Why are there never ads for motorcycles on tv?

H3llR4iser

I've never seen a TV ad for a proper motorbike in any country I've ever lived nor visited, it's just that it is a specific market mostly made up of enthusiasts, which will not be swayed by a "lifestyle" ad.

Cars are, in most places and Ireland specifically, a necessity that almost anyone will need to deal with at some point. A TV advert for Ford or Volkswagen will ALWAYS find a target, regardless of the media - there's always going to be a good chunk of the public watching that are in the process of or thinking about getting or replacing a car.

This is further compounded by the fact countries with a more extensive "two-wheels" culture, like Italy or France, also don't have motorbikes TV ads - but there are plenty of ads for mopeds/scooters, even the big "cruiser" ones. The reason is simple - scooters are considered as proper transportation means in these places for a variety of reasons: first, the streets in cities like Rome, Naples or Florence were designed for pedestrians and horses, not cars; the traffic gets absolutely insane during work days and even worse at the week end; The city centres have basically no parking whatsoever (even underground/silo car parks are rare) and finally, people can drive a 50cc scooter at 14 years old.

As a matter of fact, when I was in secondary school I was one of the rare people who didn't have nor ever drove a scooter; And the ads usually reflected these targets - 50cc scooters were portrayed as a "cool choice", showing some fashionable girl on them or some "cool fella", while bigger scooters usually featured "John Business Suit" placing a briefcase in the saddle compartment and so on.

In comparison, a 1100cc Kawasaki or a Harley Davidson are sold to a specific public who already know about them and know what they want. You won't change a biker's mind into going for a roadster if they want a sportsbike and, even in the same category, you can rest assured they'll do all of the research they need.

Pinoy adventure

Are arse less chaps a requirement for riding in this country ?
Ducati sum times have adds as well as the Gixxer crowd

D3V!L

ElJeffe wrote: »

Not legal but I always do it. Been stopped once in over 30 years because of it and just told to be careful.

Yes it is legal. Where did you get it wasn't from ?

Providing you don't over take on a solid white line making progression is completely legal. On top of that it's safer because car drivers can see you.

Did you smash it

I’m thinking of learning to ride and buying a Yamaha Mt-07 and I have a few questions.

I will mainly use it for a short commute and trips around a city.

Maybe I’ll use it for longer trips aswell as I don’t own a car but not that frequently.

- does the lack of storage on a bike get frustrating, for picking up groceries etc.
- how unusable is a bike in the winter? A Polish winter which is more severe than an Irish winter.
- do beginners “drop” their bike once or twice or more usually.
- how often do you get a scare while riding a motorbike?
- do you need to go to mechanic much or is there less maintenance than there is to a car? Is it just checking tire pressure and oil levels?

whisky_galore

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I really don't know why they're not promoted more by the Gov instead of this electric vehicle nonsense. They don't cause congestion, use barely any fuel, and get you wherever you want to go in no time. I was insured on one before but for me I didn't really need it as I can get to work by bicycle but they are great machines.

An Asian city full of chicken chasers is tough going if you have breathing issues. Motorbikes are far worse than cars for air pollution.

tdf7187

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Sales are tiny, insurance is insane in this country as is the training to actually get a licence. I currently don't personally know a single person who owns one.

I'd love to get one but the hassle around obtaining a licence puts me off, pretty much a 5 year commitment.

My initial instinct on reading your post was to suspect you are talking rubbish, but upon a quick Google search - you are right. Motorcycle sales as a % of car sales are miniscule in this country in recent years, and it can only be that it's for the reasons you've outlined, as I'm sure many people would happily choose to bike it rather than be stuck in traffic.

Strange little country, Ireland.

frozenfrozen

Did you smash it wrote: »

I’m thinking of learning to ride and buying a Yamaha Mt-07 and I have a few questions.

I will mainly use it for a short commute and trips around a city.

Maybe I’ll use it for longer trips aswell as I don’t own a car but not that frequently.

- does the lack of storage on a bike get frustrating, for picking up groceries etc.
- how unusable is a bike in the winter? A Polish winter which is more severe than an Irish winter.
- do beginners “drop” their bike once or twice or more usually.
- how often do you get a scare while riding a motorbike?
- do you need to go to mechanic much or is there less maintenance than there is to a car? Is it just checking tire pressure and oil levels?

• - does the lack of storage on a bike get frustrating, for picking up groceries etc. -- get kriega bags
• - how unusable is a bike in the winter? A Polish winter which is more severe than an Irish winter. -- dont rely on it as your only transport and leave it at home whenever you think it's not safe
• - do beginners “drop” their bike once or twice or more usually. -- no except for the ones that do
• - how often do you get a scare while riding a motorbike? -- daily
• - do you need to go to mechanic much or is there less maintenance than there is to a car? Is it just checking tire pressure and oil levels? -- almost completely DIY except for stuff like changing tyres. Essentially nothing you can't do at home especially if you get something like an ABBA stand

tdf7187

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I really don't know why they're not promoted more by the Gov instead of this electric vehicle nonsense. They don't cause congestion, use barely any fuel, and get you wherever you want to go in no time. I was insured on one before but for me I didn't really need it as I can get to work by bicycle but they are great machines.

