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Hello, Recently at an informal meeting of the Perkiomen Chapter the question was asked of how many people in the room of approx. 36 people were under 55 years old. Only 4 and not by far, I'm almost 48yo. I know the membership nationally has grown quite a bit over the years but what is the average age of members and what is being done to attract younger members? Yes often young members are displayed in our club and given awards for such. But from what I see they are often sons or daughters of members which is fine but from what I see at meets is middle aged on up. We are part of the Motorcycle industry even though our Motorcycles are from the past! The Manufacters of motorcycles don't seem to spark much real interest in our business except to say nice job! New sales are their business. How can this be addressed and what ideas are out there to attract younger folks? I know the PRICE of our hobby isn't an incentive at all for younger people! I'm open minded but not blind...Tell me there isn't a problem for the future? I know things are going well in our National meets with attendance it seems, But with everything you have to look at your Stock and look at the future and adjust. So after all that rambling....lol How do we get younger members interested ? Thanks, I'd like to hear it's working somewhere.
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I too am 48 years young and think there is only one answer to your question. Vintage Japanese motorcycles. I don't know if OUR club is growing very much but do know that the Vintage Japanese club is. I think that the younger crowd would love to have old american bikes but who can afford them? Unless of course it's passed down from a father or grand father. So, how to get NEW YOUNG club members. I think we need to embrace the newer bikes....Japanese and European bikes that are affordable to all. -
The 35 year Rule can be a hinderance to many potential new memberships.
Over the past couple seasons of the Harmony meet I had the pleasure of working the front gate. It was my job to collect any 'parking fee' donations and direct the 'OLD' bikes thru the gate onto the field or off to the outside parking area.
The old bikes of '35' years or older get in, the 'newer' old bikes of 34 years or younger get sent over to the parking lot 'outside' the field.
OK you say well that's the RULE....BUT here's the problem as I observed it........Many of the guys on the 35 year old bikes were accompanied by their friends with old bikes of say 34-30 years. I can't say if they were members or not, but I could read the disappointment on their faces.
The thought of having to leave their equally priceless 'old' bikes outside in the parking lot was not a pleasant one I'm sure. Add to that the fact that some of these guys were from out-of-state. PA & NY and had rode all that way with their AMCA Member friend on his 35+ ear old bike.
More disappointed were non-member guys who showed up on their old bikes, never having been to an AMCA meet before and
figured they'd come out to our show after learning of it thru different sources. Some of them simply turned their bikes around and headed down the road.
Will they eventually come back? Hard to say, but one things for sure, they're not going to forget a perceived rejection of their bike or to some perhaps even themselves?
That perceived rejection may also hold true for guys with Japanese motorcycles who see us as anti non "American Made'. Probably just as true for our English and German motorcycle bretheren.
Rejection of any kind ****s, so maybe in order for us to entice younger less experienced, less financially empowered individuals into our club a little relaxing of the rules and accomodating of their imported or not quite old enough yet motorcycle makes
Suggestions
Special Parking or Display area for non-member's 'Old' but less then 35 Year Rule motorcycles on the inner field meet grounds.
Some kind of 'Thank You' for attending our meet and showing their bikes like a free pin or meet ribbon.
A discount on their first year National or Chapter fee if they sign up at the meet.
Anyway, just some thoughts.
Hrdly
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I agree Hardley,I've observed the same thing.Although it's nice to kibbutz with guys of your same generation,something has to be done to reign in the younger folks.Right now we are percieved as dried up old raisans !Comment
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HRDLY !! You thought this out thoroughly. I commend you. I agree with you also. How about creating classes broken down into decades too ? This would retain the earlier bike prestige and at the same time place high merrit on the later bikes as well. I would add another suggestion to our meets..........partial restorations, to be judged, consisting of independent components, such as engines, transmissions, and frames. Maybe some judjing of individual repo parts as well ?? Just some thoughts..... PapsComment
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I agree with your thoughts and I am too 48, I think the club has more problems ahead to. The more the prices go up it seems to me the less of the old machines we see, pre 30's. I hope not but it seems their dissappearing. Maybe people are afraid to take them out anymore, I ve noticed less and less at the meets I have made.
Also I must say some folks have a real problem accepting a so called antique with 5 or 6 speeds and electric start, blinkers, disk breaks - but those bikes are now very close to 35 years old. The Jap bikes are the key I think, for the new folks to wet the taste buds and start making conections. Maybe with those and time, they too will be able to think about an old piece from the states. To think that a lot of the bikes we grew up on are now older than the new members we hope to atract, I knew I should have kept those bikes :-( Anyways I hope we never stop seeing the old machines at AMCA meets and runs, Tom.Comment
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With all due respect, this is an Antique motorcycle club and we do have a cut off date that defines an old bike. It's way too liberal to my taste but I accept the club's rule. I have a modern bike and I ride with people who have similar new bikes and that's fun, but that's my modern bike world. I am developing a taste for vintage Hondas and I will be activily looking for one soon. But would I join the AMCA to pal around with other Honda lovers. . . Hell no ! I'll look for a vintage Honda club. My question is: Why do I keep hearing talk about turning this antique focused club into some kind of catch all clone of the AMA?
