Motorcycles are more popular than ever, with an estimated 4-5 million on the road today. At the same time, riders are getting older.
“Today’s riders are a far cry from the teen rebels and counter-culture warriors of days gone by,” noted Don Brown, and industry analyst with DJB Associates, who added that the average age of a Harley buyer is over 45 (almost 11 years older than in 1987).
“The motorcycle industry is really enjoying a robust period,” he said. “This is the 11th year in a row that sales have increased.”
Honda, the number one motorcycle manufacturer in the US saw their own sales jump by over 33% last year.
However, those readers who’s midlife crises include strapping on some leather and buying a Harley-Davidson, be forewarned. Tracy L. Jackson and her team of researchers at Brown University have found that motorcyclists over the age of 60 are three times more likely to be hospitalized with serious injuries than younger riders. This included having far more fractures, dislocations, brain damage and internal organ injuries. However, at the same time, they also noted that riders 20-39 had 14 more times the number of accidents than senior riders.
The findings come as aging Baby Boomers “change the demographics of motorcycling,” she stated.
“Your bones become more brittle, and you lose muscle mass as you get older. In addition, many older riders experience declining vision
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