[MileCruncher]

Disclaimer: These are my thoughts and opinions and may or may not be backed by data. Hence please indulge!

Definition of Middle Aged Men - Ideally I would think aged 40 or over. Can broadly expand the definition to include all born in the 80's.

This is my observation that a lot of middle aged men (myself included) who grew up riding 2 wheelers and who had subsequently moved to cars are moving back to bikes. Not as their primary mode of transport but as a weekend fun toy.

One empirical data point for me is the rising number of ADV sales and majority of the ADV buyers (not including the Xpulse) being 35 yrs or older. The rising number of motorcycle accessories shops is also an indicator. Mind you motorcycling gear and accessories are by no means cheap.

What is driving this change? Couple of reason I could think of are rising disposable incomes, people wanting to live their life, YOLO etc.

If I have to talk about myself, I moved to cars in my early 20s and drove some decently fast cars. Even my current steed is by no means a slouch. But I yearn to ride. I'm not looking to add another 4 wheeler to my garage but another set of 2 wheels.

Is this craving to get back to the saddle temporary? Long multi day tours seem more exciting than long driving holidays. While I still love driving, but it is the motorcycle ride, the twist of the throttle, the peg scraping twisties and the loud exhaust note that I crave for.

Let the thoughts flow in!

[Castro Gunner]

Agreed. I don't know what is the reason but majority of the super bike owners (including Supersports!!) I see fall into the 35-45 age bracket.

As you've mentioned, income could be a major reason. Almost all bikers, dream of owning a super bike but the only thing that stops them is budget. May be a few grow into their 40s where they could afford one.

[shashrash]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

This is my observation that a lot of middle aged men (myself included) who grew up riding 2 wheelers and who had subsequently moved to cars are moving back to bikes. Not as their primary mode of transport but as a weekend fun toy.

Hey there, and here are my thoughts. And as I now know, we are from the same time in the past. So before we become ancient, I think its appropriate to feel like alive and free, once again.
You are right in spotting the inclination to ADVs now a days and I concur the below reasons for it.
1) More options in the market. Imagine this conversation happening 10 yrs back. How many were aware of ADV as a genre. How many of us saw them on the road. People were riding 2000 kms on their R15s, REs etc. Even got Leh'ed. So one factor I foresee is we have a lot many options now to explore in all price bands.

2) More Comfortable for all age groups. By all means and purposes. I know many who have migrated to ADVs. Even the young ones too. This is what I see, 95% of them are all road ridden. Hardy any one taken them to their purpose. So Grown Ups, specially who may not want to strain out more, but also wants to go mile munching are going for the likes of these ADVs. GSs, ATs, Transalps give you the best of all worlds. Your smooth National Highways to bad to no internal or remote roads. They are like Bike SUVs. And knowing the state of affairs when it comes to roads, one would want to pick something which is do it all purpose. Hence the raze behind ADVs all around.

3) ADVs are the best bet if on has to start back to riding after a hiatus. Easy to mount upon, and not bending your back types. The only alternative to an easy riding if not ADVs is Cruisers. But other than RE and Triumph, No one else has much to offer from the catalogue. But again, since the time the all rounded Himalayan has come to the scene, the preferences have again biased towards the ADV segment and not the cruisers much. So you see so many more Himalayan on the roads today than before.

I don't think so this should be a temporary craving. Free Riding is Addictive. And if you have a partner or fellow riders on the go, you cant imagine the fun we can have on those Mesh Networks. And option to go on a bike ride, when you can take a car out is also something related to the each individual's own time. Everyone who is riding as a group are into their own moment, enjoying the experience and journey. Very much like when we see, a group of cars heading out. because, all of them are in the same zone out there.

So I will be happy if you decide to throw off your leg over a seat soon and just head out. Thats a very different life altogether.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Definition of Middle Aged Men - Ideally I would think aged 40 or over. Can broadly expand the definition to include all born in the 80's.

Thanks for pronouncing my ilk OLD!

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

This is my observation that a lot of middle aged men (myself included) who grew up riding 2 wheelers and who had subsequently moved to cars are moving back to bikes.

True that - Call it mid life crisis or whatever, for me personally, (any) car is now just a commuter, whereas a good motorcycle makes me feel alive. This isn't just a fleeting thing either, which I feared it might be about 7-8 years back when I returned to more regular riding - it's only grown stronger over the years.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Mind you motorcycling gear and accessories are by no means cheap.

