Are we really abandoning sports bikes?

Half of those who responded to a motorcyclenews.com survey will choose to ride something other than a sports bike or sports tourer this year.

We asked you what bike you ride, whether you plan to change it this year, and if so, what to and why. Hundreds of you replied, and just over 60 per cent said you currently ride sports bikes or sports tourers.

But many of you said you plan to chop them in for alternatives from cruisers to supermotos this year. And if you stick to your word you’ll bring the proportion of sports bike and sports tourer riders down to 50 per cent.

More evidence for a change in taste comes from Motor Cycle Industry Association figures. Between January and November last year, we bought 14 per cent fewer sports bikes than in the same period in 2000. Sales of sports tourers were also down by 10 per cent. But bike sales overall were up by two per cent.

Of the sports bike and sports tourer riders who plan to buy other types of machines, three per cent wanted to buy cruisers, such as Kawasaki’s VN1500 Drifter. Another nine per cent wanted to buy musclebikes like Yamaha’s Fazer 1000.

But by far the most popular choice was either a supermoto or a trail-style machine, with 64 per cent saying they planned to swop Honda FireBlades and Kawasaki ZX-9Rs for anything from a CCM R30 to a Suzuki V-Strom.

Simon Meredith, from Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warks, who plans to replace his FireBlade with a KTM 640, spoke for many when he said: ” Cruising at 140mph everywhere on my Blade is taking its toll on my licence and sanity. Insuring it is getting silly. And if I buy a pair of off-road wheels for the KTM, I get two bikes in one. ”

Tony Law, from Warrington, Cheshire, who is planning to buy a CCM R30 to replace his Aprilia RSV Mille, agreed. He said: ” The CCM will be more fun as day-to-day transport in that its performance can be used pretty much all the time rather than just on a track or with one eye looking out for the police. You won’t have to worry so much about insurance costs, Gatsos and running costs. ”

In fact, virtually every rider swopping a sports bike for a supermoto gave the same three reasons – cheaper insurance, less chance of getting caught speeding, and more chance to have fun.

Even so, the MCIA’s Craig Carey Clinch reckons the figures reflect a greater choice rather than a shift towards a particular type of bike.

” We should remember sports bikes still outsell any other category. ”

Are you really ready to turn your back on Blades, GSX-Rs, 998s and R1s? Have your say by following the link, right.

There’s more on this in MCN out on Wednesday, January 9, 2002.