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Australia
Cruiser-style bike baby boomers on the ride !
Mis en ligne le 28/01/2008
While twenty-something people swarm the inner cities on motor scooters, baby boomers have flocked to the countryside, adopting the laidback cruiser-style bike and driving last year's motorcycle sales to a record high.
While the motor scooter market tanked at about 14,271 in 2007, down 1 per cent, sales of cruisers rose 27 per cent to 13,196, becoming the leading road bike variety and underpinning the record year. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries revealed that 129,966 motorcycles and scooters were sold in 2007, a rise of 10,760. Inner-city worker Holly Arkinstall, 23, said rising fuel prices and a lack of parking in inner Melbourne made her Vespa indispensable. "You can pretty much park wherever you like", she said. "And petrol prices will hit $2 a litre this year - which is a pretty big thing for a lot of people.'' Ms Arkinstall said she only needed to fill her scooter's 10L tank once a fortnight. FCAI motorcycle manager Ray Newland said cruisers were mostly being bought by baby boomers looking for a fun weekend and holiday diversion. "It is the people in the 40-plus bracket who have the disposable income - their kids have left home and they have taken early retirement", Mr Newland said. Overall growth in road bikes was 18 per cent last year, with sales reaching 45,510. "They are a more mature set - grey nomads looking at motorcycles and trailers rather than the camper van", he said. Honda was the top-selling road bike brand, with 10,014 sold. Next were Harley Davidson with 7134 and Suzuki with 7080. Motorcycle Council of NSW chairman Guy Stanford called on state and federal governments to make rider safety a priority by removing poles from near roadsides, abolishing crack sealant, which was very slippery, and raising awareness of motorcycles among car drivers. (The Australian, 18/01/2008 : "Boomer-cycles catching up with scooters")
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