Girl's bike?

[Brammofan]

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2012/07/15/is-an-electric-motorcycle-a-girls-bike/

They quote Craig from that Wall Street Journal article as saying:

Women are lining up to test drive and preorder a new sports electric motorcycle from Brammo in greater numbers than is standard in the bike world, according to preliminary data the company is gleaning.

“It’s more aggressive an interest on preorders than in the traditional gas market,” said Brammo’s Chief Executive Craig Bramscher in an interview with VentureWire. “It could be as many as twice as many compared to gas numbers that we’ve seen,” he said, referring to interest from female buyers.

Then, they say:

Perception is everything, but after building electric racing motorcycles and making the Empulse a great example of innovative styling and high technology, they were in a pretty good spot to make some inroads into a reluctant market, then they reveal that women are placing a high number of the orders for their bikes. A casual comment like that can tip perception in a direction they may not have intended. There goes the manly man market. Even if women are still a minority of the buyers, if it’s the ladies’ choice, some guys will think twice.

Thoughts?

[Shinysideup]

Horse puckey!

I find it insulting to think that I wouldn't buy anything, including a motorcycle, because women also liked it. I mean: Come ON!

One more reason I don't read the WSJ for anything at all except basic business news.

If Shelina likes my bike, all the more reason for me to buy it and the WSJ can kiss my assets!

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

First, I think what they call "the manly man market" has never shown any interest in electrics anyway. Those are the noise-lover fume-breathing hogs. Honestly, I am with South Park when I think of them as "not-so-manly men." Let's be honest, if you are trying so hard to look manly, you are probably trying to compensate for something...
Also, if Brammo can finally get more women into the motorcycle market, much better for Brammo. It will finally get to open a market that has been mostly unreachable to the gas bikes. All that without hurting their male market, as I would think the great majority of people who are into electric motorcycles are a bit better educated and open-minded than the vroom-vroom hogs.   

[Brammofan]

Just want to clarify: The Craig quote came from WSJ...the "manly men" quote came from The Kneeslider.

[EmpulseRider]

There are always going to be haters... Absolutely nothing wrong with Brammo bringing more people into the market.

[Gavin]

I was on a couple of rides this weekend...

1) Brammo should make a scooter...I met a bunch of Ruckus scooter people who are BIG ON MODDING...they do crazy stuff...and everyone of them wanted to mod out an Electric scooter.

2) Zero is being sold in town now and I had 3 people ask me if the Enertia was made by the same company that makes the Zero. Having bikes in stores gets the name out there....just saying.

3) I have only seen one Zero in town...the owner is a woman. So I guess Kneeslider will assume that only women ride Zero bikes...of course we know better.
Electric non shifty bikes will appeal to both women and men...the shifty and bigger Empulse will appeal mostly to men....but also a few women too. But probably just a few.

Basically it comes down to: Choice is good....Heck...locally this is my observations:

Scooters...60/40...men/women
Harley's and cruisers...75/25 men/women
Touring...tough...commuter touring riders are mostly men...but there are a fair number of husbands and wives who tour together...but I'll randomly guess 80/20...tall bikes are harder for women to ride.
Sports Bikes...95/5...men/women.


So....if Brammo really wants the female market...scooters and cruisers are the way to go...largely due to the lower seat and more upright riding style.

Gavin

[Vibetrippin]

Hey, the Honda Cub was targeted at women. Would anyone like to say that it wasn't a success?

[Gavin]

Cub is Cool....should be the slogan

SuperCub is SuperCool...two slogans for the price of one...

sadly:

1) not sold in the US.
2) Honda freaking showed this 3 years ago...


and nothing, nada...

Brammo...totally steal that electric cub and sell it...Honda is too freaking scared or lazy or both.

Gavin

[00049 (AKA SopFu)]

Women don't buy vehicles because they are practical - they buy them because they are safe.  That's why women tend to gravitate towards SUVs and muscle cars (what most people would consider manly vehicles), where as men are disproportionate buyers of real sports cars, such as Miatas and S2000s - vehicles that are not often associated with men (this is coming from a Miata owner).  Women may be interested in the electric bikes because they won't have to shift, but I have a hard time believing they will turn into sales.  How many women do you see commuting on their motorcycle compared to men?  Women who buy motorcycles buy them to fit into the men's weekend warrior crowd, and an electric won't fit well there.

[Vibetrippin]

I'd say that 90% of the people I see on a Honda Jazz are female. More guys on the Ruckus and 60/40 men/woman on things like the BWS and even the CBR 125.

If the Enertia ever hits the "entry level" price point (and perhaps drop the seat an inch) I suspect we'll see a similiar number of women throwing a leg over the phenomenally easy to ride electric.