to skill-refreshing classes.
"From 'Easy Rider' to 'On Any Sunday' to 'Faster,' there have been a few great films focusing on motorcycling," Buche said. "The trailers and clips from 'Wild Hogs' that we've seen on-line are hilarious. Of course, unless you're a professional stunt man and have access to the magic of special effects, falling off a motorcycle isn't a laughing matter. We think of riding as being serious fun. Done right, with the proper attitude and smart choices, there's nothing better than a real-life road trip with good friends or family. And we've certainly seen many more mainstream suburban Americans getting out on two wheels."
In the first four years of the new millennium, more motorcycles were sold than during the entire decade of the 1990s. The MIC's initial estimate on new-unit sales for all brands last year is 1,158,000, a slight increase over 2005. During each of the past four years, combined sales of all types of motorcycles (on-highway, off-highway, dual-purpose and scooter) have crested the one-million level. The boomer generation has spurred much of the recent sales growth, and cruiser-type motorcycles have topped the sales charts. The "census of motorcycling," the MIC's Owner Survey, found that the median age of motorcyclists was 41 back in 2003. That was up from 38, as determined in the 1998 survey.
The ages for riders returning to motorcycling were even higher, according to a 2006 survey commissioned by the MSF. That research found that 29 percent were age 40-49, while 37 percent were 50 to 59 years old, and 18 percent were 60 years old and up. The average re-entry rider had 10 years of prior experience before parking the bike, and returned to motorcycling after an average hiatus of 13 years.
"Whether you call them returning, re-entry or re-zooming riders, as we like to say, it's great that more riders are coming back to motorcycling," Buche said. "The downside is that only 80 percent reported having a motorcycle license, only 24 percent had taken an MSF Basic RiderCourse, and just five percent had gone through an Experienced RiderCourse. These classes are available across the country, and the MSF even addresses the needs of aging motorcyclists and riding with others, with its Seasoned Rider and Guide to Group Riding kits. For riders both new and re-zooming, the Discover Today's Motorcycling site at www.motorcycles.org is a great source of links and information."
Discover Today's Motorcycling(R), the communications service bureau of the Motorcycle Industry Council, is a source of information about motorcycling to the media and the general public. DTM is funded by the American-based operations of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha and supported by 310 MIC member companies. Located in Irvine, Calif., the MIC is a not-for-profit national trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, scooters, motorcycle parts and accessories, and members of allied trades. To learn more about motorcycling and how to get started the right way, visit www.motorcycles.org.
