Motorcycles were supposedlythe entry-level vehicles. So much more affordable than cars and people had tolearn how to drive a car. Whereas, people already knew how to balancethemselves on a bicycle –which now had an engine added to it.
Times change, and so doesfortunes of companies and global customers. Also, it is interesting to notethat two-wheel training might be so ignored in developed nations that Striderand All Kids Bike together offer and promote a national physical education programto teach kindergarten kids how to ride a bicycle.
Meanwhile, in developingnations in Asia and Eastern Europe, as well as parts of Africa, per capitaincome of citizens are rising. Hence, they are aspiring to buy their first carand relegate motorized two-wheelers to their low-income colleagues andneighbours. Car is a matter of prestige in many such cultures and the Westernconcept of class divide enters subtly into the socio-economic mix. At the sametime, a kid with a bicycle is considered a son or daughter of financiallyprivileged families.
Most adults cycling theredaily are the ones having no means to transport goods or deliver food tocustomers who have ordered it from local restaurants –by phone call and nowapps as well. On Sundays, the elite adults, young and old can be seen on theexpensive (and luxurious really) geared bicycles on highways for ‘exercise’. So,with their cars parked securely, they venture out in the early morning to getsome fitness with finesse after a work week in an enclosed office.
Yet, as always, motorcyclesand scooters are a big part of the life of salaried people in Asia and Africa.If not for commuting to an office, then to ship goods and food and transportpeople as well. Yes, Uber and some other similar apps were briefly allowed bymany cities to have paid passengers as pillion riders. By offering two-wheeledtransport, these apps were able to add or retain users –because car travel isof course expensive on Uber which depends on changing global fuel prices plusrush hour demand pricing. Motorcycles and Scooters made the app affordable.
Unfortunately, the idiots whobecame the riders and the snob-nosed citizens who became their pillionpassengers did not follow traffic norms. Many cities banned two-wheelerapp-based taxis. The riders were found riding rashly and even dangerously tocomplete minimum 8 to 10 trips per day for a decent income. The pillionsrefused to wear helmets worn by other passengers nor did they bring their ownhelmets while hiring such a service.
While on the subject matter,a timely movie has been made and released on this ridiculous concept ofGig-Economy where everyone except the company’s founder-owners andangel-investor make money and find joy in it. They are not legally liable forwrongdoings of their gig-partners, namely the people who drive you or deliveryour stuff, because those partners are not employees, they are ’partners’(strangely, without any perks or equity in the firm except their own vehicle& life). Watch out for the movie titled ‘Zwigato’ released in March 2023.
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21998526/
The film debuted in theToronto Worldwide Film Celebration, 2022. It is not so subtly named andreferences the two popular food delivery apps in India, namely, Swiggy andZomato.
Watch Official Trailer at: https://youtu.be/RCMxX6lWJcY
On the extreme end ofmotorcycling, NCOM and Bikernet reported how an African nation bannedmotorcycles because – bandits !!!
No! Not our resident rulingEmperor of Bikernet Empire Keith ‘Bandit’ Ball, but actual dacoits were raidingvillages and towns and looting people & businesses, as if it was Old WildWest with jungle law. It would make a decent spaghetti western movie if not adocumentary.
Niger, Nigeria and Ethiopiaare nations mentioned in international news as having raiders on motorcyclesplundering in various parts of the respective nations. These are not largeV-Twins. They are light and fast motorcycles that are commonly seen (and stolen)in developing nations.
Refer: “Nigeria — the sixth most populous nation in world –is set to ban the use and sale of all motorcycles in an effort to hamper theactions of terrorist ‘bandits.’”
https://www.bikernet.com/pages/NCOM_Biker_Newsbytes_for_September_2022.aspx
Refer: Electric Motorcycles to help in WildlifeProtection
https://blog.bikernet.com/electric-motorcycles-to-help-in-wildlife-protection/
Suddenly, as motorcyclemagazines disappeared, among global gloom and environ-‘mental’ doom, there wasa revival of Polaris-Indian Motorcycle Company, turnaround of Harley-Davidson (onpaper?) through Jochen Zeitz’ ‘The Hardwire’ five-year strategic plan(2021-2025) and of course the gigantic growth in leaps & bounds of EicherRoyal Enfield motorcycles spreading its authorized dealerships in UK, USA &entering flat track racing under AMA.
Just as the world wasrecognising the perks of weekend motorcycle getaways and big V-Twin engines,there was also economic collapse, trade tariff wars and then the curse of theclimate. Everyone complained about the weather and then somebody actually didsomething about it. Like all solutions, the proposal was a ban. No more fossilfuels. No more emissions. No more manufacturing. No more custom aftermarketchops. No more accidents.
It’s a New Age. The Age ofZero (actually everything digital and in binary, 0s and 1s).
The March 2023 NCOM Newsbyteshas an interesting insight on how governments who were so dandy about ParisClimate Accords, may be realising its just another money-making scam byinvestors and bankers.
