An observation!

[Romans5.8]

So, as I've been watching motovlog videos I've made kind of an odd observation. First off, I feel like a fish out of water in the motovlog scene. I don't ride a sportbike, I don't ride around in city traffic when I vlog (or.. ever if I can avoid it), etc. But, interestingly, it seems like the vast, VAST majority of motovloggers are on sportbikes.

Yet, I rarely see them out where I live (except in groups on an occasional beautiful day). Which I've always found strange. Some of the best roads in the country, beautiful winding roads, long wide open and empty state highways. Seems like paradise for a sportbike rider, but it's nothing but cruisers! Maybe because cruiser riders tend to pile on the miles and things are a bit remote? Who knows. Just seems like I never see sportbikes out here.

I also noticed that most motovloggers ride in the city 99% of the time. Yuck! But, to each their own. Well; I finally made the connection! Went on a business trip a couple weeks ago and rode to a city. Not Chicago or LA, but a decent sized city of about 40,000. Got to my hotel, checked in, then went cruising around. First off, I realized why I hate the city. Nothing but stop signs, traffic lights, and the back bumpers of other cars. Nasty. Second; SPORTBIKES EVERYWHERE! I darn near didn't see another cruiser. But the place was RIDDLED with sportbikes. Everything from squid's in T-Shirts on one wheel to ducatti's with matching leather one-piece suits (going in a straight line to another red light of course).

Doesn't that seem backwards to anyone else? I love my cruiser but I'm also honest- she doesn't do the corners very fast! But that's okay, I take live at a leisurely pace anyway. I don't have much of a 'go fast' desire. But me and all of these other cruiser riders spend fill up the twisties, while the guys on these sportbikes fight traffic in the city! Naturally the sportbikes ARE easier to maneuver in the city but that's not the point. Just found it odd that the major difference in cruiser vs sportbike population seems so backwards!

Any thoughts on that? Just something that got me thinking. I'm sure there are a multitude of reasons but it just seems so 'odd' to see such well tunes machines with so much performance potential sitting at a red light in some city. Whereas my comfy but not-so-quick bike is out there enjoying the roads those bikes were built for!

 

[Nerb]

I think the vast majority of motovloggers in the city are recording on their commute to or from work. They commute on a scooter or sportsbike, cruisers are no good in the traffic. Doesnt this answer ALL your queries?
The other main contingent of motovloggers are in the mountains on dirtbikes or dualsports.

How many motovloggers do you watch? Maybe you have only selected the city crawling motovloggers?

If I look at a the motovloggers I watch, only a couple are in the city. Almost all are in the country and I select them based on the varied scenery and good commentary. Look at everide or Miggs or Nessedup or Damotovlogger or Jaketheturkey or mototrippin or roadcraftnottingham... just a few of the ones I watch but none are in the city and one is on a sportsbike.

 

[lewis94iify]

Also I think there's more city vloggers just because of the amount of people that live there compared to other places. Loads of London vloggers but loads of people live there so it's understandable. I'm in a small town surrounded by the sea on one side and countryside on the other so my vlogs tend to have a mixture of country/town. Skeggy Cruiser, Pauly V, Lego Ambush and MotoFoto are all around my neck of the woods.

 

[Stenno]

The sports bike market has typically been the biggest in the past and it's only in recent years that manufacturers have been climbing on the back of the adventure bike scene thanks to the success of the BMW GS. Cruisers don't generally sell well in the UK due to how twisty our roads are.

Then it comes down to the type of rider. You will get lads on their sports bikes and in their leathers who will happily filter through stationary city traffic to sit outside a biker cafe to look cool and strut around like mating cock(erel)s. But you'll still get people like myself, who, despite wishing to be one of the cool kids, cannot stand city traffic and who's back and knees can't take being bent over a sports bike, so I ride around on a V-Strom (*blush*). Yesterday alone I rode with my local IAM club from Reigate to the coast for fish and chips before blasting back up the A24 and not getting home until midnight. I might not be on a high performance bike outside the Ace Cafe, but I reckon I'm having more fun

 

[JollyRoger]

I think most people vlog on the commute, and yeah it depends where you live. I see waay more cruisers over here than sport bikes just because of the North American culture, and probably because it's hard to find twisties in this area.

Also I find personally that when you are going for a proper ride around twisties you want to be concentrating hard and are not able to focus on vlogging coherently - at least in my case!

 

[Stenno]

Also I find personally that when you are going for a proper ride around twisties you want to be concentrating hard and are not able to focus on vlogging coherently - at least in my case!

Or filming yourself breaking the speed limit

 

[Romans5.8]

Yeah I get the commute thing. I guess the MAIN part of this observation was how many more sportbikes I find in the city than out here in the country. Like I said, I RARELY see sportbikes out here in the twisties. Yet when I go to the cities, I RARELY see Cruisers!

