Is It Time to Leave the Sport? Honestly… I’m Starting to Wonder.

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xrljoel said:
I'm afraid you have a case of Oldguyitis, and I think it's acute. Unfortunately the disease is incurable, but we can treat the symptoms.
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Look, I get what you’re saying about “Oldguyitis,” but let’s be honest—the issue is way bigger than a few of us being grumpy about technology or price tags. The sport isn’t just evolving… it’s shrinking, and the industry is doing very little to stop the bleed.

The sport is catering more and more to older riders—because that’s all that’s left.

Manufacturers have leaned so hard into the 45+ market that they’ve forgotten the basics: if you want a sport to survive, you need new blood. Instead, we’re getting machines targeted at riders trying to relive the bikes of their youth—except their youth was built on simple, affordable machines, not 30-grand rolling iPads.

Every year there are fewer young riders.

Why?
  • Cost is insane. Even the “entry bikes” aren’t entry-level anymore.
  • Lifestyle has changed. Everyone’s glued to TikTok, Reddit, Discord, YouTube—anywhere but outside.
  • Traffic is brutal, insurance is brutal, housing is brutal. Riding is becoming a luxury, not a gateway.
  • Manufacturers don’t market to youth—just to the guys with equity and knee braces.
Here’s proof: last year at the bike show I talked with the Canadian Triumph rep about the new 400. That bike was designed to attract younger riders. Who bought it? Old farts.

Why? Because it looked like the bike of their youth and sat at a price point that made an impulse buy easy. I almost bought one!

That says everything: the bikes meant for young riders are getting scooped up by the same aging demographic the industry keeps chasing.

DIY culture is dying for the same reason.

Yeah, some of us wrench. Oil changes, filters, pads—fine. But beyond that?

Manufacturers have locked the gates:
  • Dealer-only diagnostic tools
  • Dealer-only ECU access
  • Dealer-only service procedures
  • Manuals restricted or paywalled to death
So yes, used bikes are a lifeline—but only as long as parts and documentation stay available. And we all know that supply chains and distributor greed aren’t exactly helping. No parts, that $1500 bike just became garage queen, looks great, does not run, can not get parts and will not be able to sell it.

You say “we’re not the most important customers anymore.”

I’d argue we’re the only ones left.

The industry didn’t lose young riders because old riders exist— the industry lost young riders because it priced them out, ignored them, and then doubled down.

Now they’re stuck relying on the same aging clients until the well runs dry.

Is there still fun in the sport? Sure. But fun doesn’t negate the bigger trend.

You’ve found your pocket of good service and a decent deal—that’s great. Seriously. But that doesn’t change the reality that shops are closing, service quality is inconsistent, and the barrier to entry for new riders is higher than ever.

I’m not saying the sport is dead. I’m saying if nothing changes, we’re going to wake up one day and realize it’s been quietly drained from the inside out.

And at that point, no amount of nostalgia bikes or 30k luxo-adventures will save it.
 
Trackday said:


Look, I get what you’re saying about “Oldguyitis,” but let’s be honest—the issue is way bigger than a few of us being grumpy about technology or price tags. The sport isn’t just evolving… it’s shrinking, and the industry is doing very little to stop the bleed
I’m not saying the sport is dead. I’m saying if nothing changes, we’re going to wake up one day and realize it’s been quietly drained from the inside out.
And at that point, no amount of nostalgia bikes or 30k luxo-adventures will save it.
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There are plenty of entry level machines but now most of them are coming from China, India and S.E. Asia and aimed primarily at those markets. The ones that get sold here are just gravy to the bottom line. They are easy to work on, cheap(er) to insure and maintain and ARE attracting new riders. Yes, they are crappy little bikes in some instances, but no worse than some of the stuff the Japanese makers dumped on us way back when. Ask anyone who runs or instructs at one of the learn to ride schools, there is no shortage of new attendees. E-bikes have bled off a big chunk of the customer base, but if the gov had the nuggets to enforce existing laws and create new, more effective ones then a lot of those people would likely move up. Those of us that lived through the moped boom of the mid-seventies remember. Once legislation was changed making operators more accountable they disappeared. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
 
If you get on your bike and twist the throttle and feel no joy, then yes, perhaps it is time to leave the sport.