Bill Bish Reports on NCOMnewsbytes: “Instituted on January 1, 2023, the new law prohibits manufacturersfrom claiming a vehicle is carbon neutral (in France) if the same can’t be saidof its production or recharging stages.”
If entire gamut ofmedications and vaccines needs mandatory laboratory trial and testing beforebeing sold – and that too with prescription of a qualified medical practitioner– then it is insane to just grab the opposite pole and ask the world to join innude and carefree!!!
Internet of Things (IoT) isnot a cool fancy freebie that enables you. It disables you and all your choicesand decisions, for the rest of your life.
Customers buy and own theelectric vehicle. Yet he can’t repair it himself or at a local garage. He can’tadd, modify or remove stuff. Hell, he has a tough time reading the dashboard asif it was one of those ancient VCRs on which you needed a bunch of friends,neighbours and your kids’ help to record your favourite TV show.
If large battery consumptionis as bad as large SUVs, then maybe motorcycles and scooters are the solutionagain? Only, they won’t be the proud big V-Twins. They will look more similarto the world-record holding bestseller of all time, The Honda Supercub. 100ccto 150cc motorcycles and scooters and even mopeds are making a comeback.
Lostyour car to the repo man from the bank? Hey, they will issue you credit forbuying a motorcycle instead. Very affordable. Won’t cost you a lung & a kidney!Not comfortable using clutch and gears? Hey, the automatic geared scooters aremeant for you.
People even add a sidecar totheir scooter and that works like a charm. In fact, in India, you will rarelysee a sidecar on a motorcycle. They are all attached to the all-timebestselling scooter model, the family-friendly Honda Activa (150cc engine).
Carry yourself or carryluggage. ‘Two-wheeled trucks in another part of the world!’
Refer: https://www.bikernet.com/pages/TwoWheeled_Trucks.aspx
Enfield never really went outof business (‘technically?’) because even though the UK company closeddown, their licensed business in India thrived – with orders from military andpolice – and then civilians who liked to look macho on ‘bigger’, heavier bikes.
BMW decided to promote 310ccengines in Asia and it has had great success in its partnership with TVS Motorsin this ‘relatively’ small capacity motorbikes market. It’s the mostpopular entry-level sports-tourer.
For racing fans there is theKTM Duke 390 and its variants because Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki aim at commuters inthese markets with 100cc to 150cc variants. Even with racing colours, theJapanese bikes are not fooling anyone about the performance of these lame horsewithout power. It does not bother the Japanese brands because they want thevolume sales and they get it as easy as eating pie (or sushi). Bajaj is havingconsistent high volume sales by manufacturing KTM bikes.
Meanwhile, Mahindra group haspurchased rights to the brands BSA, Jawa and Yezdi. Already, Jawa Forty-Twomodel is popular and eye-catching with a twin-exhaust for a 290 cc engine.Yezdi Roadster however cannot seem to beat Enfield’s classic styling and brandvalue.
TVS purchased Norton brandsoon after Mahindra grabbed BSA but neither of them have realized lot of salesand maybe they don’t mass-produce these motorcycles because the demand just doesn’texist. Both BSA and Norton were to be big engine bikes to take onHarley-Davidson and Polaris Indian – but the world decided to pour cold wateron ICE engines.
Polaris shocked Americans byaxing Victory motorcycles and then surprised the world by successfully revivingIndian Motorcycle Co. They are also not too keen to compete withHarley-Davidson on small capacity engines. Harley-Davidson, after dancingaround in the shadows with manufacturing in Thailand and having assembly plantssometimes for completely built-up units (CBU) or for completely knockdown units(CKD) – then closing down offices & showrooms in many nations in 2020, notbecause of COVID but because of super-turnaround plan of CEO Jochen Zeitz – nowhas surprised one-and-all by releasing Benelli 350 cc engine motorcycles madeby QJ Motors of China having the label ‘Harley-Davidson X350’.
Apart from the money and thename, probably nothing American is in that X350 bike! Most likely, even themoney is from the Chinese partner, to sustain the brand name that has beenthrough enough stress in 120 years to suffer this on its anniversary.
Clearly, volume sales matterin automotive industry unless you are as exclusive as Lamborghini or a Bugattiluxury cars who consider it a grand success if they sell just 80 units in afinancial / calendar year.
To remain relevant to bothinvestor, employee, dealer and loyal customer, Harley-Davidson decided to sell‘franchises’ – like a burger joint to boost revenue. That’s what the deal with QJMotors looks like; that’s what the deal with Hero MotoCorp looks like – callinga spade a paid tool for digging your own grave.
Why not make a manufacturing oran assembly base in a few strategic stable locations and use that to sell morewhile retaining the century-old trust.
Yet, that is just thebeginning. Mature markets have plenty of demand for customization ofmotorcycles. Developing nations need other support such as a non-dealermechanic (just like your local garage / shop) who are more affordable, second-handpurchase legality, mandatory and optional accessories such as helmets,pollution control certificate, panniers and carriers for moving goods.
However, Harley-Davidsonchose a different option to go big.
