U.S. motorcycle miles traveled are more than 27.6 billion miles annually.
Motorcycle sales among major brands rose 7.2% in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period last year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.
Not surprisingly the “inexpensive” scooter segment saw the biggest gain, up nearly 50%. Sales of dual-purpose bikes for on- and off-highway use – generally among the most fuel-efficient motorcycles- increased by almost 25%.
Tire sales, a strong indicator of motorcycle use, were up as well during the first three months of 2011, according to the trade group.
A MIC Owner Survey estimated order clonazepam that 11 million motorcycles were in use in 2009, a 5% increase over the 2008 motorcycle population of 10.4 million. (U.S. motor vehicles in use total more than 265 million.) Motorcycle miles traveled also increased 5% from 2008 to 2009 with a total of 27.6 billion miles. The percentage of U.S. households with at least one bike rose from 5.4% in 2003 to 6.8% in 2009.
“We see Americans leaving their cars at home more, enjoying the convenience and exhilaration of motorcycling, and getting into a different way of being green,” said Tim Buche, MIC president and chief executive officer.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
