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We are dinosaurs

11K views 78 replies 22 participants last post by  upchucks 
#1 ·
This was a quote from another topic here:

You know I have heard that same thing that Yamaha is getting out of the Cruser business and that the sells of the VTC are not good, but honestly, the only place that I have been able to confirm this is from the forums, when I talk to the dealers, they are selling them just fine and most cannot keep them in stock according to them. And when I read the big bike touring blogs and articles they all rave over the bike the complaints we all know and have posted here are so trivial that they would not stop them from purchasing the bike. Yamaha's sales are increasing every year over Harley, and others that make the same type of bikes, so why do we keep hearing that sales are sluggish, that Yamaha is getting out of the cruiser market?
And now we hear that they stand behind their products past the warranty period, why would anyone buy anything but the VTC?

I know that the Cruiser market is the largest here in the US but why would this affect the overall sales of the bike? It's not like a company has never built something for a specific market before right?
I recently started riding again. When shopping for a bike, I looked at new and used.
If you look on Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda's website you start seeing a pattern. Compare the cruiser bikes offered today vs 5 years ago. There's a huge difference.

Unfortunately Cruiser bikes are a dying breed.
The younger generation seems to have little interest in them. The few that are interested seem to gravitate toward Harleys (no matter that they cost 3 times as much). Harleys sales are down now and they recently came out with an electric bike. They've seen the writing on the wall.

I bet if you were able to poll all members here you would see the average age is probably in the 60's.
Most younger folks like the sport bikes.. I'm usually in Myrtle Beach SC around Memorial Day & that is when they host sport bikes one week & the next is cruiser bike week. Cruisers are mostly like me: glasses, gray hair, or no hair. Sport riders rarely look older than 30.

My local dealer sells Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. They have a pretty big facility. When I stopped by they had a total of 3 new cruiser bikes. One was a 2017 and the other two were 2018's. The rest were sport or dirt bikes.

Also if you look at new cruisers (like the bolt) they are mostly all blackout. I know some of you like this but it is more appealing to the younger riders. Most of the avitars and folks who show their garage here on the forum, have shiny paint & chrome on their bikes.

I hate to say it but it appears we are dinosaurs.
 
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#3 ·
I used to have a VTX 1800 and they stopped making them. Like all the others i guess. I am almost your average 60 and wouldn't be caught dead on a sport bike. I know a lot of people riding hybrids like the vmax. I don't need use or want all that power. My VTX @105hp i never had over 70mph. I tell you the vmax does scoot though. I wonder if it has everything to do with the extreme world we live in now. Harley are posting low profits. (I only mention that because i am in Milwaukee and it is a barometer of bike business).
I will never get rid of my cruiser.
 
#6 ·
#7 · (Edited)
I have two great Vstar bikes that will most likely last me the rest of my life.

I dont care what anyone else rides.
I dont care what anyone else thinks.

When Im 84, if Im riding the last Yamaha Royal Star V4 on Earth, that will be fine with me.
 
#8 ·
KCW, I agree completely.

I couldn't ride a sport bike if I wanted to. Staying leaned over like that for 10 minutes and my old arthritic back would probably snap in the middle.

It's just sad to see such an icon slowly dwindle away.
 
#11 ·
KCW, I agree completely. I couldn't ride a sport bike if I wanted to. Staying leaned over like that for 10 minutes and my old arthritic back would probably snap in the middle.
It's just sad to see such an icon slowly dwindle away.
Well, the good news is that not all sportbikes are "lay-down-over-the-tank" bikes these days. Although I am as old as dirt and truly love riding my V-Star Custom, I also love riding my Honda CB500FA, which is arguably classed as a "naked sportbike", (or "roadster" or "streetfighter") but with a very upright seating position, and with comfortably high handlebars... which is why I bought it. ("naked" simply means that the motor is exposed, rather than hidden behind fairings) I require a natural upright riding position due to my ongoing spinal issues, (permanently damaged/crushed upper vertebrae... C1-C6) and both bikes have almost the very same seating position, with the only real difference being that the footpegs are placed way forward on the V-Star, and farther back inline with my butt, on the Honda. Buy hey, if this old geezer with his messed up spine can still ride a "sportbike" like this, then anyone can! You actually do sit upright like a real human being!
:wink:
Glen
www.FocusOnNewfoundland.com

My "sporty" naked roadster, the very comfy Honda CB500FA!



Even though I am sitting quite far back in this shot, I am still very much upright!
 
#9 ·
I laugh everytime I see a 20 yr old kid on a street racing bike

in his shorts with sneakers the same color as the bike

after 20 minutes his right hand is reached out on the throttle, he is sorta trying to sit up straight, left hand on his thigh elbow pointed out, his back is killing him...

