This makes no sense at all. Maybe I don't understand the gift giving industry. Women only buy a small percentage of what they fondle. Men are in and out. Always.
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Women in motorcycling
- Thread starter TK4
- Start date
This makes no sense at all. Maybe I don't understand the gift giving industry. Women only buy a small percentage of what they fondle. Men are in and out. Always.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
Riceburner
Well-known member
Thinking about it a bit more...
Suitable bikes do have to be marketed toward women. How many fashion or lifestyle mags are there out there geared specifically toward women? What % of the mags are ads? Last time I looked at any, it seems almost 90% of the mags are ads. Tell me advertising doesn't have some sway.
Suitable bikes do have to be marketed toward women. How many fashion or lifestyle mags are there out there geared specifically toward women? What % of the mags are ads? Last time I looked at any, it seems almost 90% of the mags are ads. Tell me advertising doesn't have some sway.
jewman22
Active member
I agree entirely, unfortunately we live in a modern liberal world where everything needs to be either sexually ambiguous or designed specifically for women. Men are trash in modern society.
give it a few years and they will start going on about bikes not being designed for transgender folk.
Morrissey
Well-known member
I'm not saying that manufacturers need to build "women specific" bikes, but by building bikes that are physically too large for the average woman to comfortably ride, they are missing a big potential customer base. They are even missing plenty of sales to shorter men. I have known many women who ride and most of them have had issues with the size of motorcycles. I remember when my Wife first started riding. Being 5'2", there weren't a lot of bikes she fit on. Luckily for her, she likes cruiser styled bikes so there were a few more options. After starting on a 535 Virago she wanted to step up after 2 seasons. We sat her on every bike at the bike show that year and there were only 2 non-starter bikes that she could even reach the foot pegs on, the Suzuki Intruder 800 and 1400. Both of those bikes had mid-controls while everything else had the forward controls. She ended up taking over my Virago 1100 and with it's 26" seat height and narrow section at the front of the tank she could get her feet down. Everything else that fit her at the time was beginner bikes like the Savage or the VLX600. I have a friend who at 5' even needs high-heeled boots and a lowering kit to ride a Shadow 750.
I've known tiny guys who muscle around the biggest bikes on the road. I used to ride with a guy who was 5'1" and rode an Ultra Classic, but when he put his foot down he was on an awful angle. Even I find the biggest cruisers uncomfortably wide. I have to do stretches to get my legs open wide enough to straddle a Voyager 1700! I've ridden just about everything on the road on either a demo or swapping with a buddy, Goldwings to Vstroms and SS bikes and I really don't like having to stretch to get my toes down on the ground or hang off the side of the bike like I did on the Vstrom. Back when I started riding, there were tonnes of bikes that had 31" seat heights, most SS bikes included. Nowadays lots of naked/standard bikes with 32+" seat heights. ADV bikes have 33-36" seat heights. An inch or two can make a big difference (and don't bother making a joke, it's low hanging fruit!).
A friend of mine is an instructor at the Durham College motorcycle course. He'll tell you that every year a larger percentage of those attending are women.
I've known tiny guys who muscle around the biggest bikes on the road. I used to ride with a guy who was 5'1" and rode an Ultra Classic, but when he put his foot down he was on an awful angle. Even I find the biggest cruisers uncomfortably wide. I have to do stretches to get my legs open wide enough to straddle a Voyager 1700! I've ridden just about everything on the road on either a demo or swapping with a buddy, Goldwings to Vstroms and SS bikes and I really don't like having to stretch to get my toes down on the ground or hang off the side of the bike like I did on the Vstrom. Back when I started riding, there were tonnes of bikes that had 31" seat heights, most SS bikes included. Nowadays lots of naked/standard bikes with 32+" seat heights. ADV bikes have 33-36" seat heights. An inch or two can make a big difference (and don't bother making a joke, it's low hanging fruit!).
A friend of mine is an instructor at the Durham College motorcycle course. He'll tell you that every year a larger percentage of those attending are women.
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I'd def buy a a bike that was "manufactured towards women" (as long as it wasn't pink!) Hell, two bikes I've purchased in the past were from female riders. There are plenty of newer bikes that are mid power (300-500CC) that I can see being attractive to females but I agree on the fact that the higher in CC you go, the less woman/short/weak male friendly bikes get.
I was influenced by my aunt who began riding back in the 60s. Took me out on her RD350 back when my kicks barely touched the pegs back in the 70s.
My oldest daughter at 18 loves motorcycles and prefers the look of SS. Looking to get her license sometime this summer.
The only complaint my significant other has? Sorry, complaints.
One, on the back of sport touring bike, she feels perched a little too high. Loves being on the back of the hog. Guess low and the vibes make for better accommodations.
Second, go to a HD dealer and they love to market to women. Only problem with that is, a fella's causal T might ring in at $45 which is something I'd never pay. Go to the ladies clothing and find anything below $78 for a cotton Tee with snazzy graphic. No thanks.
Not that we purchase branded merchandise anyways. But, holy moly, HD sure is taking advantage of the ladies market!
I digress.......
As for bikes themselves, all the ladies in my social circles are happy with all the choices they have. Even if a few of them are shorter in seams.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My oldest daughter at 18 loves motorcycles and prefers the look of SS. Looking to get her license sometime this summer.
The only complaint my significant other has? Sorry, complaints.
One, on the back of sport touring bike, she feels perched a little too high. Loves being on the back of the hog. Guess low and the vibes make for better accommodations.
