Motorcycling Trends To Expect With The New Year And What Happened This Past Year

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Motorcycles have been a popular transportation choice for more than 130 years and now more riders are hitting the road than ever before. Even during the pandemic with factory closings, labor shortages, and supply chain issues that caused a scarcity of materials (such as steel and aluminum that raised the price and lowered the availability of motorcycles), they saw greater demand as people got tired of sheltering in place and found a safe escape in riding. Now, the industry is starting to enjoy a new resurgence and is back in the plus column in sales growth. Cycle Trader took a peek into what’s driving that growth in 2023, and what to expect in the coming year as 2024 looms on the horizon. Here’s what we found.

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2023 Trends

Motorcycle riders are often involved in accidents because they can be difficult to see when sharing the road with larger automobiles. And while motorcycles are only involved in about 2% of traffic crashes reported to the police, they make up about 11% of all traffic fatalities and 10% of crash-related serious injuries.

With that noted, motorcycle manufacturers are starting to put further efforts into rider safety. One key factor that is helping immensely is the introduction of LED lights to make motorcycles more visible, even in bright-light conditions. The intensity of the lights makes it hard to miss riders, even when coming up into “blind spots” of other vehicles on the highway. Even if other motorists can’t see the bike or rider, they can see the LED lighting.

Other safety features that are shaping the motorcycle industry in 2023 are the introduction of new technologies such as Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS), Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC)—which is a type of ABS that measures the acceptable amount of adhesion to the road when leaning into a turn and applying brakes—and Side View Assist (SVA) that warns the rider of other motorists around them.

Adding greater technology to motorcycle helmets was another big trend from the past year. Augmented Reality (AR) helmets make it easier for riders to interact with their bikes, providing voice control, noise cancellation, Bluetooth connectivity, and high-definition rear- and front-view cameras.

2024 And Beyond Trends

Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS) being introduced now will begin to trickle down to less expensive motorcycles in the near future to provide all riders with greater safety technology. Some of the ARAS technology that currently exists includes:

• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which adjusts the motorcycle’s speed to the flow of traffic to maintain safe following distances. This is especially helpful in heavy traffic conditions, which are especially challenging for riders.
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW), which alerts the rider to other vehicles that are dangerously close when the rider does not take corrective actions immediately.
• Blind Spot Detection (BSD), which alerts the rider to other vehicles that the rider might not be able to see in the sideview mirrors.
• Vehicle Hold Assist, which prevents the motorcycle from rolling at a stop, such as when a rider comes to a stop on a hill, in stop-and-go traffic on a slope, or on a steep decline out of a parking structure.

While some of these new technologies are mostly warning-only systems and do not provide intervention in the event of an emergency, some manufacturers believe that using radar-based assistance systems will prevent one in seven motorcycle accidents.

The other trend that people are seeing for the not-too-distant future is the production and mass availability of electric motorcycles. As manufacturers are looking toward national and international climate mandates that are veering toward zero-emission vehicles, electric motorcycles will start to gain prevalence. 

Some of the motorcycle industry giants are already coming out with prototypes that will eventually go into mass production. But the coming years will likely see a lot of new players on the field, offering motorcycle enthusiasts greater choices and increasing competition, which are both good for consumers when it comes to availability and affordability.

Interest in alternatives such as hydrogen and fuel cells will also continue to grow, but the focus for now is firmly on new battery technologies that will provide the power, speed, and mileage that riders demand, in addition to shorter charging cycles.

In fact, Cycle Trader recently held an electric vehicle survey with 892 responses from motorcycle riders that indicated a belief in big changes coming to the industry. From the survey, 92% of respondents anticipate the rise of electric motorcycles and think they will achieve the same popularity as electric cars. Further, 54% of participants from the original survey believe electric motorcycles will become part of daily commutes as they emerge on the market. From a buying and selling standpoint, this presents enormous potential for change in the motorcycle industry, since 95% of these riders don’t currently use any electric vehicles, and 22% reported they would consider buying electric for a daily commute.

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No matter what is trending in the industry, Cycle Trader is your go-to market for buying and selling. Shop for new and used bikes from dealerships and private sellers so you can find exactly what you want at the price point that works for your budget when you visit CycleTrader.com.

Barrett Baker

Barrett Baker is a freelance writer with more than 40 years of writing experience. He has worked with the U.S. Department of Energy, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and a variety of advertising and marketing firms throughout his career. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, cooking, and working with animal rescues.

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