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Common Tread

Best and worst motorcycle trends of 2020

Dec 09, 2020

While the overriding trend of 2020 often seemed to be the planet hurtling toward ever increasing chaos and disruption, there were also some micro trends in the motorcycle world, underneath that turbulent macro surface. We asked several Common Tread contributors to pick their best and worst trends of 2020 in our slice of the universe, and here's what they had to say.

Brandon Wise: Motorcycling survives pandemic, smart helmets still not smart

Obviously, 2020 has been an, um — how should I put this politely? — a challenging year for many. But that doesn't mean we haven't seen some positive trends, both as individuals and for the industry overall.

The most obvious positive trend is that motorcycle sales actually increased in 2020 after years of stagnation. Maybe the best part is that the growth is mostly coming in off-road motorcycles — up nearly 50 percent over last year! — and dual-sports. Many dealers sold out of kids' dirt bikes as people who were stuck at home or couldn't do other things went out and bought off-road motorcycles and went riding with their families. That sounds like the making of future motorcyclists, to me.

Brandon on a ride
It's going to take more than a pandemic to stop Brandon from riding. Or from using the selfie stick. The camera loves him. He loves it back. Photo by Brandon Wise.

And it's not just kids having fun. Here in Philadelphia, when things are shut down and I'm supposed to be keeping my distance from everyone, I realized I could hop on my motor tooter and get the heck out of here for a few hours. I haven't taken epic multi-state trips or visited the national parks I wanted to see but I've actually ridden motorcycles a lot this year. I’ve also talked with a number of distant relatives who stopped riding for one reason or another but through this terrible year they’ve rediscovered their love for motorcycles. No doubt 2020 was a bad year, but it may be the beginning of a long-term positive trend for motorcycling.

My negative trend isn't really new for 2020, but this year I did see a lot of marketing videos and social media posts about "smart helmets." If you're not familiar with the term, I'm referring to lids that provide riders with a 360-degree view or use Heads-Up Display (HUD) to relay information such as GPS navigation, motorcycle engine readouts, tire pressure, etc.

After researching various options, I see a lot of empty promises from manufacturers, prototypes that are simply in the graphic design phase, helmets that are merely glorified Bluetooth lids, or the opportunity to pre-order a helmet with no delivery date in sight. I've simply not yet been impressed. When I do see something that I’m like, “Whoa, that’s pretty awesome!” it’s either wildly expensive or doesn’t really exist. But, you can still pay for it as if you’re actually buying something.

Zack Courts: Hail the champ, lament the sport bike

Like Brandon, I'm looking for a silver lining in the horrendous pandemic that swept across the globe this year and I see hope in the number of people connecting with motorcycles, whether trying it for the first time or remembering how much they used to enjoy riding. With any luck, this will bring about a new generation of riders. But since I'm not going to copy Brandon's homework, I came up with my own positive trend.

Joan Mir with MotoGP trophy
Joan Mir, 2020 MotoGP world champion. Team Suzuki ECSTAR photo.
For those of you out there who enjoy world championship roadracing as much as Lance and I, let’s raise a glass to Suzuki and Joan Mir for winning the 2020 MotoGP World Championship. Not just because the Hamamatsu brand hasn’t won in 20 years, or that Mir seems like a genuinely thoughtful, humble and worthy champion, but also because it finally wasn’t Marc Márquez and Honda dominating. Instead, 2020 tied the record for the most different winners in MotoGP (nine) and for 2021, practically all of the championship contenders from just two years ago are either gone or questionable, which leaves the class wide open for new dynasties to begin.

Yamaha YZF-R6
Is the sun setting on the 600 cc race replica class? The Yamaha YZF-R6, dominant on many a race track, is fading away. Yamaha photo.

My worst trend is sport bikes dying. This has been a long time in the making, but it seems we’re cresting the lip of the canyon into which sport bikes will fall like Wile E. Coyote chasing Roadrunner. Lance reported recently on Dorna changing racing rules, Andy reported on Yamaha’s axing of models (including the venerable R6), and Mark documented the limited release of Honda’s new CBR600.

Even when I think about my time on sport bikes this year, it’s not flattering. On one occasion, Ari and I went faster around a track on a 15-year-old bike than we did on a new one, putting into question how much progress is being made for the layperson’s performance goals. And then I rode Honda’s new CBR1000RR-R SP, which was glorious but also nearly $30,000.

As a kid, all I ever wanted to be was a roadracer — and I love the bikes, along with the sport — but every other bike is just too good. Spill a splash of booze this weekend for the future of our faired friends.

Andy Greaser: Accessible airbags and the death of cheap motorcycles on Craigslist

My best trend of 2020 was greater accessibility of wearable airbags. Dainese and Alpinestars finally released their universal smart motorcycle airbags for 2020: the Dainese Smart Jacket and the Tech-Air 5 System, both $699.95. (Funny how that works.) These products put an unprecedented degree of safety and smart technology in the reach of riders everywhere for the first time, because riders are no longer stuck buying airbags that only fit certain jackets. Now anyone can ride with air protection using the jackets they already have.

