E-bikes are a thing

[tonyride]

Yes. $11,000 more

Not my world.

 

[a.s.]

Wow. I'm deep in peasant territory.

Anyone dropping $8-10K on a bicycle is nowhere near peasant territory. Just saying.

 

[The Kalmyk]

Anyone dropping $8-10K on a bicycle is nowhere near peasant territory. Just saying.

Show up to the boys and girls club in trenton with that bike and all the kids will remind you how unpeasant you really are. Swanksters!!

 

[mfennell]

When I decided to buy my ebike I was at a Harley Davidson dealership in the Florida panhandle and there was a brand new motorcycle that costs just as much as my ebike does now. I told a co-worker about this who was with me at the time and he just couldn't wrap his head around how a "bicycle" can cost that much.

I'm so used to bicycle prices, I can't understand how motorcycles can be so cheap. They're both fairly low volume products but a motorcycle is infinitely more complex. My Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen retailed for $9500 and nobody bought them. Too expensive for a big single. A Supercaliber XX1 retails for $9500 and there's a waiting list. 🤷‍♂️. A more reasonable Supercaliber is still as expensive as a lot of nice motorcycles.

It's tempting to think we're getting ripped off by the bike companies but the fact that noone has swooped in to sell an S-WORKS (or whatever) equivalent for $5000 suggests otherwise. You generally get what you paid for IMHO.

Guessing: I'll bet the margin is way better on bicycles and MSRP doesn't tell the whole story.

 

[Steve Vai]

I'm so used to bicycle prices, I can't understand how motorcycles can be so cheap. They're both fairly low volume products but a motorcycle is infinitely more complex. My Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen retailed for $9500 and nobody bought them. Too expensive for a big single. A Supercaliber XX1 retails for $9500 and there's a waiting list. 🤷‍♂️. A more reasonable Supercaliber is still as expensive as a lot of nice motorcycles.

It's tempting to think we're getting ripped off by the bike companies but the fact that noone has swooped in to sell an S-WORKS (or whatever) equivalent for $5000 suggests otherwise. You generally get what you paid for IMHO.

Guessing: I'll bet the margin is way better on bicycles and MSRP doesn't tell the whole story.

I went back and forth between buying a Vespa or a VadoSL. The VadoSL was $1,000 more.

 

[clarkenstein]

I'm so used to bicycle prices, I can't understand how motorcycles can be so cheap. They're both fairly low volume products but a motorcycle is infinitely more complex. My Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen retailed for $9500 and nobody bought them. Too expensive for a big single. A Supercaliber XX1 retails for $9500 and there's a waiting list. 🤷‍♂️. A more reasonable Supercaliber is still as expensive as a lot of nice motorcycles.

It's tempting to think we're getting ripped off by the bike companies but the fact that noone has swooped in to sell an S-WORKS (or whatever) equivalent for $5000 suggests otherwise. You generally get what you paid for IMHO.

Guessing: I'll bet the margin is way better on bicycles and MSRP doesn't tell the whole story.

Triumph sold 80k units last year (I think that’s what I remember from the Highside Lowside podcast). So add all moto manufacturers, I’m sure bikes are somewhere in that zone in units? If not more considering all the Huffys out there. But the markets in India and Thailand alone are insane for moto sales.

My guess is why bikes are more expensive (1) markup, (B) demand, and (third) materials are more exotic (thinner and lighter probably creates more issues in manufacturing and quality). A carbon bike frame is freaking delicate compared to a carbon wheel set on a S1000RR. I hate the R&D excuse. Motos go through tons of R&D too.

That said a street triple is much more desirable to me than a $10k road bike. I just can’t do it captain!

 

[Bike N Gear]

Triumph sold 80k units last year (I think that’s what I remember from the Highside Lowside podcast). So add all moto manufacturers, I’m sure bikes are somewhere in that zone in units? If not more considering all the Huffys out there. But the markets in India and Thailand alone are insane for moto sales.

My guess is why bikes are more expensive (1) markup, (B) demand, and (third) materials are more exotic (thinner and lighter probably creates more issues in manufacturing and quality). A carbon bike frame is freaking delicate compared to a carbon wheel set on a S1000RR. I hate the R&D excuse. Motos go through tons of R&D too.

That said a street triple is much more desirable to me than a $10k road bike. I just can’t do it captain!

Less than a million motorcycles sell in the US annually vs. 15-20 million bicycles.

 

[clarkenstein]

Less than a million motorcycles sell in the US annually vs. 15-20 million bicycles.

Geez.

I was thinking worldwide since the US moto market sucks compared to the rest of the world, but a gap that big… wow.

 

[EJphotos]

I know more people started riding motorcycles during pandemic as well, just like bicycles.
After building my ebike, I was just like "I should really just get a motorcycle." And it was easy for me to do since I've had a motorcycle endorsement for a long time.

 

[tonyride]

Anyone dropping $8-10K on a bicycle is nowhere near peasant territory. Just saying.

Compared to the guy who sees a bike and says no, I want to pay $11K more, I am a peasant.

 

[mfennell]

Less than a million motorcycles sell in the US annually vs. 15-20 million bicycles.

It's less than 600,000. IIRC from another Highside Lowside podcast, US MC sales fell dramatically in '08/'09 and never really recovered. There was a blip last year but it's coming off a decade of declines. 15 million cars last year.

 

[clarkenstein]

It's less than 600,000. IIRC from another Highside Lowside podcast, US MC sales fell dramatically in '08/'09 and never really recovered. There was a blip last year but it's coming off a decade of declines. 15 million cars last year.

So it looks like worldwide, about 45 million total moto sales a year right now.

No wonder we don’t get all the bikes here. I’m sure most of those sales are under 400cc though.

 

[Patrick]

So it looks like worldwide, about 45 million total moto sales a year right now.

No wonder we don’t get all the bikes here. I’m sure most of those sales are under 400cc though.

it would be nice to live in a place where they are usable 100% of the time as the main mode of transport.

 

[EJphotos]

it would be nice to live in a place where they are usable 100% of the time as the main mode of transport.

Like this? I'm sure you can squeeze in there somewhere

 

[Patrick]

Like this? I'm sure you can squeeze in there somewhere

View attachment 182670

Looks like the 5 borough bike ride walk.

 

[Captain Brainstorm]

it would be nice to live in a place where they are usable 100% of the time as the main mode of transport.

Those places exist, they're called cities. I'd rather live in a place where I could deploy my 750 or 1000cc bike on a regular basis. Those places are called living right next to a race track. Technically though, you can ride a moto anywhere, its a change in mindset, not geography.

 

[clarkenstein]

Those places exist, they're called cities. I'd rather live in a place where I could deploy my 750 or 1000cc bike on a regular basis. Those places are called living right next to a race track. Technically though, you can ride a moto anywhere, its a change in mindset, not geography.

For me, the only issue is winters. Other than that, taking one into the office (on the few times a year I have to go in now) it’s great. 2.5x the MPG on my biggerish bike than any of my four wheeled options. And cycling is out. No shower, and 36 miles if I take 287, longer if I take backroads.

 

[Norm]

For me, the only issue is winters.

Isn't a motorcycle just a fat bike with an engine? And aren't we always on about how there's not enough snow in NJ to fat bike consistently?

Jeez you people and your flip-flopping.

 

[EJphotos]

Jeez you people and your flip-flopping.

 

[mattybfat]

Since we are on motos here's another moto company in the ebike game