There is much greater awareness and the disposable income to spend on quality motorcycling gear, so the market has expanded.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

What is driving this change?

Everyone has different motivators I guess. For me it is a sense of freedom, a sense of solitude when I am riding, which I revel in. I have riding buddies for whom it is all about being seen in something extremely flashy and loud, and for some others it is just being on the saddle as many days of a year as they can expend. I rarely ride in groups as I tend to really enjoy riding at my own pace and free will without any encumbrances.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Is this craving to get back to the saddle temporary?

No. But, you'll discover what keeps you motivated in the long run, and it may not be what you originally imagined it would be though!
I had imagined myself doing extensive touring, so I ended up with a Versys 1000, but eventually realized that that's not me. However, every time I think that this steed is wasted on me, I struggle to let it go because of the sheer quality, comfort and reliability of the beast.

[AMG Power]

Having driven Hyper cars and Super cars and bikes let me say there is a lot of truth in the saying Motocycling moves the soul.

You cannot replicate the feeling of riding a good motorcycle in any car.

The only drawback is the substantially higher safety risk. If Maruti’s were given 1 star crash rating, a bike would be -10 stars or lower. There are no legal requirements for crash testing for bikes either. And one wonders how folks who debate crash test results of cars ride home on their bikes without any qualms.

[Ratan Prabhu]

I'm 31 and I appreciate motorcycling more now than I did in college (I have the same bike now as I had back in college)

On a motorcycle, you are in constant touch with the environment - closest to the ground, air, noise, pollution, rain, etc. The element of risk is higher than a car. All these factors make you alert. This subconscious alertness is what makes me forget the other stresses of life while riding. And as we age and mature, we realise this more (I didn't even think like this about motorcycles when I was 19 although I used to ride a lot more back then than I ride now)

The only times I am left frustrated is when there is plenty of traffic. Only those are the times when I feel sitting stationery in a car with AC is so much better.

So, I imagine many in their 40s in spite of using cars or public transport in weekdays like to enjoy bike trips on weekends or atleast 2 Sundays per month to feel more alive again and also because of there being less traffic on weekends. And as you said, as we age, more is the emphasis on comfort. So the increasing demand for Scramblers and ADVs as they are comfortable yet powerful on highways and/or bad roads.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Motocycling moves the soul.

Couple of instances from the recent past:

Instance 1:

I was riding back from Lonavala on the old highway on a hot May morning. Had stopped at a restaurant after Khopoli for some water and coffee. When I was gearing up, an old man with typical Maharashtrian well to do shetkari (farmer) uniform i.e. white pant shirt, leather chappals and a nicely thick gold chain came to me asking about the bike, where I was riding from et al. Then he called his son and his grand-son telling them about the bike. He asked for permission to take picture with the bike, just standing and not getting on it, and I obliged. He took one pic of himself with the bike and one with his whole family with the bike as centerpiece. He even wanted me in the frame but I declined.

Then when I was about to leave, he told m "Saheb, you are very lucky to be able to ride motorcycles and enjoy". There was a glint of sparkle as well as envy in his eyes. Then he walked towards his Fortuner.


Instance 2

I was in Delhi, planning a ride to the hills on a rented Himi450. The bike came with saddle bags but I wanted to pick up some gear so had gone to Karol Bagh. On the way back at one signal, two young boys on a scooter came up to me and said "Bhaiya, Ladakh poori taiyyari lar rahi hai" (You seem to be all kitted up to go to Laakh). And then some free flowing conversation followed.

Instance 3

Same trip, near Devprayag, I had to branch off into a side road for about 30 Kms to reach my homestay in the hills. At the entry of that village road, I had stopped to hydrate as well as stretch my limbs. A young village child (7-8 Yrs old) came to me and said in English
"Biker?"
Yes
"Vlogger?"
No
Asked him if he wanted his picture with the bike, he had a glint in his eyes.


I feel on the bike, you are more approachable, connecting with the people unlike in a car, you are separated and safe in your world with the glasses rolled up!

[doomketu]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Then he walked towards his Fortuner.

