Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1058408
IN THE WIND P30 was elected. Jorge Viegas of Portugal received 80 percent of the votes from the FIM delegates, only after his sole opponent, Wolfgang Srb, shocked everyone by withdrawing his nomination only days earlier. Viegas, a lawyer and former 250cc Grand Prix rider, will replace outgoing president Vito Ippolito. "We took very important and courageous deci- sions in our first Board of Directors," said Viegas. "We are going in the right direction, putting the Na- tional Federations, the Continental Unions and the Commissions in the center of the decisions." Viegas' first order of business will be to travel to the Dakar Rally in Lima, Peru in early January. CN FEMALE RIDERS ON THE RISE S ome good news from the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC): females now account for 19 percent of motorcycle riders. The statistic proves women are taking up motorcycling and motorcycle ownership at a larger rate than ever before and repre- sents a five percent jump from this time in 2015. Females also spend on average 15 percent more on motorcycle parts, acces- sories and apparel than before. And the stats keep coming, women in the millennial demo- graphic (born 1981-1997) account for a strong 26 percent of female motorcycle ownership, with Gen- eration X (1961-1981) sitting at 22 percent ownership. The news is hugely important for the American motorcycle in- dustry, which has fallen on tough times since the glory days of pre- GFC when people's buying habits of luxury goods were, shall we say, slightly more liberal than now. As the motorcycle industry begins to transi- tion away from the baby boomers (1946-1964), new riders and owners are now more important than ever, with female ownership now a major facet of re-growing the industry. "As the number of boomer and mature motorcyclists shrink and are replaced by newer riders, we could soon be looking at a solid 25 percent of motorcycle owners being female," said Andria Yu, MIC director of communications. "We've seen with our own eyes many more women riders—on the roads, on the trails, on the track, with families, at motorcy- cling events, forming clubs and just being part of everyday group rides. Many people in the indus- try have worked some 30 years to achieve this, and now the data confirms it: More and more women are getting out there and enjoying motorcycles." CN The Motorcycle Industry Council was pleased to sprout the latest figures, showing a huge increase in female rider and ownership. Even in black-tie attire, there's no mistaking that 'do. FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Toby Price works the red carpet.