Second, go to a HD dealer and they love to market to women. Only problem with that is, a fella's causal T might ring in at $45 which is something I'd never pay. Go to the ladies clothing and find anything below $78 for a cotton Tee with snazzy graphic. No thanks.
Not that we purchase branded merchandise anyways. But, holy moly, HD sure is taking advantage of the ladies market!
I digress.......
As for bikes themselves, all the ladies in my social circles are happy with all the choices they have. Even if a few of them are shorter in seams.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
statsman
Well-known member
It would be an interesting experience to see a woman enter a motorcycle dealership.
The salesman tells them about the nice colours it's available in.
The woman responds with screw the colours, tell me about this new ABS system it uses.
The expression on the salesman's face would be priceless.
The salesman tells them about the nice colours it's available in.
The woman responds with screw the colours, tell me about this new ABS system it uses.
The expression on the salesman's face would be priceless.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
.
If she were a real women, she'd say "Screw the abs, thats for woosies, real riders learn how to brake"
Honda knows how to do this right, and not just because they offer several good light/short bike choices. It isnt rocket science - any intelligent dealer understands that being condescending will instantly lose them a sale if a woman walks into the dealership alone. My wife took the intro/M1 course hosted at their headquarters in Markham on a Grom, and purchased a new CB300f shortly after. Aside from steering her towards the Grom for training, I intentionally had very little to do with the whole process.
It beggars all belief that a woman walking into a dealership is still a talking point in this day and age. Why is it even up for discussion? Has society not progressed one iota in these recent enlightened decades? Going by face book you'd think we're at the very beginning of baby steps toward a fair and just society, not a century deep. Or is it just fun to talk about? BTW I love black people.
It is very simple for a salesperson to ask "What has been your experience with product X?" It doesn't matter if it's a bike or a bake sheet. Whether you talk down to them or over their heads you lose the customer. The guy looking at a frying pan might be junior on his way to college or he might be on his way to culinary college.
Asking "What do you envision doing?" lets a salesperson steer the client to the right choice. Unfortunately the first stab from the rep is often a thinly disguised "How much money do you have for us?"
Apparently there is a dealership in London where non of the salespersons ride. That is an excellent business plan. O'Leary would be proud. No idle chit chat about nice roads and who won the GP. Just "Do you want fries with that."
How do you know what women think about something? You ask them!
--probably some comedian
There must be at least ONE on GTAM. Right guys?
Since we are busy throwing our empty domestic beer cans into the recycling bin of internet debate, here's my empty:
Women may like particular men, but they loathe machismo. Men love the stuff, as we know, so moto-marketing and moto-products are dripping with it. Rugged individuals cruise around on chrome or was it racing around on carbon fibre? Should my exhaust be annoying or obnoxious? My life is at stake, you know.
They already deal with silly rules of lady-like behaviour handed down by the gentry of Queen Victoria. Don't forget planning meals, social events and raising the kids (or husbands). For that, you need a minivan. No doubt there will be cries from the fine specimens of the forum: "Nay! NAY! I am a true gentleman, and carry in my waistcoat a miniature edition of *Livre De Chevalerie*." This completely misses the point, in case you can't read medieval French.
Given the social constraints, does this demographic have the income to buy and time to use your product? If yes, then the marketers begin scheming to craft the perfect hook, line and sinker. Sure there may be a few tomboys (are we still allowed to say that?) intrigued by the musty tavern of motorcycle ownership, but not enough to conduct business profitably.
*Crushed can tumbles into the Blue Box*
CLONK!
Nakkers, tell those ladies they have the cutest smiles.
--probably some comedian
There must be at least ONE on GTAM. Right guys?
Since we are busy throwing our empty domestic beer cans into the recycling bin of internet debate, here's my empty:
Women may like particular men, but they loathe machismo. Men love the stuff, as we know, so moto-marketing and moto-products are dripping with it. Rugged individuals cruise around on chrome or was it racing around on carbon fibre? Should my exhaust be annoying or obnoxious? My life is at stake, you know.
They already deal with silly rules of lady-like behaviour handed down by the gentry of Queen Victoria. Don't forget planning meals, social events and raising the kids (or husbands). For that, you need a minivan. No doubt there will be cries from the fine specimens of the forum: "Nay! NAY! I am a true gentleman, and carry in my waistcoat a miniature edition of *Livre De Chevalerie*." This completely misses the point, in case you can't read medieval French.
Given the social constraints, does this demographic have the income to buy and time to use your product? If yes, then the marketers begin scheming to craft the perfect hook, line and sinker. Sure there may be a few tomboys (are we still allowed to say that?) intrigued by the musty tavern of motorcycle ownership, but not enough to conduct business profitably.
*Crushed can tumbles into the Blue Box*
CLONK!
Nakkers, tell those ladies they have the cutest smiles.
It's not about listening Joe, that's another matter entirely.
The world economic forum, reporting annually on the Global gender gap reports ( based on study of 142 countries) in 70 of those countries womens standing has actually gotten worse in the last yr. 0 countries have actually closed the gender gap and 31.4% is the spread to achieve parity.
At the current rate it will take 170yrs to achieve parity.
Somebody better get them their own motorbike, cause apparently we aren't taking their considerations into effect on much else either.
Breaking news, the new American motorcycle for women will be unveiled by Erik Buells wife, get one in the first 6 months.....
At the current rate it will take 170yrs to achieve parity.
Somebody better get them their own motorbike, cause apparently we aren't taking their considerations into effect on much else either.
Breaking news, the new American motorcycle for women will be unveiled by Erik Buells wife, get one in the first 6 months.....
What's a/the gender gap?
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