I joined this club when I was 25 and I'm 54 now. I was a snot nosed punk when I joined and everyone was older than me. I couldn't afford to buy much at that time but as I matured in my career and my economic situation improved I was able to buy, trade, and finagle a collection. That's the way the world works. I, like many people my age, have had a life long love affair with (antique) motorcycles and I have done what it took to get them. My point is, young people will find this club if they have the intrest, (and they do). They will do what it takes to get what they want, and they will carry on the tradition.Comment
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With all due respect, this is an Antique motorcycle club and we do have a cut off date that defines an old bike. It's way too liberal to my taste but I accept the club's rule. I have a modern bike and I ride with people who have similar new bikes and that's fun, but that's my modern bike world. I am developing a taste for vintage Hondas and I will be activily looking for one soon. But would I join the AMCA to pal around with other Honda lovers. . . Hell no ! I'll look for a vintage Honda club. My question is: Why do I keep hearing talk about turning this antique focused club into some kind of catch all clone of the AMA?
I joined this club when I was 25 and I'm 54 now. I was a snot nosed punk when I joined and everyone was older than me. I couldn't afford to buy much at that time but as I matured in my career and my economic situation improved I was able to buy, trade, and finagle a collection. That's the way the world works. I, like many people my age, have had a life long love affair with (antique) motorcycles and I have done what it took to get them. My point is, young people will find this club if they have the intrest, (and they do). They will do what it takes to get what they want, and they will carry on the tradition.Comment
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Hrdly, I am rather new to the AMCA
and have attended (or tried to when
not rained out) Harmony several times.
Although my Servi is well beyond the
age rule, if I had ridden up to the
meet with a newer bike and been told
that I couldnt come in with my chapter members
I would never have come
back. I have been told by more senior
members of my chapter that Harmony,
even when not effected by the
weather, is a shadow of what it once
was. Perhaps this is one reason why.
I totally agree with you regarding
Japanese and Euro machines and I too
am starting to look in that direction as
American bikes in restorable condition
seem to be far beyond their future
value. Also many of the younger
riders now ride sport bikes and
never would never consider
buying a Harley, new or antique. If they
do become interested in restoration, it
seems clear where they will turn.Comment
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I'm not saying in this post to change the 35 year Rule...just making a comment about what I observed during my time at the front gate of a Chapter of the AMCA.
I watched 5 young guys on a bunch of Triumph and BSA motorcycles turn right around and left when they realized they could not bring their RESTORED/Original motorcycles which ranged from late sixties to the later part of the 70's
I had to direct a friend who showed up on his 78 Triumph to the parking lot. This was his first time to our show and he just that week got his 'old' Trump up and running and traveled the 50 miles to our show. I had to send him to the parking lot.
So what you say?? Well how about the idea that maybe if he could have brought the bike into the field area some fellow Triumph owners, Members and Non-members alike might have struck up coversations about his bike and peaked his interest in retoring it, shared their experience on the marque, directed him to some other members on the field who are into Triumphs or British motorcycles for parts and such and generally made him feel apart of the Show and Club enough to maybe go sign up?
I'm 52 and have vended many, many motorcycle and auto shows over the years as well as almost every East Coast and midwest AMCA meets. During this time I've observed people alot and one thing I've noticed is that younger, even some older guys who are hesitant to speak up about this or that when it comes to motorcycles and car stufff their not familiar with because their afraid of appearing foolish in front of so-called much more knowledgeable motorcyclists (members)
See, the 35 Year Rule is fine for Judging, but I've never personally agreed with the cut-off date for restricting fellow motorcyclists and thier not yet 35 year old bikes entrance into the field area.
Dare I say even vending parts?
Blasphemy you say...Vending newer then 35 year old parts!!? Well I say, what better way for members and future members to selll and trade their parts and bikes for the incoming eligible motorcycle years?
Harmony sure could have used the vending fees this year that's for sure!! Would have been nice to see the field full with paid venders and their parts. We're coming to a point in the AMCA where the policing of 35 year old motorcycle parts will be virtually impossible. Lots of plastic parts coming in the next few years. How many of you can actually tell the various Japanese and German bike parts apart from one another?
You can puff up your chest and say mine is a $$0's Indian, but it doesn't mean crap to a current or potentially new member, young or old, who's on a budget, who'll be searching for parts to restore the 'Old' 1979 Honda that they found this winter.
Yeah, "Come back and join our club with your 35 year old bike. Meanwhile leave it outside the gate".
Hrdly
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All I can say is be careful what you wish for. I've seen long-time meets disappear because the organizers wanted to expand the show to include vintage far east iron and the OCC chopper element. Well what they got was a ton of Japanese machines and new fugly choppers and lost the antique bikes. I've just noticed from these situations that the different groups of people and their motorcycles stick together. British guys like British bikes (for the most part) People into Japanese machines seemed to be absorbed by their brands and didn't really seem inclined to check out the antique scene. The old timers seemed to get a bad taste in their mouths and quit bringing the "good stuff" to the shows. There are clubs for everyone out there and putting everyone in one pot could make for some tasteless stew. The last I noticed we had like 11 or 12 thousand people in our Club. I'm not sure that is a dwindling number as of yet. I think Eric is right, if young folks are interested they will show up. It's not like old bikes don't have any exposure in the mainstream. Most people know about old Harleys and Indians. If they get involved in the club then they'll learn about all the other cool old bikes as well.