Tethered airbags are still an option, and maybe as compelling as they'll ever be with newly deflated prices to keep pace with the new tech. Smart, universal airbag technology's potential to prevent injury or death makes it an easy pick for 2020's best trend.

Bike for sale
Craigslist is no longer the best accomplice in your next bad decision. Photo by Lance Oliver.

The worst trend is that I can no longer browse Craigslist with $500 and a free weekend, looking for trouble and waiting for people to e-mail me back. That's because back in 2019 Craigslist started charging $5 to list motorcycles for sale. The hopeful believed this move would deter scammers and increase the quality of the site's listings, and for anything over a couple thousand bucks, that seems to be the case.

However, 2020 was perfect for a mass extinction event among cheap motorcycle listings on CL. People selling cheap bikes weren't interested in paying that fee out of principle and headed for other free platforms, like Facebook Marketplace and Offerup. The remaining supply of cheap CL bikes was depleted as folks who were quarantining got their stimulus checks and realized they could go ride until this coronavirus thing is under control. Seems like all the cheap-bike action has moved over to Marketplace, and any trend that forces me to spend time on Facebook is surely the worst of the year.

Goodnight Craig, my sweet prince. Thanks for all the motorcycles.

Joe riding off-road
Joe Zito found that the right pair of knobbies can really improve your day in the woods. Photo by Spurgeon Dunbar.

Joe Zito: Gummy tires and crummy gear

My favorite trend of 2020 is more gummy enduro tire options than ever! After a defeating off-road ride in the Pennsylvania mountains early this year, a fellow RevZilla enduro rider and I asked the locals, “How the hell are you guys riding these gnarly climbs and technical rocky sections so easily while we are just falling all over the place and getting stuck on everything?”

“Gotta have a gummy tire,” they replied.

Historically, enduro riders would go with a trials tire for the soft rubber compound, but the tread pattern would pack with mud, defeating the traction gained by the softer compound. Enter the gummy enduro tire, which features widely spaced knobs, like a traditional enduro tire. A simple tire swap to a Shinko 525 Cheater allowed us to step up our technical riding ability substantially. The soft compound allows the tires to grip where “normal” off-road or MX tires slip. The trade-off is reduced tire life, as you would expect, but if you control tire spin and stay off the pavement, they last much longer than you would think.

My worst trend of the year is poorly made gear! I admit, I'm out in the woods racing a lot of weekends and I use my gear hard, so maybe I've just been unlucky this year, but I've had more than the usual split seams, busted zippers and weak materials. Some budget brands may get a pass as “disposable gear,” considering their prices, but I have seen a dip in quality in some reputable brands that I have been wearing for years. I'm hoping this turns out not to be a trend at all and I just had bad luck this year. Meanwhile, our team will keep researching and testing new gear to highlight the best stuff, but it's impossible for us to get to it all and sometimes flaws only show up over time. That's where you help. Quality customer reviews make it easier for everyone to avoid wasting money on sub-standard gear and we regularly take your opinions into account with our selections for Gear Guides.

Spurgeon Dunbar: More perspective, less travel

Like the other guys looking for a silver lining in a pandemic, I see a positive trend of folks revisiting old hobbies and getting into new ones. While I am excited for the increased interest in motorcycling in 2020 — this is, after all, a motorcycle-focused article — I think this trend is even more encompassing, involving all kinds of personal reflection and growth. Perhaps you started learning an instrument, took up sewing, or started virtual yoga from your living room.

Spurgeon's guitar
Stuck at home, Spurgeon turned to refurbishing and repairing guitars, including his own 1989 Les Paul. Photo by Spurgeon Dunbar.

In addition to increased riding time, back in April I started taking virtual guitar lessons with Gene Cullison, the same teacher I had when I was a teenager, and I also started doing some guitar repair work again, not only on my own guitars, but also for friends and family, as well. Most notably, I did a complete overhaul of the 1989 Gibson Les Paul Standard I bought used in high school with new custom-built, low-output P.A.F.s from Rewind pickups, all new wiring, upgraded switches, pots, and capacitors, and I replaced the bridge, tailpiece and tuners. Whatever personal growth you’ve experienced this year, I hope you’ve found it to be rewarding.

Spurgeon riding in Morocco
Spurgeon loves traveling the world and riding motorcycles. After his trip to Morocco in February, that came to a crashing halt in 2020. Photo by Kingdom Creative.

My worst trend of 2020 is what caused me to spend more evenings at home alone working on projects: the end of travel. In February, I was in Morocco for the Triumph Tiger 900 launch when this all started. I remember being asked questions about mainland China while moving through customs checkpoints. Less than 30 days later, I was sitting in a boardroom with my team canceling a big trip we had planned to Georgia.

Events ranging from the U.S. round of MotoGP to the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows to rallies and organized rides were all affected. Those of us in the industry learned about “virtual press launches” and went on “socially distanced rides.” I had personal events and trips cancelled, and you probably did, too. One of the best things about motorcycling is that it's a really great community and so the worst trend in 2020 was that this year kept us apart.

Here's hoping for better trends in 2021 and beyond.