But yes, after driving Cars for majority of my ( not yet middle age but mid life 'cry'sis ) life ,riding is a liberating feeling. I frequently just ride the bike in unearthly hours to calm myself down or to wind myself down after a rage inducing day. I somehow end up near Vidhan Soudha or Hudson circle in Bangalore as the ride to these two areas is a calming experience.

Besides the obvious reasons being Choice and More Mahalakshmi's blessing in our older age, the major reason is the Shackles that bind us. We are beset on all sides by responsibilities and by idiots on the other fronts, which exhaust us mentally. The 2am ride is the tonic to top up our stamina.

[Spikky-ZX Throt]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I feel on the bike, you are more approachable, connecting with the people unlike in a car, you are separated and safe in your world with the glasses rolled up!

Of course the last line says it all, even though it is a proper death machine without any Crash test ratings. We can clearly say that Bikes do connect us with people more than the one's with Four wheels.

[adnaps]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Definition of Middle Aged Men - Ideally I would think aged 40 or over. Can broadly expand the definition to include all born in the 80's.

Going by this logic at 62 I am an Super Old Man By the way I am an active biker with Upper Mustang , Manang and Ladakh under my belt in the last one year. There are lot of riders who are even older than me. Age is no longer a criteria "Passion for riding" is

[aargee]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Let the thoughts flow in!

Outlier here: It was always motorcycles from Max100 followed by Rx100; switched to cars from 2005 to 2010, then switched back to Motorcycles & there's no turning back since then.

But yes, have two data to support you - Brother in law bought HD after 50 & enjoying; close friend of mine, over 45, started with Civic, then became BMW fan, tweaked, souped, then switched his loyalty to VW, again tweaked, souped & now switched to BMW F850.

[Rahulkool]

I am middle aged now, perfect TG for the adv bikes. But i have been riding all my life. Started with CBZ in 1999, progressed to ZMA in 2007. Later i bought D200 in the year 2012. Only time i stopped riding completely was 2018, when i had a bad back pain and doc suggested to not ride for 6 months at least. This thought itself was very scary, managed to lose almost 30kgs of weight, just so that i could get back riding again. Bought Inty in the year 2022 and now F850 in 2024. I always prefer riding than driving, even in peak hot Chennai weather !

[robby0707]

I started riding again at the age of 30 after a break of almost 5 years. This time moved to the adv segment and introduced wife to the world of motorcycling too. It was one of the best decisions we took and we have been enjoying every bit of it.
Now when i am reading this, I realise that at 30, i am much more financially stable and am able to buy good gear and stuff and all. On our recent Ladakh trip, most of the long riders we met were much older than me.

[Sk8r]

Another key factor is access to or rather significant increase in disposable income over the past few years.

Anyone in their 20's or early 30's ( am 33 so can vouch for it) is caught up laying the foundation for their professional career and sorting out their expenses/investments etc.,. We're blind on the amount of money we need to save / spend and so on.

On the other hand, once you hit 40's, you are most likely to have a strong insight into your probably expenses and are comfortable with what you've saved and invested. This opens up access to good amount of disposable money. Professionally, you're most likely to be in the mid-management level and don't expect any surprises.

Off-course, there would be people who follow their passion and not bother about vitamin M in their decisions. But, am sure they will be in the minority.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

What is driving this change? Couple of reason I could think of are rising disposable incomes, people wanting to live their life, YOLO etc.

Those all play a part. But more than that, I think it's where we are (am in my mid-40s now) and the point where we grew up as a generation that belongs to our socioeconomic bracket in India.

I guess we were one of the last generations to experience the end of the license-raj way of doing things and one of the first to enter the job market post-liberalization. So we grew up with the mentality of 'exciting bikes not available' and 'need to save money'. So it took us till our 40s to realize it might be ok to spend this much on a bike, especially the kind of bikes that are available now.

(I mean seriously how long did it take for something even remotely approaching the RD350 to hit the market?! At a price that didn't need you to decide that only one of the kids is going to college - which kid?! )

But having said all that, I don't know if the fun aspect will be the same. That's what is putting me off from buying a big bike now. The fun I had ripping even those second-hand 100ccs back in college (Shoguns, RXs) and even badly maintained 3rd or 4th hand RDs. Or even the fun I had riding Bullets solo across the country in my 20s. (No offence, but I don't want to buy a big bike just to do breakfast-group photo runs outside Bangalore.) Will it be the same? Ah, maybe I'm just getting old.