Future of scooters in the USA

[Stig / Major Tom]

Most recent sales figures I can find are from 2014.
Anyone have more recent scooter sales figures for the USA?

In 2007 there were 157,000 scooters sold in the USA.
In 2008,  228,000
In 2009, 85,000
Then steadily dropping to 67,000 in 2014.

My local mega-brand motorcycle/scooter dealer survived that '09 crash - buying up stock from failed dealerships within a few states radius.

My survival plan is to buy only scooters which have one or more solid parts houses, and only those which are uncomplicated and  which are easily repaired and serviced by me.
Motorcycle sales aren't doing that great - while scooter sales seem to be in a steady decline....in spite of a bunch of old geezers taking up scootering.*
Unless gas goes to $4.00, or more, again, except in California and Florida - I don't see much future for scooters in this country.

Stig

*Anyone heard of a youngster who wants to take up scootering in the States?

[klaviator]

You can't predict the future by looking at past or current trends.  There could be a turn around in scooter sales......or they could continue down.  One thing we can all do is try to show others how much fun scooters are.  I recently spent some time talking up scooters with a friend and his wife.  Now they are looking at buying a scooter for her.  We'll see if they actually buy one.

I go out on motorcycle rides on my scooters.  People are always impressed when they see what a scooter can actually do.  I post scooter ride reports on motorcycle forums.  A few people have told me that they bought scooters as a result of reading my reports.  It's an uphill battle but we shouldn't give up.

[klaviator]

Sometime in the 80s, the sales of small motorcycles tanked in the USA.  There were very few models available for many years.  Recently there has been a real surge in the number of small motorcycles available.  We'll see if that trend lasts but it might be a good sign for scooters as well. 

[TroutBum]

If you go to college campuses in California you'll see a good number of scooters. I was at Stanford University last week and the inner campus was full of scooters, mainly Chinese made.

[PaulF]

If you go to college campuses in California you'll see a good number of scooters. I was at Stanford University last week and the inner campus was full of scooters, mainly Chinese made.

Maybe a Kymco dealership near a college might be a good idea.

[TroutBum]

Gas prices have really gone up in California. I wouldn't be surprised if scooter sales are up this year {fingers-crossed}

[Viper254]

Scooter and light motorcycle sales in the UK have been up and up for years; partially do to with congestion and partially due to our high petrol prices; about $5.50 a gallon in your terms

[Tromper]

Seems strange to think it, but that is likely an upside to our rising gas prices here.  Up about 20%+ in the last few months is the Seattle area now solidly above $3 per gallon, even at Costco.  Might still be able to find a hair below that further out of the metro area, but not likely much lower until ya get to Portland.

Scooter and light motorcycle sales in the UK have been up and up for years; partially do to with congestion and partially due to our high petrol prices; about $5.50 a gallon in your terms

[hypophthalmus]

Here's a graph for motorcycle sales:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/183549/us-sales-of-motorcycles-since-1990/

I'm not sure if this includes scooters or not.

To me, it doesn't look like sales are down so much as they normalized after a bubble.  In fact according to this graph, sales are higher than they were in the 90's.

[Forbes1964]

When I had my Xciting and Majesty, young adults seemed VERY interested because of their similarity to motorcycles but with storage. In other words they could go highway speeds but didn’t look like something just old men would ride. BUT prior to seeing MINE, they didn’t even know that the maxi scooter existed. I believe that with even a HALF HEARTED marketing campaign, they could make at least SOME inroads into the 20-40 age group.

People don’t buy what they don’t even know exists.

Remember, some in this age group aren’t buying cars. But they MIGHT buy a 300+ cc maxi scooter type cycle. The companies will never know if they don’t TRY.


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[blue]

If gas prices ever gos high again I think the sales in scoots will go up..Right now there trying to bring electronic scooters in to the market.

[EvilTessmacher]

I submit that Forbes1964 is correct.

There is NO marketing at all of scooters. In fact, I can't remember the last time I even saw a TV ad for a motorcycle. I hear radio ads for the local Harley-Davidson dealer, but nothing from any other local dealers.

My issue with scooters v. motorcycles is those crotchety old buggers who are riding a beat up old cafe racer, who have the nerve to look down at my scooter. Until we can get past the stigma attached to automatic motorcycles, increasing their popularity will be an uphill ride...

[Gnzbrg]

As a "geezer", I can only speak from my own experience.  After a lifetime of riding progressively larger and more expensive bikes, I am now drawn to the simplicity and lightness of scooters.  There are a LOT of us out there: no longer able to comfortably ride our "big" bikes, but not ready to get off two wheels.  Plus, it's all kinds of fun!  And NOBODY hates a long haired tatted up biker when he's on a scooter.  Even the cops smile and wave...

[Forbes1964]

I submit that Forbes1964 is correct.

There is NO marketing at all of scooters. In fact, I can't remember the last time I even saw a TV ad for a motorcycle. I hear radio ads for the local Harley-Davidson dealer, but nothing from any other local dealers.

My issue with scooters v. motorcycles is those crotchety old buggers who are riding a beat up old cafe racer, who have the nerve to look down at my scooter. Until we can get past the stigma attached to automatic motorcycles, increasing their popularity will be an uphill ride...

People go to college and pay good money to study marketing. Motorcycle and scooter companies would do well to hire some of these people to reach a wider demographic.
 
As a child I wanted a Kawasaki because “Kawasaki let’s the god times roll” . [emoji23][emoji23]


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[Forbes1964]

I submit that Forbes1964 is correct.

There is NO marketing at all of scooters. In fact, I can't remember the last time I even saw a TV ad for a motorcycle. I hear radio ads for the local Harley-Davidson dealer, but nothing from any other local dealers.

My issue with scooters v. motorcycles is those crotchety old buggers who are riding a beat up old cafe racer, who have the nerve to look down at my scooter. Until we can get past the stigma attached to automatic motorcycles, increasing their popularity will be an uphill ride...

How to get rid of a stigma: 1. Hire a well known celebrity (likely one that we older folk don’t like and feel is ruining America. Lol) to push their product in a commercial.
2. Product placement: Have their product strategically placed (in a positive Manner) in any one of the popular movies that are aimed at young people.

All they have to do is hire someone with an imagination.


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