Up to a point, it seems to be a UK phenomenon, although there are clearly many other countries with the problem. When I was last in Germany I picked up a bike mag called Mottorad Abentuer which was about touring and interesting locations, how practical the bikes were, if they were best on / off road or both, how far they would go on a tankful(!) Kit was tested on how comfy/practical etc it was..
Kind of like "ride" magazine but with a total absence of supersports bikes, I got they impression that a GSXRZZRXX was viewed as a foolish youths Sunday toy to be used until they grow up they can get a "real" bike like a GS or whatever... it was really refreshing and I can understand how kids reading it would think "Wow that's cool" and look at sportsbikes and think "what's the point, they never go anywhere".
Now obviously I'm painting an extreme, but as we've said, in this country just now we have an extreme the other way and it's killing inexperienced (and some experienced) riders and putting lots of people off bikes generally.
As I said, whatever I think about the detail, the "Long way round/down" programmes have probably done more to help the cause of "sensible" biking (and indeed BMW sales lol) than anything else I can think of in the last ten to twenty years. I hope they continue and ideally are expanded on, but what we really need is a sea change in some of the media to stop comparing p***s sizes about who can control the most ridiculous bikes and start showing some of the many other sides of biking.
We also need the manufacturers to produce new "real world" bikes instead of throwing everything into developing a bike that's a few thenths lighter/faster/shinier than last years model then detuning it a *little* fitting cheap running gear and trying to fob it off as a practical bike...
ie Bandits that would be practical except they use more fuel than many cars, and indeed more that a GT/GPz750 of the mid eighties that *was* practical and was pretty much as quick!!
Then of course there are the range of trailies and commuters that are sold as "new" but use engines that are basically unchanged since the seventies
I bought my MZ a few years ago now because the big four had *nothing* that was practical for me or appealed overmuch... a 650gs would have been quite nice but I object to paying an extra £2,000 for a badge, scary really. I wonder how long before upcoming manufacturers currently producing dodgy copies pull the rug from under kawasukiahada?
Anyway, I suspect I'm rambling now so I'll shut up ;-) Unless there are any manufacturers reading....?
