I was recently at an event where a group of middle-aged motorcycle writers and racers lamented that the youth just weren't into motorcycles anymore. They talked about how motorcycle sales were dropping, and the industry as a whole was contracting because "The youths just don't care about bikes these days!"
They also talked about how they all use ChatGPT to do their work, but that's a discussion for another time.
And so I listened to them all talk and moan about the death knell seemingly being beat for an industry they loved for nearly a half hour until I just couldn't take it anymore. When I got a chance to speak, I couldn't help but say "What the fuck are you talking about? The industry is alive and well, probably just as good as ever before, if not better." Partially stunned, they asked me what I was on about and pointed to the overall decline in motorcycle sales.
It was here I repeated two things, one of which I've tried to champion on RideApart from day one. First, yes, overall motorcycle sales are down, but those brands with inexpensive small-displacement motorcycles are achieving record sales and profits. And two, you know what isn't counted in overall motorcycle sales? Things like the Sur-Rons, Nius, and other small electric dirt bikes, the things that are available, approachable, and cheap enough that the younger demographic have migrated toward.
So when you see companies like Zero developing bikes like the XE and XB, don't think, "Why?", think, "Finally, someone gets it."
I've already talked at nauseum about how inexpensive small-displacement motorcycles are the future, and those playing in that field are succeeding like never before. Royal Enfield, Honda, Triumph, and even BMW have all seen great success with their respective offerings. And even with folks like KTM, which has had its fair share of troubles—to put it mildly—is essentially still going because of its 390 lineup it builds in partnership with Bajaj. Or Harley-Davidson and its X series bikes doing gangbusters around the world.
But what we haven't really talked about are these small electric dirt bikes all that much, and how the youth have taken to them more so than regular old gas dirt bikes and motorcycles.
Between 2017 and 2023, Sur-Ron sold over 120,000 electric motorcycles. Those include the Lightbee, Ultra Bee, and the brand's prior models. I don't have last year's sales, unfortunately, but the introduction of its new EV bikes are likely just as big hits. And Niu, across its EV platforms of bikes and scooters, sold 226,634 units worldwide. The brand hasn't broken down how many of those include the XQi3 models I rode last year, as they're still a new model in the lineup.
Both manufacturers, however, are well represented in my small hamlet. I know this portion is very anecdotal, but I've seen more kids and teenagers on the Sur-Rons and Nius than I have on gas dirt bikes. And I live in rural Utah. No one really cares if you're running a two-stroke down the street. Even the cops are like, "Yeah, just don't ride on sidewalks and you're good." But they've all chosen the electric route, as I suspect they're not just cheaper to purchase, but cheaper to maintain and "gas" up. They're also easier to work on.
And then you have the new kids on the block, as both Dust Moto and Zero aim to further give folks more options.
I couldn't help but be stoked when Zero launched the XE and XB last year, as I saw the potential right away, both in terms of expanding motorcycling, as well as possibly saving the company. It's no secret that on-road electric motorcycles are hard sells at present. I mean, the technology just isn't there for what most people want to do with a motorcycle. But off-road, and specifically dirt bike-like electric motorcycles, make a ton of sense. You don't need a lot of range. You don't need big batteries. And you can get away with reducing the overall price.
They're also incredibly fun as backyard toys, which not only gets more people riding more, but they also reduce the chance of neighborhood HOAs and nosey Karen neighbors complaining or calling the cops. They give you more time to actually ride, which makes lifelong riders all the more likely.
But again, most of these motorcycles aren't classified as motorcycles. They're e-bikes or some version of that. And that distorts everyone's reality of where the motorcycling industry actually is. Alive, well, and based on how many 12 o'clock wheelies I see whenever I go into town, in good hands.
