Baby Boomers Put the Vroom in Motorcycles

June 17 -- Next time a Harley goes roaring past you on the highway, be polite. It could be your doctor, your lawyer, or accountant.

Motorcycles are more popular than ever, and riders are getting older, wealthier and more mainstream.

Despite a wobbly economy, sales are on track to jump 17 percent this year, after a 19.6 percent increase in 2001, according to industry analysts.

Last year, 763,000 bikes of all shapes and sizes left dealer showrooms for the open road, more than twice as many as in 1998.

Honda, the nation's No. 1 motorcycle manufacturer, saw sales jump 33.1 percent last year.

"The motorcycle industry is enjoying a really robust period," says Don Brown, an industry analyst with DJB Associates. "This is the 11th straight year that motorcycle industry sales have increased."

Brown estimates there are 4 million to 5 million street motorcycles on the road today.

Older Riders — And Richer

Riders today are a typically a far cry from the teen rebels and counterculture road warriors of decades past. The average age of a Harley buyer has crept up to over 45, almost 11 years older than in 1987.

With a standard Road King Classic costing $17,000, that may not be surprising. The company says its average customer today earns over $78,000 a year.

Besides traditional "cruisers" — the classic, easy-riding bikes typified by Harley-Davidson — riders are showing interest in motorcycles of all shapes and sizes.

Ultrafast sport bikes and mammoth touring motorcycles have also seen sales increase, and the fastest-growing segment of the market is dual-purpose dirt bikes that can be ridden legally on the roads.

Recently, European makers such as Ducati and Triumph have stepped up their efforts in the American market.

Hitting the Road, From All Walks of Life

Most riders continue to be male, but women are showing up in dealers' showrooms more and more, analysts say. Women now account for some 6 percent of new bike purchases, sharply up from a decade ago. They made up 9 percent of Harley-Davidson buyers last year.