Granted, Cruisers aren't so great in traffic. Though I suppose that's debatable, since you can't lane split in Missouri anyway. I dunno. I guess it just felt like a waste watching these guys pop around in traffic doing wheelies when they are just a few minutes from some great roads!

I love sportbikes, myself- they just don't like me (legs are way too long!). And I got into motorcycling to ride long distances. I rode 1100 miles this past weekend and didn't even go anywhere! 700 miles the weekend before for the business trip. Plus another couple hundred miles during the week. Although I've been tempted a few times to buy one just to stick in the garage and take out when the urge hits. But then, I ride like a grandpa anyway. I like to just enjoy the day. I'd be the most boring sportbike rider ever

 

[UnstableBoy]

check out xxxdeadhead. cruiser rider that vlogs on all sorts of roads in California.

 

[Trinith]

Yeah I get the commute thing. I guess the MAIN part of this observation was how many more sportbikes I find in the city than out here in the country. Like I said, I RARELY see sportbikes out here in the twisties. Yet when I go to the cities, I RARELY see Cruisers!

I'd be willing to bet a fair bit of that is related to 2 things. 1) Your twisties really aren't all that hardcore. Trust me when I say that a corner that's fun on a cruiser, or a standard, can amount to nothing to most sportbikes. Some of my favorite roads became incredibly boring when I moved from a cruiser to a sport-touring bike. The twisties you're talking about simply are not going to attract the most common types of sportbike riders. Those guys are usually looking for VERY tight corners (AR 123 near Mt. Judea...) or wide open straight interstates they can do 130+ on. 2) Most sportbike riders (that I've met) think they're great riders when they can 'push' the bike to 140 on the interstate. Why would they venture out into the country when they can do that around the city?

 

[Mr AusAdventure]

Your observations about not seeing sports bikes in the hills must be just your area I reckon. Here where I am the hills are filled with sports bikes.

Also, I think that most vloggers commute to work and most people in the civilised world who can own helmet cams and get on the internet regularly are most likely to be located in cities. I rarely vlog from city streets as I rarely ride on them. I do not ride to work as I usually have stuff to carry like kids and things, so my riding is done in leisure time when I get out of town as quickly as possible. So if you want to look at more vlogs that are in rural areas, look at mine! HaHa! :lol:

 

[Romans5.8]

Yeah I get the commute thing. I guess the MAIN part of this observation was how many more sportbikes I find in the city than out here in the country. Like I said, I RARELY see sportbikes out here in the twisties. Yet when I go to the cities, I RARELY see Cruisers!

I'd be willing to bet a fair bit of that is related to 2 things. 1) Your twisties really aren't all that hardcore. Trust me when I say that a corner that's fun on a cruiser, or a standard, can amount to nothing to most sportbikes. Some of my favorite roads became incredibly boring when I moved from a cruiser to a sport-touring bike. The twisties you're talking about simply are not going to attract the most common types of sportbike riders. Those guys are usually looking for VERY tight corners (AR 123 near Mt. Judea...) or wide open straight interstates they can do 130+ on. 2) Most sportbike riders (that I've met) think they're great riders when they can 'push' the bike to 140 on the interstate. Why would they venture out into the country when they can do that around the city?

We've got some pretty good switchbacks. But; probably not the best! But still, how is it more fun to be in bumper to bumper in the city?

We DEFINITELY have the wide open interstates with nobody on them though.

But yeah, I see your point. I'm definitely not saying there's anything wrong with it! I was just surprised to see so many litrebikes and such sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, or riding on one wheel from redlight to redlight. Guess I don't get the appeal. I must be an old geezer at heart

Them dern kids on their motor-cycles ain't got no respect I tell ya hhwwhat!

 

[Dr Kongo]

But still, how is it more fun to be in bumper to bumper in the city?

brah, in the city you can rev your inline 4 all the time, so cool
and you can not wear gear and do wheelies!

 

[Romans5.8]

But still, how is it more fun to be in bumper to bumper in the city?

brah, in the city you can rev your inline 4 all the time, so cool
and you can not wear gear and do wheelies!

Haha yeah.

That was the best part! Day one of the trip I had another sportbike behind me. He and I were riding in a staggered formation with full gear. Just riding along. The dudes on one wheel passing each other and cutting each other off had no gear. Normally I don't rag on people for not wearing gear (wear what you wanna wear I'm not your momma, I'm not gonna dress you!) But it was another 'backwards' aspect. The gear wearing guys were riding reasonably. The non-gear-wearers, not so much.

Although sometimes it's the other way around. Some guys are convinced gear makes them invincible and ride like tools!

 

[Nerb]

Guess I don't get the appeal. I must be an old geezer at heart

I think your right... a litre bike is sooooo much more enjoyable than a cruiser.... everywhere. And im a 40 year old.