Life is too short to feel down doing something that doesn't put a smile on your face.

You've taken an informal poll on here asking if others feel the same, and most of the responses are - no, most of us still like to ride motorcycles.

That's okay. It's not written in stone that you or anybody has to love motorcycling till the bitter end, just because you once enjoyed it. Interests change, or small annoyances finally become too large to ignore. Getting in and out of hobbies is completely natural.

Just find something else that brings pleasure into your life.

(y)
 
Wow! That's a glass half empty view if ever there was one. If it bugs you that much (It must) then sure it's time to bail.

None of the items you mention seam to bother me. I buy used bikes and do most of my own wrenching. I have never felt beholden to a dealer.
 
Trackday said:
I love motorcycles. But the industry around them? It’s making it harder every year to stay in the game.

Anyone else feeling the same?
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Doesn't seem to be different from other industries. Have you tried buying a new car lately? Or how about just groceries? You can pretty much replace "bike shops" with any other hobby shop and see a lot of similarities. And yes, motorcyling in Canada is seen as a hobby, not transportation, even if you're daily riding all winter on Anlas Winter Grips.

That said, none of what you mentioned really affects me much. I don't buy new bikes, never use dealer service, and vote with my wallet - I always give the locals first dibs, but if their price is unreasonably high, I have no qualms ordering online.

The last time I bought "new" was back in 2000, and even then it was a heavily discounted demo. I came close to getting a new FTR earlier this year when some unsold 2024's were being blown out for just over $10k, or about 40% off. Gp has an unsold 2024 Hyper 698 for $13k - that's a 25% discount compared to $17k for a 2026, and the bikes is essentially unchanged. So there are deals to be had on new, just maybe not NEW.

I hear so many horror stories about long waits to book service or jobs done poorly. I wouldn't know (anymore), since I started doing everything myself, and I have no warranty to worry about. I'm a firm believer that every motorcyclist should learn enough technical skills to at least perform basic maintenance and identify when something looks or feels wrong before it becomes a serious safety issue. Bikes are dangerous enough without letting someone who gets paid plat rate forget or purposely not torque something to spec because "pro's don't use torque wrenches".

I try to buy my gear local and usually end up finding good deals when GP Bikes has their "No HST" coinciding with other sale prices. Pricing is a 2-way street - you can't try to gouge me and then shame me for not buying local. "F- you", I say.

I even find insurance reasonable for me - I still pay the same amount as I did in the 80's - about $1/cc/year, and if you consider inflation, I'm actually paying less now. But I do my research and luckily not interested in anything squid-popular with a lot of claims history.
 
Trackday said:
The sport is catering more and more to older riders—because that’s all that’s left.

Manufacturers have leaned so hard into the 45+ market that they’ve forgotten the basics: if you want a sport to survive, you need new blood. Instead, we’re getting machines targeted at riders trying to relive the bikes of their youth—except their youth was built on simple, affordable machines, not 30-grand rolling iPads.

Every year there are fewer young riders.

Why?
  • Cost is insane. Even the “entry bikes” aren’t entry-level anymore.
  • Lifestyle has changed. Everyone’s glued to TikTok, Reddit, Discord, YouTube—anywhere but outside.
  • Traffic is brutal, insurance is brutal, housing is brutal. Riding is becoming a luxury, not a gateway.
  • Manufacturers don’t market to youth—just to the guys with equity and knee braces.
Here’s proof: last year at the bike show I talked with the Canadian Triumph rep about the new 400. That bike was designed to attract younger riders. Who bought it? Old farts.

Why? Because it looked like the bike of their youth and sat at a price point that made an impulse buy easy. I almost bought one!

That says everything: the bikes meant for young riders are getting scooped up by the same aging demographic the industry keeps chasing.

DIY culture is dying for the same reason.

Yeah, some of us wrench. Oil changes, filters, pads—fine. But beyond that?

Manufacturers have locked the gates:
  • Dealer-only diagnostic tools
  • Dealer-only ECU access
  • Dealer-only service procedures
  • Manuals restricted or paywalled to death
So yes, used bikes are a lifeline—but only as long as parts and documentation stay available. And we all know that supply chains and distributor greed aren’t exactly helping. No parts, that $1500 bike just became garage queen, looks great, does not run, can not get parts and will not be able to sell it.