I call it "the pose"
 
#10 ·
Authentic, you have nailed it, I think.

I'm a dinosaur. Younger guys get sport bikes and rip it. Older guys cruise. I don't mind, that's what I did. I just wish there had been enough business for the vstar line to remain profitable for yamaha and in production. I'm partly to blame. Why would I trade my 2010 ninefiddy for a new one? It's got everything I need. Yamaha could have gone the Detroit route and built in some obsolescence or a limited life span or something, but they built the best bike they could. They succeeded.

Of the respondents in the table:
70%+ over 40.
52% over 50.
25%+ over 60.

Under 30: < 7%.

Didn't drag out the adding machine -- and its very anecdotal (155 voting) -- but that's fairly accurate.
Over half of us are over 50.

I'm in my sixties now, but when I was a teen I got a used kawasaki 350 avenger. If cruisers existed, I didn't know about it, but that wouldn't have made any difference. When I was 17 that avenger was a hot rod. And reasonable.

The 550-4 honda I bought in '73 (while in the service) wasn't exactly a cruiser, but wasn't exactly a hot rod either and the same thing applies. Didn't know from cruisers, doubt it would have mattered. I needed a ride for cash on hand.

40 years later when I decided to ride again, I didn't consider anything else. Cruiser all the way. Or tourer -- whatever the vstars are classified as. Like KCW, don't care what anyone else is doing, my bike fits me and my riding style and I don't see that changing. 15 years from now I hope (1) I haven't achieved room temperature and (2) I'm still riding this bike.

Maybe a 1300. Nah. 950. Well, maybe. Nah.
 
#12 ·
Here is a good visual demonstration of the seating position on my Honda "sportbike" versus your typical "supersport", (aka "crotch rocket") thanks to this useful Motorcycle Ergonomics Simulator at cycle-ergo.com.

Glen
www.FocusOnNewfoundland.com

A 5'-10" rider sitting on my bike


The same 5'-10" rider sitting on a typical "sportbike"
 
#13 ·
It's pretty clear why Yamaha (and most other manufacturers) are getting out of the cruiser market. They're in business to sell bikes and if they aren't selling, they get phased out. Sport bikes will always have a niche with the younger market. The trend today has shifted from cruisers to adventure touring, or the larger touring market (Goldwing, SVTC). I had a sport bike when I was younger and I had a lot of fun on it. There is certainly something to be said for the nimble handling and plenty of get up and go on tap at almost any speed. But I'm in my mid 50s now and I no longer desire that kind of ride. I'm really loving my cruiser, and that's what I'll be on until I can't ride anymore. Like Hank Jr said, "I'm a dinosaur; shoulda died out a long time before"...but I'm still here, and I'll be riding my dinosaur cruiser for (hopefully) many years to come.
 
#14 ·
I like the ride of the cruiser. I have had my share of performance cars and I got that out of my system long ago. There is something to be said for a nice leisurely ride through the countryside. Although the crack of the throttle and going through the gears is fun it just aint as fun as it used to be! Plus bent over and face first into the bugs....Nah...Not for me...
 
#18 ·
... Although the crack of the throttle and going through the gears is fun it just aint as fun as it used to be! .....
my base model royal star is 74HP and will go 130mph - if you get on it, 60mph in about 3 seconds in 3rd gear.

The CB500F is 50HP and tops out at 116

you dont have to give up performance to ride a cruiser bike
 
#15 ·
I guess age changes everything !

When I was young, I liked loud exhaust pipes. Today I can't stand them on an auto. I like my cars quiet and comfortable.

I like the low rumble and growl on a bike exhaust but it don't need to be loud.
 
#17 ·
A neighbor sold a fairly new harley and bought a BMW 1250 RT. He much preferred the upright position. He's 20 years younger than me. I bumped into people on the road riding 1 or 2 up and they swore by it. I sat a few and thought about giving it a shot but (1) price (2) reliability (3) contentment with my 950 won out pretty easily. I like the feet forward, low seat position. It required tip toes to touch the ground on that beemer. That's a deal breaker for me.

I gotta admit I did like the way the various windscreens and fairings high and low work on those bikes. I think about adding some deflectors to the 950 now and then, but mainly when it's cold or wet.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Guess I’m obsolete as I like cruisers also.

Thing that concerns me the most, replacement parts availability. How much longer will Yamaha support the vx1900 series biles (Raider, Roadliner, Stratoliner)? I just purchased a 07 Roadliner with 1300 miles, want to keep it for a long time. Considered a used HD, big draw for them is the large quality of aftermarket & OEM parts.