Because government in this country for decades has essentially been run - regardless of whatever political party is currently occupying the roost, that is largely irrelevant - by a collection of effete politically correct champagne socialists. Imagine the backlash from the likes of the Irish Times (oh won't somebody please think of the childers!) if a government minister had the audacity to promote motorbikes.

listermint

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Sales are tiny, insurance is insane in this country as is the training to actually get a licence. I currently don't personally know a single person who owns one.

I'd love to get one but the hassle around obtaining a licence puts me off, pretty much a 5 year commitment.

Bike insurance in Ireland is the opposite to insane it's actually really good. I started biking and it was 660 per year it's now 280 .

Name a car driver that can do that. My van is twice the price.

Anyone that wants to get into biking it's very accessible. I started 6 years ago.

Some level of waffleology in your post.

weldoninhio

knucklehead6 wrote: »

Well you’re wrong.

I bought my first bike during the summer. Once I pass my test I’ll be able to drive any bike I want to buy.

I did my theory test one week, got my licence a week later.
Then I did my IBT, 18 hours mandatory training.
I’ll be applying for my driving test early in the new year.


There IS an age limitation when you are young but I think once you are over 25 (a dim and distant memory for me) you can go for whatever bike you want

What are the insurance costs like? I’d be in the same boat as you, am looking at getting started in the new year. Work is close enough to ride to in 15/20 mins so a bike makes sense to me. I’m pushing 40, so 25 is long in the past for me too.

frozenfrozen

weldoninhio wrote: »

What are the insurance costs like? I’d be in the same boat as you, am looking at getting started in the new year. Work is close enough to ride to in 15/20 mins so a bike makes sense to me. I’m pushing 40, so 25 is long in the past for me too.

cheap, not worth worrying about

rock22

knucklehead6 wrote: »

And I use it every day when driving

But thanks for pointing out the thread pedant.

Don't really want to get into a discussion about this as it is irrelevent to the op but i am not being a pedant. You called out Atlantic Dawn as being wrong when he suggesting that it could take up to 5 years to get a full licence. here is what you said


"Well you’re wrong.

I bought my first bike during the summer. Once I pass my test I’ll be able to drive any bike I want to buy.

I did my theory test one week, got my licence a week later."

I was simply pointing out that the original post was about getting a licence not getting a learner permit . You were the one calling that information "wrong" when it is in fact correct for many people.

listermint

rock22 wrote: »

Don't really want to get into a discussion about this as it is irrelevent to the op but i am not being a pedant. You called out Atlantic Dawn as being wrong when he suggesting that it could take up to 5 years to get a full licence. here is what you said


"Well you’re wrong.

I bought my first bike during the summer. Once I pass my test I’ll be able to drive any bike I want to buy.

I did my theory test one week, got my licence a week later."

I was simply pointing out that the original post was about getting a licence not getting a learner permit . You were the one calling that information "wrong" when it is in fact correct for many people.

Hyperbolic would be more accurate.

frozenfrozen

just to put everyone straight you can go through direct access to the A license after 24 years of age

or you can use Progressive Access to upgrade an A2 license to an A license by holding a full A2 license for 2 years and completing further training

I got my A2 at 21 and my A at 23 through direct access

if you get the A2 at 18 you can have an A at 20

ElJeffe

D3V!L wrote: »

Yes it is legal. Where did you get it wasn't from ?

Providing you don't over take on a solid white line making progression is completely legal. On top of that it's safer because car drivers can see you.

Show me the law where it is officially legal to use a motorbike in a bus lane.

frozenfrozen

ElJeffe wrote: »

Show me the law where it is officially legal to use a motorbike in a bus lane.

Show me where in the thread someone mentioned bus lane.

knucklehead6

weldoninhio wrote: »

What are the insurance costs like? I’d be in the same boat as you, am looking at getting started in the new year. Work is close enough to ride to in 15/20 mins so a bike makes sense to me. I’m pushing 40, so 25 is long in the past for me too.

€300 on a 700cc 2007 bike. I'm slightly older than you, but not enough to make it much of a difference

Road tax/Motor Tax /whatever variant Rock22 wants to call it is €88

All told, between buying the bike, paying for the training, getting all the gear etc, insurance, tax and so on it cost me less than 4k to be on the road

Fair enough, there were a few frosty days earlier on this month where i took the car rather than the bike, and yes, every day is a school day in terms of little things to learn.

I'm probably not saving much time on the commute at the moment due to lack of traffic, but it is enjoyable.

Dial Hard

ElJeffe wrote: »

Show me the law where it is officially legal to use a motorbike in a bus lane.

Most bikers overtake on the outside, in my experience. Not sure where you got the bus lane thing from.

listermint

Dial Hard wrote: »

Most bikers overtake on the outside, in my experience. Not sure where you got the bus lane thing from.

He assumed just because he lashes up the bus lane. All other bikers do that. Rather than the accepted practice of lane filtering safely.


He's the only one mentioned bus lanes..

Gregor Samsa

It's pretty clear from this thread that the main reason that bikes aren't advertised on TV is because people prefer to talk about insurance and licence requirements and the legalities of filtering than motorbike adverts on a thread about motorbike advertising.

Here's a couple of old ads:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4dQ0RchtJw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Jpcy2GZ1Q

CJhaughey

I've been seeing a lot of Harley Davidson adverts on YT for the Pan-America in the last few days.

riclad

If you want to reach young people it's better to advertise online
there's many products that are never advertised on tv .
Do young people even watch TV ads?
I change the channel when an ad comes on or mute the audio
Banks and cars are advertised on tv cos they need to reach a
mass audience