CONFESSIONS OF A CUSTOMER

By Eric Anderson

SLIDING INTO NEW MARKETS

How About A “Taste Test” For New Riding Niches?

Royal Enfield does not make the most sophisticated machines, but it certainly has put together a creative and different plan to put “butts on seats” with its new

Slide School and BTR (Build Train Race) campaigns aimed at attracting new and female riders to the brand. Flat tracking had always been a dream sport to me since watching the movie On Any Sunday as a kid, but I never imagined anyone would ever offer to give me lessons for $250. Sure enough,

Royal Enfield is the first OEM to offer lessons on a national circuit for anyone who wants to enroll.

I will not be entering any pro flat track competitions soon, but like Richard Petty offering a taste of the NASCAR Experience, I was able to spend 3 1/2 hours with professional rider, Johnny Lewis, scooting around a specially prepared track at the Texas Motor Speedway after watching the AFT pros qualifying the day before. The pros may have been rained out the night before, but Slide School happened on schedule the next morning. No, I was not “schooled” on the half mile, but a much smaller track where Coach Johnny could closely analyze and correct our bad (motocross) habits to smooth out our style.

Motocross used to be “my thing” and now it is vintage motocross, ADV or single-track dirt riding. A Royal Enfield Himalayan fits into one of those three categories, so it made sense for me to try riding a prepped FT411 on an oval track — why not? It certainly got me more excited than any OEM The “Learn To Ride” events or MSF courses are too basic for a veteran motorcyclist like me. Yamaha Track Days of the past looked fun but were not part of my DNA at the time since I had never raced street machines before — that pavement looked hard and I treasured my kneecaps too much. Slide School was different enough, affordable, short and super convenient — I had to try it.

Some OEMs have their beginner riding events or training centers for newcomers, but they all seem to be subscribing to the same “expo demo recipe” when their 18-wheeler trucks follow each other from show to show and bike week to bike week. Reading about Slide School for a modest price available regionally prompted me to think out of the box and try something new. It wasn’t about the bike anyway — it was about learning how to flat track.

Having the positive experience on an RE was what was in it for them… while the pro lessons were what I paid my $250 for. Win-win. This makes me wonder if other OEMs and dealers could begin thinking differently to offer veteran riders a new mini-experience on one of their motorcycles, e-bicycles, UTVs or watercraft? Insurance for such experiences is a challenge, of course, but is the ROI worth satisfying riders’ hunger to walk away with a huge smile on their face thinking about a new and different steed in the garage?

Could there be short, 2-to-3-hour introductory clinics from OEMs or dealers for single track, ADV riding, e-bicycling, basic maintenance, packing a bike, motocross and touring? Could MIC, AMA or Cycle News keep a Clinic Calendar of where and when such events are happening — not race events, but training, demo and “taste test” events? Many vets want to know about other motorized-disciplines — we are curious but do not know how to get that taste. What is it like to get off a bike and drive a UTV — many riders would like to know what’s it like before investing $25-$30,000? I remember getting into dirt oval karting in the ’70s because there was an oval track next to the MX track I was racing… and Yamaha offered some track time. What a blast! So 1000s of dollars later, I had a kart with a Yamaha 100 motor on it. Why? Because someone showed me how to do it by coming onto my turf with a new fun, but related activity.

The main audience you would target is likely experienced riders who simply want a change of pace for a few hours. The Gary Semics, McGrath MX and roadracing track day schools are out there for racers to get faster, but none of those are 2-to-3-hour “taste tests”— they are serious training for serious racers. Having a price of $200-$300 with a vehicle provided is not bad when the prospect does not have to use his own truck or fuel to get a new category of vehicle under his backside. Make it easy and they will come… and I did.

Now I am ready to try some new niches of powersports machines. Does anyone have a short course on e-mountain bikes before I invest $8500? How about an observed trials bike mini-course? Yes, I am looking to do Slide School again so I can get closer to that sliding Mert Lawwill image I have still stuck in my head for the last 40 years.