They reduced their globalfootprint to focus on economically prosperous and mature markets. Hence byleaving some nations and selling their brand name to earn a buck – they havemanaged to cutdown their corporate financial liabilities & expenses &corporate governance issues –this small sizing made them bigger on a revenuegraph.
Here is an analogy. Imagineit this way – you have a large garden and you go around watering, controllingpests and caring for multiple fruit trees and flowering plants. They all givedifferent outputs at different times. Then, your Dad comes to visit and tellsyou how much time and energy you are wasting for an occasional fruit andflower. ‘Just work hard at your one job and business and you can just buy therarely usable flower or fruit of choice,’ he says. So your Dad and yourselfchop of all but one productive tree and plant. You sell the seeds from that andeat the fruits all for yourself. Now you do more with less!
Besides, Chinesemanufacturers were already ripping off so many designs from Harley-Davidson. It’sjust better to earn a few pennies and give one company over there the right tomake & sell Harley-Davidson bikes.
https://blog.bikernet.com/knock-off-motofino-streetboy-v-maxter-300-looks-eerily-familiar/
Refer: Xiang Shuai XN650N Is An Exact Imitation ofSportster 883
https://blog.bikernet.com/another-new-chinese-imitation-of-a-sportster/
Triumph is one true-blue-bloodBritish brand which has made a strategic and technical comeback of allcomebacks. It’s like the sudden new found success with a blonde James Bond.With a new British owner, Triumph slowly but steadily proved its mettle inengines, chassis, modern technology, manufacturing and then spreading itsmushrooming showrooms globally. Whether it is the classic styling of itsBonneville brand or the huge power of Triumph Rocket 3 and the racing capacityof Speed Triple 1200 and off-road capability of Tiger 900 adventuresports-tourer – it has ‘triumphed’ on all requirements of its customers.
Triumph already noticed thegrowing global demand for middle-weight segment motorcycles being filled fastby Royal Enfield. They launched Triumph Trident 660 and then Tiger Sport 660 toslow down Enfield’s 650cc parallel twin-engine demand. It has been reportedrepeatedly that Triumph is partnering with Bajaj to release a smaller-capacitymotorcycle to take on Enfield’s dominance in middle-weight sub-750ccmotorcycles. Bajaj’s ‘Dominar’ brand, ridiculing Enfield as slow clumsyelephants, had flopped, failing to generate interest among long-distanceriders.
In turn, Enfield launchedmany variants of its top-selling Enfield Classic 350cc, Std Bullet 350cc,introduced Hunter 350 for city cruising, Scram 411 scrambler, terminated allits 500cc engine models to force owners to go for better designed 650cc engineson 1960s cool ‘Interceptor’ and the café racer ‘Continental GT’ models. Enfieldlaunched Meteor 350cc to replace their popular cruiser Enfield Thunderbirdwhich was axed from their line-up. Lately, they challenged the big boys withtheir best ever technical production and their most comfortable highway cruiseroffering – the Super Meteor 650cc. Never has there been a more expensivemotorcycle from Enfield than this Super Meteor parallel twin engine with threeprominent variants – Astral, Interstellar and Celestial.
What’s in store for gearheadsand motorcyclists? The new Age of Zero means you live with zero rights and zeroprivacy and zero wealth. You already pay for bottled drinking water. Maybe payingfor clean air is next. There are cities that already tax people if they bring afour-wheeler into the city – ‘traffic tax’. Paper currency causes deforestationbecause nations and banks just keep on printing them since metal coins arecostlier than the denomination embossed on them. You would be forced to bedigital in everything. Maybe in that futuristic world, you or your descendantswould have no use for money since bots (similar to Facebook & Google bots)tell you what you deserve on your smart couch / chair. An ‘electric’ chair!
We ain’t taking much into ourgraves. Let there be a few smiles and gratitude while reaching there. So, enjoythese two-wheeled beauties while they last. Even a Harley-Davidson Sportsterhas a much smaller carbon footprint than any American car owner’s car or SUV. Ifelectric is the solution, then let the customers and dealers realise itnaturally instead of an emergency enforcement like a bat out of Wuhan.
(Maybe then, if a flowergrows from your buried dead body, your grandkids could get some ‘royalty income’from its sale. Pray for an apple tree or something more prosperous to ‘grow’ onyou as your inheritance.)
I like the quote “Peopledon’t change when they have a choice. They change when there is no choice”.
Learning and educating is thekey to any acceptance of change. Education includes debate and research. True,we have only one planet. Yet we have a shocking range of experiences withelectric vehicles in such a short time. Clearly ICE engine vehicles arethousand times more refined than any existing EV. They have undergone a centuryof progress and usage and testing. Without enough pilot period time and phasedintroduction in infrastructure ready cities, these EVs would cause wastage ofeven more natural resources and that too in a record shorter period of time.
Instead of global warming,the term should be ‘global warning’. Haste makes waste. Ride easy! If you ride,feel proud. You use less resources, own less and are already a zero liabilityperson. LOL !