You say “we’re not the most important customers anymore.”

I’d argue we’re the only ones left.

The industry didn’t lose young riders because old riders exist— the industry lost young riders because it priced them out, ignored them, and then doubled down.

Now they’re stuck relying on the same aging clients until the well runs dry.

Is there still fun in the sport? Sure. But fun doesn’t negate the bigger trend.

You’ve found your pocket of good service and a decent deal—that’s great. Seriously. But that doesn’t change the reality that shops are closing, service quality is inconsistent, and the barrier to entry for new riders is higher than ever.

I’m not saying the sport is dead. I’m saying if nothing changes, we’re going to wake up one day and realize it’s been quietly drained from the inside out.

And at that point, no amount of nostalgia bikes or 30k luxo-adventures will save it.
Click to expand...
I went to a 2 day thing at the old airbase, Base31 in Picton this past summer. I can't recall what it was called but in had some vendors, food trucks, live bands, stunt shows and test rides from BMW, Ducati and Husqvarna (I think) plus some e-assist bicycle company. Lots of vintage bikes from the local CVMG section and many custom builders and suppliers. Also new Buells(!!!!).

There was certainly a large contingent of old guys, but most of the people I saw were in their late 20's and into their thirties, particularly around the custom and vintage stuff.

My nephew fits into this group. He's in his mid 30's, settling into his career, married with a 1 year old. He has no interest in a new bike, but collects and obsesses over Gold Wings. His father, my BIL has ridden GW's since I came into the family 30 years ago and convinced him to buy an 82 Gold Wing which he still owns. The nephew has no interest in buying/owning a new bike, aside perhaps a dual sport.

You can't fight demographic change. My former industry (ornamental horticulture) staked its future on the likes, habits and preferences of the pre-boomer generations being continued by boomers and beyond. Suffice to say, it didn't work out.

Motorcycling definitely isn't as accessible as it used to be and that has diminished its numbers. For the most part urban and exurban dwellers today have ZERO connection to rural Ontario. No more uncles and aunts, parents or grand parents with a farm to fart around on a cheap dirt bike, and trails or vacant land near their urban homes is hard to come buy. Electric and e-assist MTB work for them, but not an old XR80 or YZ125.

So the activity is shrinking here in North America, perhaps becoming more focused but it's fine internationally. Europe and Asia are now the customers the manufacturers chase because that's where the money is.
 
Trackday said:


Look, I get what you’re saying about “Oldguyitis,” but let’s be honest—the issue is way bigger than a few of us being grumpy about technology or price tags. The sport isn’t just evolving… it’s shrinking, and the industry is doing very little to stop the bleed.

The sport is catering more and more to older riders—because that’s all that’s left.

Manufacturers have leaned so hard into the 45+ market that they’ve forgotten the basics: if you want a sport to survive, you need new blood. Instead, we’re getting machines targeted at riders trying to relive the bikes of their youth—except their youth was built on simple, affordable machines, not 30-grand rolling iPads.

Every year there are fewer young riders.

Why?
  • Cost is insane. Even the “entry bikes” aren’t entry-level anymore.
  • Lifestyle has changed. Everyone’s glued to TikTok, Reddit, Discord, YouTube—anywhere but outside.
  • Traffic is brutal, insurance is brutal, housing is brutal. Riding is becoming a luxury, not a gateway.
  • Manufacturers don’t market to youth—just to the guys with equity and knee braces.
Here’s proof: last year at the bike show I talked with the Canadian Triumph rep about the new 400. That bike was designed to attract younger riders. Who bought it? Old farts.

Why? Because it looked like the bike of their youth and sat at a price point that made an impulse buy easy. I almost bought one!

That says everything: the bikes meant for young riders are getting scooped up by the same aging demographic the industry keeps chasing.

DIY culture is dying for the same reason.

Yeah, some of us wrench. Oil changes, filters, pads—fine. But beyond that?

Manufacturers have locked the gates:
  • Dealer-only diagnostic tools
  • Dealer-only ECU access
  • Dealer-only service procedures
  • Manuals restricted or paywalled to death
So yes, used bikes are a lifeline—but only as long as parts and documentation stay available. And we all know that supply chains and distributor greed aren’t exactly helping. No parts, that $1500 bike just became garage queen, looks great, does not run, can not get parts and will not be able to sell it.

