UPSIDES
UP FRONT
Two years of growth in motorcycling, and for CW
MARK HOYER
If, back at the beginning of the pandemic two years ago, you had asked any powersports industry person what the market landscape would look like by now, nobody would have predicted “solid growth.” But the Pandemic Pop in powersports has shown some real staying power, even with supply chain production issues. It’s not only new-unit sales that are up, either. So are sales of used bikes and, tellingly, consumables such as tires. More people are riding, and more people are riding more.
As I write this, there’s plenty going on in the economy that might influence where we’re headed, from inflation to high gas prices to stock market pullbacks. But even with all this, the first three months of 2022 remained strong. The Motorcycle Industry Council reports dual sport has risen another 15.5 percent over 2020-2021 ’s 46 percent growth; on-highway is holding steady at 1.8 percent for 2022 so far.
The promising thing about the dual sport figures is that, since there are so many affordable and easy-to-maintain examples in the class, healthy growth suggests that we’re getting some newer riders into the sport this way. So here’s to sustained growth and a bunch of new enthusiasts cutting their teeth on at least a little dirt.
Cycle World has also seen some success. I am glad to say that cycleworld.com’s traffic on new content is up double digits year over year as we have been working hard on buyer’s guide stories and increasing the cadence on reviews, tests, and comparisons. We’ve made a couple of key hires over the last several months to support this increased flow of vital information, our push into improved shopping tools, and a larger number of expert motorcycle reviews with real firsthand data gathered by our skilled crew.
I should actually note that some hires are rehires. Bradley Adams and Blake Conner, both former CW staffers, have returned. Adams spent several years with an agency working on motorcycles, ATVs, and UTVs; he now returns as our in-market editor, putting his lifelong product knowledge to work building our buyer’s guide and doing tests. One of Adams’ first jobs was at a motorcycle dealership and his roadracing background saw him win three 600cc class championships in one year at the height of the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club’s popularity. That’s no joke, folks.
More people are riding, and more people are riding more.
Conner was with CW for 10 years before he departed to work for an app startup. He is an all-around enthusiast in the classic Cycle World manner and rides every kind of motorcycle at a high level. Road tests, comparisons (on road and off), features, and one-off rides on AMA and world superbikes as well as grand prix machines are all on his resume. He now resides in the mountains of Colorado, where he likes to wreak havoc in the woods on his two-stroke enduro.
Other notable folks working with us now are John Krewson as group production editor and Serena McKnight, a former staffer who is back freelancing on motorcycle reviews and other editorial and production work. Krewson is a serial Ducati owner, which means he spends about half his riding time on his scruffy 1997 Kawasaki Concours. Krewson is a founding writer/editor at The Onion, where he spent his first big paycheck on an SV650, and was also a staffer at national car magazines.
This is all part of our long-term commitment to motorcycling and storytelling, fully supported and made possible by our parent company Octane. The goal for Cycle World and our other motorcycle, UTV, ATV, and bicycle titles is to inform, educate, entertain, and help those who love adventure on wheels find the right machine to pursue their dreams. Thanks for riding with us.
