What you might not know about sport bike riders

Whether it’s attending motorcycle races or spending more on extended service contracts, sport bike riders have some qualities that are more prominent than in any other segment.
A 2007 national consumer survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates revealed a number of differences in sport bike riders and other segments.

Trade in Bikes
Only 28.4 percent of sport bike riders trade in their bikes. That’s roughly 10 percent lower than the average of all motorcycle riders.

Events Attended
Sport bike riders attend more motorcycle races than any other segment. About 37 percent of riders have attended a motorcycle race in the past two years.

Extended Service Contracts
Extended service contracts rate high on the scale of importance for sport bike riders. About 61 percent of them spend more than $500 on the additional expense.

Test Ride
Trying to sell a sport bike? Offer them a test ride. About 94 percent of sport bike riders said their test rides were a moderate or strong influence on the model they purchased.

Customizing
The most of any segment, sport bike riders like customizing their bikes. An estimated 66 percent of the riders said they completely or somewhat agree they like to customize their bikes.

Skill level
There’s a strong showing of intermediate skilled riders in the sport segment. Out of beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert, nearly 41 percent of sport bike riders said they were at the intermediate level. That’s the second most behind the standard segment at 42.5 percent. About 33 percent of sport riders have between 2-9 years of riding experience. Compared to the other segments, that’s the highest percent of riders.