You say “we’re not the most important customers anymore.”

I’d argue we’re the only ones left.

The industry didn’t lose young riders because old riders exist— the industry lost young riders because it priced them out, ignored them, and then doubled down.

Now they’re stuck relying on the same aging clients until the well runs dry.

Is there still fun in the sport? Sure. But fun doesn’t negate the bigger trend.

You’ve found your pocket of good service and a decent deal—that’s great. Seriously. But that doesn’t change the reality that shops are closing, service quality is inconsistent, and the barrier to entry for new riders is higher than ever.

I’m not saying the sport is dead. I’m saying if nothing changes, we’re going to wake up one day and realize it’s been quietly drained from the inside out.

And at that point, no amount of nostalgia bikes or 30k luxo-adventures will save it.
Click to expand...

Running a retail business in the GTA is tough. Everyone wants to suck the maximum blood out of you. Commercial real estate is crazy expensive. The labour market is fickle because individuals face the same real estate challenges, needing ~$100 a day just to put a roof over one's head.

We are back paying for mistakes politicians and civil servants made decades ago. Taxes and service fees.

Internet shopping has decimated many markets.

The stability of wages and costs of 60-70 years ago has vanished.

Then we have to look at our own spending. If I had cable TV our household communication device fees would cost us over $400 a month. My mother's fees would have cost her $20. The fees could have instead funded a modest new bike.

How many people would do without a smart phone, cable and internet?

Could you live today without a smart phone? Most of my medical appointments are done online. Book for haircuts, movies, restaurants.

Expensive hobbies need higher incomes or side gigs.
 
It was nice seeing all of the great things people have said about motorcycling in here. I could write a book of quotes with what you guys have shared. Here's my take:

At the end of the day, motorcycling is going to be whatever you make of it for yourself.

If it's just a "sport" for you, then that's all it is. Personally, I've been riding almost 20 years, never seen it as a sport, and I hope to God I never will. People fish and golf and call it a sport. "Sports" are some of the most boring, passive things you could do. If it's just something you like to choose to pick up and do once in a while, like playing badminton with your elderly mother, cool, it's a sport for you.

Motorcycling can be just a hobby, that's okay too. There are ways to have a lot of fun of fun with hobbies, there are ways to keep hobbies cheap, and there are ways to make your hobbies as expensive as you choose to make them.

Motorcycling can also be a means of transportation. I've been riding every winter since the 2007 season. If you live right in the city, you can totally ride throughout the year, through like 60-90% of the winter, IF, you choose too.

Motorcycling can also be a lifestyle, and it is for many of us here, it is, because we choose it to be a lifestyle. We choose go to rallies, to go to trackdays, to go to monthly or weekly social functions around it, and schedule our vacations with our spouses around it. Some even go so far as to schedule or even build our entire lives and careers around it.

@Amazon famously chose to use motorcycling to find a prom date (and later a husband). I chose to start a YouTube channel so I could make a living making videos no one watches. We both worked in the industry as kids. We're still doing our thing.

If you aren't getting anything out of motorcycling, or only seeing it a certain way, I'm sorry for the choices you make, but that's not a dealers fault, or a manufacturer's fault, or the other drivers' fault. That's your choice, and it's your fault. You get what you choose, so take some accountability, and choose to enjoy it, or stop crying and pointing fingers at everything/everyone but yourself. It's exactly what you make of it, nothing more or nothing less. Your move bud.
 
Yep. I'm not saying everyone should get packaged out and make a full time living in the motorcycle world like me, or quit their jobs and sell everything and spend the rest of their lives riding around the world like @Lightcycle and Neda and @WoBblyCaT , or do all of the two wheeled things @Amazon and her hubby do.

I know not everyone is in a position where they can make these choices. I'm just saying, if you're choosing to miss out on all of the fun, don't point the finger at motorcycling, because of the decisions you choose to make.
 
adri said:
It was nice seeing all of the great things people have said about motorcycling in here. I could write a book of quotes with what you guys have shared. Here's my take:

At the end of the day, motorcycling is going to be whatever you make of it for yourself.


>>>>>>> We all need to re-watch "On Any Sunday" once in a while. That`s my quote.
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