[Motorcycles] “It’s the best after all” – The number of middle-aged and elderly return riders is on the rise， and over 60％ of people buying new bikes are in their 50s and 60s．
9/16 (Mon) 16:00 Kobe Shimbun Next Middle-aged and elderly men taking lessons to get a motorcycle license = Koshien Driving School The generation who spent their youth in the 1980s and 1990s, when the motorcycle boom was at its height, are accelerating their trend of becoming “return riders” after taking a break from work and raising children. It is said that over 60% of people who buy new cars are in their 50s and 60s, and that proportion is increasing every year. Now, the “returnees” are at the core of motorcycling. (Yamagishi Yosuke) ■Exhilaration “for the first time in 35 years” “The exhilaration of running through the wind is irresistible. It was the first time I’d experienced this sensation in 35 years, and I was hooked,” said Akito Maeda (55), an office worker from Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, who is also a returning rider. He got his license at the age of 16 and went on many tours with his friends on his 250cc bike. The accident resulted in him being hospitalized for three months, but he continued riding his “Korizu” even after being released. The late 1980s was the time of an unprecedented motorcycle boom. This was the period when motorcycle sales in Japan were at their highest, and races were even broadcast on terrestrial television. However, after Maeda got his driver’s license, his opportunities to ride a motorcycle gradually decreased. He says he “quit riding altogether” from around the age of 20. His generation was also moving away from motorbikes like the tide was going out. ■ “It’s the best after all” It was about two years ago that I decided to ride again. It all started with a comment from a colleague who had previously become a returning rider: “Bikes are the best, after all.” The child-rearing years had come to an end, and I had a little more financial security. He decided to give it a try and went on a tour on a rental bike, and memories from his younger days came flooding back to him. Last spring, I bought a used 250cc motorcycle. He also takes part in circuit driving events and continues to make pilgrimage tours of the Thirty-Three Western Temples in memory of his wife, who passed away seven years ago. ■ 60% are in their 50s and 60s According to a survey by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, an organization made up of manufacturers, the average age of motorcycle buyers is on the rise, reaching 55.5 years old in fiscal 2023. The proportion of people in their 50s and 60s continues to increase, exceeding 60% in fiscal 2011. In contrast, the younger generations are declining, with those in their 20s accounting for 3% and those in their 30s accounting for 6%, both of which have fallen to less than one-third in the 16 years since. Manufacturers are also targeting middle-aged and older people in their development. “In recent years, each manufacturer has been expanding their lineup by combining nostalgic designs with the latest functions,” says Hitoshi Hanao (49), president of YSP Kobe Chuo (Hyogo Ward, Kobe City), a dealership that mainly handles new Yamaha motorcycles. ■Stepping up to large-scale business “I’m past the halfway point in my life. I want to enjoy it while I can.” Maeda spent this summer attending driving school in order to achieve his dream of getting a large motorcycle license. A large motorcycle license was previously impossible to obtain through training. Like Maeda, there are many middle-aged and older riders who are aiming to step up from the so-called “medium-level license.”
Maybe it’s just that young people with no money have stopped buying them, and as a result, the rate at which old people buy them has increased? But then I thought that, and it turns out that >>>1 is also right.
>>4 There’s been a trend in the past few years of old biker clubs, where ex-bike gang members in their 40s and early 50s go on reckless drives with their kids.
>>18 At the driving school I went to, you couldn’t get a large motorcycle without a regular motorcycle If you had a driver’s license, a regular manual motorcycle was 17 practical and 1 theory.
>>21 I was surprised because I only knew about the cab era. Even back then, we did use simple computers to control exhaust devices, but that was about it.
It’s the same with cars. People who didn’t have enough money to buy one when they were younger buy sports cars, then drive them out of control and have accidents.
The heat of summer, the cold of winter, you can’t ride in the rain, you can’t ride in the snow, and if you get into an accident you’ll almost certainly die.
>>26 In essence, it’s a scheme to pander to the baby boomer juniors, who are the second largest group after the baby boomers. The population distribution will change in the next 5-10 years. That’s why TV is so keen on the Showa era. The baby boomer juniors from the early ice age were really smart, so many people look at them coldly.
Be careful of cars turning right in the oncoming lane. There are so many old guys who die because of this. Always drive with the expectation that someone will make a forced right turn.
That’s because that’s the age when you have the most money to spare. But you have to be 15 or 16 to ride a motorbike (and mopeds too). The excitement is so much greater. It’s also a good experience to gain before driving a car.
Your brain and body will deteriorate and your reflexes will slow down, so if you ride a motorcycle you’ll just get in an accident and die. Look at your face and body in the mirror and understand, you idiots.
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