ABSTRACT
Ten years after the financial crisis of 2008–9, the motorcycle industry in America has yet to recover. In contrast to the automobile market, where all-time sales records were set in 2015 and 2016, motorcycle sales have remained flat, averaging no better than half the totals achieved prior to the crash. The continuing stagnation of wage levels, especially in blue-collar jobs, has contributed to the depressed market for new motorcycles; changing sociocultural attitudes and consumer preferences have also played a part. 1 In addition, new transportation technologies – electric-powered vehicles, autonomous driving systems, “smart” highways – pose challenges that may disadvantage motorcycles in comparison with their four-wheeled counterparts. America’s most famous motorcycle company, Harley-Davidson, has been hard-pressed to adapt to these changing market conditions, and its prospects for a return to prosperity have been further compromised by a highly public dispute with the Trump administration over tariff policy. 2 Taking all these factors into account, some well-informed observers have wondered whether motorcycling in America has a future. 3
