Across the United States, there has been a spike in motorcycle sales during the Covid-19 pandemic, giving rise to concerns about how a new generation of motorcycle riders will cope with the safety issues involved in riding these vehicles.
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many industries, and at the beginning of the outbreak the motorcycle industry was not spared. Motorcycled sales tanked as the financial devastation wreaked by the pandemic resulted in people putting off purchases of non-essential items like motorcycles and other recreational vehicles. However, it soon became very apparent that the pandemic would continue for much longer than expected, and most US cities, including the metro Atlanta region placed restrictions on the use of mass transit.
Once some sense of routine returned to the working sector, a very interesting phenomenon occurred. Large numbers of people who were required to go back to work had to look at other forms of transportation in order to avoid using mass transit and to ensure physical distancing, one of the key ways to prevent infection with the virus. To that end, two-wheeled personal forms of transportation, such as motorcycles, seemed like the most attractive option. Many commuters also believed motorcycles were safer than bicycles.