Another bike I’ve considered is a GoldWing. Reliable, good for & built to go 200k. Would like to see the GW available as a sport touring & cruiser modular bile. Would be nice to switch between the two in one bike.
 
#20 ·
Part of the reason I love my cruiser is the big double thumper that powers it. Nothing like the sound and feel of it chugging away, stretching my arms out on take off and settling into a comfortable lope at 80mp/h on the highway. You can have the high revving sport bikes - nothing beats the torque and rumble of a big v twin.
 
#22 ·
I remember as a kid growing up in SoCal how cool the guys on cruisers looked going down the freeway. The Indian Chieftain was my favorite back then. Not a care in the world, just cruising around the valley and stopping to eat along the PCH.
Now I’m an old geezer and still love cruisers, I don’t think the feeling ever goes away. I’ll take being a dinosaur if it means riding with my wife, the grandkids, or even a neighbor, and just getting away from it all feeling the fresh air.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#24 ·
We are dinosaurs?!

no

we are stardust
we are golden

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫
 
#25 ·
Apparently none of you old dinosaurs are willing to admit that not all sportbikes sound like constipated cats/small import cars, nor do they all require you to lay down over the tank, or otherwise feel terribly uncomfortable to ride. No, it's not true that all "sporty" bikes will make your arthritic back snap in the middle, (OK sure, mine has snapped everywhere else, but not in the middle!) Well, I have heard that it's hard to teach an old dinosaur new tricks, but jeez, you guys are a tough sell... you're really dug in!

I explained in an earlier post that I chose my 2014 Honda CB500FA for its completely relaxed, natural upright seating position, and pointed out that not all so-called "sportbikes" are uncomfortable, and I even added some visual aids to back up my statement... seating position diagrams from cycle-ergo.com that show my Honda with a 5'-10" rider sitting quite upright and comfy. Yup, a similar position to when I throw a leg over my V-Star Custom.

Sorry, but that's all I've got. This crippled-up old guy is about to go out for a spin on his V-Star, followed by an equally comfy ride on his "sporty-bike". Wish me luck that my spine won't snap... again! Oh, and did I mention that my "spine-crusher" can travel a whopping 84 miles on an Imperial gallon of fuel? (=70mpg in US gallons)
:wink:
Glen
www.FocusOnNewfoundland.com

 
#28 ·
Hey, I just so happen to have the inside "poop" on an affordable source for quality stool softeners!! Have your people call my people.

BTW, the Honda CB500FA would be a poor choice for the horsepower crowd, as it puts out a modest 47HP... not much different from my 650 V-Star. But having said that, when you want some spirited accelleration/speed, this bike provides more GPM (grins per mile) than most anything else in its class.

Hey Camperbc
I'm glad you like your sport bike. I don't dislike them in any way. They are just not an option for me.
I'm sure your sport bike doesn't sound like a constipated cat. (Probably more like a fish farting under water) :wink: Please don't take me seriously !! BTW: beautiful pic with both of your bikes.
Actually, it sounds more like a very refined (and quiet!) sewing machine. (hmmm, come to think of it, it is kinda what I would expect a fish fart to sound like!) In any case, a very quiet bike... my wife never hears me pulling right up to the back door!

Glen
www.FocusOnNewfoundland.com

 
#27 · (Edited)
Hey Camperbc
I'm glad you like your sport bike. I don't dislike them in any way. They are just not an option for me.
I'm sure your sport bike doesn't sound like a constipated cat. (Probably more like a fish farting under water) :wink:
Please don't take me seriously !!

BTW: beautiful pic with both of your bikes.
 
#31 ·
Same here. If you're not in cardiac arrest or having a baby, it's just take a ticket and wait.
No matter how much pain your in. If you have a kidney stone you have to get an x-ray irregardless if you know whats wrong. Too many dopers coming in for free morphine.
 
#37 ·
As an aside, Yamaha managed the V-Star line out of Cypress CA, which is 13 miles from my home. Yamaha Music and Audio divisions are 9 miles from my home. That facility is in Buena Park.

They couldn't even win election in their home county. :smile:
 
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#39 ·
Hat's off to all those on two wheels! I applaud anyone on any bike. It takes guts these days. Camperbc, great pics,
And great point about a naked street bike!

Me, I love the look and feel of a cruiser. Can't afford a Harley and I like to ride more than wrench. I'm only 5' tall, can't throw a leg over any sport bike I've met yet. Just hope parts will be available for as long as I can still ride... Yep I'm a Yamasaurus...?
 
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