I'm 34 years old and was bitten by the bug over twenty years ago. I was never too far from an old motorcycle book or magazine. I never had rallies to attend and had no influence from family. I just knew I liked old bikes and wanted to have a couple of them when I got older. I joined this club because I wanted further exposure to the older machines and the people who resurrected them. I like the stories about the old bikes about as much as I like the bikes themselves. I've worked hard with a growing family to put a few ponies/projects in the old shed out back. I enjoy riding as much as anything. But I like to do it on old iron and that's why I joined this club. Isn't that why we all did?Comment
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To say Harmony is a shadow of its former self is an understatement.
I don't think I'm letting the cat out of the bag when I say Harmony is now a ghost, period.
Look forward to attending a different venue next seaon. Big changes are coming. HrdlyComment
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At Eustice you can ride any motorcycle through the gate. I've not been to Harmony so I don't know if there are size limitations that would make it difficult to have a lot of bikes on the grounds. If it's not a size or logistics problem at Harmony, then its's a chapter problem. I agree with you that motorcycles in general should not be turned away but having a meet site full of rich urban bikers on new Harleys or metric cruisers out for a weekend diversion can be a pain in the butt when you're walking through the vending area.
As for feeling sorry for young people because they can't afford an old motorcycle, that's B.S. I see "twenty somethings" riding huge dollar "choppers" all the time. These bikes out dollar most of the old bikes in our club. This all goes back to what I have been saying. If young people have the intrest they will seek our club out and they will find a way to participate. I don't feel guilty about having expensive antique motorcycles becuase I do my own work and I pay my own way and I belong to a club where most of the members feel the same way I do.Comment
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c.o., I'm not looking to make our club turn into an all japanese or german margue only club. Just would like to see more diversity on the field.
There's always going to be individual marque clubs. But we're the Aintique Motorcycle Club of America....not the Antique 'American Only' Motorcycle Club of America. Sure some members may not like japanese or german bikes, but a lot of others do.
Of course a lot of guys will never join, but some will. And where better to recruit new potential members then at our own diverse marque club meets.
What's wrong with our AMCA Chapter meets being the once a year in the State motorcycle show where the local Triumph, Honda, BMW, Moto-Guzzi. etc motorcycle marque Clubs can attend as a group to display their club member's bikes. Most of which would probably be vintage bikes, if not 35 years old. likely with-in 10 years of it. Maybe some of these guys might get the itch to RESTORE their beater or everyday rides.
OCC choppers themselves are a joke. We're talking classic motorcycles who's years are close to but not currently meeting the 35 year rule. The idea that the AMCA will be taken over by japanese motorcycles is a little farfetched to me.
We're probably going to lose more Antique 'American' bike participation in the AMCA meets due to the bikes growing dollar value, real or perceived with them ending up in some high dollar collecters garage relagated to the once a year Concour's de'Elagance' Show then some guy on a budget showing up on an AMCA meets muddy field with his honda 550 sleeping along side it in a tent.
I mean really. People will join because they like what the AMCA stands for. People go to venues where their common interests are served and are welcomed. As the AMCA club their interests are ours...motorcycles...old and diverse in their marque history.
I'm always suprised at how many people (motorcycle riders) have never heard of us. Could this be due to lack of advertising? possibly due to to lack of funds to advertise? How many chapters have the funds to really advertise other then some flyers?
Some may not like it, but it takes money to keep an organiztion the size of the AMCA to run and expand and offer the many benefits to its members. It will take money to build and maintain a national library, to pay for the insurance for our club's Meet's, produce the magazine and a number of other things.
The National Chapter get its funds from the local Chapters who get the major portion of their operating money from Vending Fees and Member Dues. No members, no dues, no Swap Meet.
And let me tell you, without these funds, your favorite local Chapters' swap meets will end.....Don't believe it....just ask the Colonial Chapter
Anyway...that's what I think. You don't have to agree. I'm not twisting your arm. Just some observations. I could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time and likely won't be the last. Besides, I'm just one of 11,000?? Hrdly
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Yes, any motorcycle could come thru the main gate at Harmony, but only 35 years or older bikes got to come across the bridge onto the inner field where all the antique bike happenings were.
Believe me I tried to let in a couple of not yet 35 years old when first I worked the main gate (parking area)...you know 30, 27 year old bikes, but they got turned back at the other side of the bridge and sent back out into the parking lot.
As I worked the gate and informed the mixed years of motorcycle crews showing up, some of the guys with 35+ year bikes left their bikes outside along with their buddies newer bikes, so people on the inner field never got to see those bikes. Also some just turned around and left completely.
I don't pretend to know how all the individual Chapters run their meets. I don't know their capacity areas for allowing less then 35 year old bikes onto the fields in a given areas or whether in fact they already do.
I'm also not trying to argue any point, just sharing observations of my own.
Hrdly
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