Motorcycle sales are flat. People don’t care anymore. Riding is just a hobby now. Back in my day…
If you’ve spent enough time around motorcyclists, you’ve probably heard some version of these laments. At the early edge of what most call middle age, I find myself in a unique spot. I am close enough to the OG riders who built many of the clubs and associations that shaped me when I was young, yet also connected to the newest wave of riders still raising a little hell on dirt and pavement. Standing between these worlds gives me a front-row seat to something important. The passion and community in motorcycling are not fading. They are changing and, in many ways, growing.
As I have evolved within my small corner of the motorcycle universe, I have learned a lot about what binds us as riders. Motorcyclists have always been misfits. Not outlaws, necessarily, just people slightly off-center while the rest of the world stays tucked inside their cars. Whether you ride year-round through whatever the sky throws at you or pick your perfect days on or off the road, you still belong to a rare group of people who truly understand a certain way of living.
For decades, clubs and meetups were the heartbeat of our community. They were where you saw new machines, met new people, and learned from riders with more experience. Then the internet arrived and rewired the entire motorcycle industry, as it did everywhere else. Honestly, it was not all bad.
The internet meant being able to hunt down vintage parts online instead of hoping a swap meet pans out, watching how-to videos, meeting riders worldwide, and discovering routes, events, and gear. These tools have made riding more accessible than ever, but rapid change can leave some feeling left behind. When the landscape shifts, it is easy to assume the culture is shrinking.
I have seen the opposite as grassroots communities form across the world. They are beginner-friendly, ego-free, and grounded in connection. If we want our long-established clubs and associations to continue thriving, this is where we should be paying attention. Not critiquing the new wave, but welcoming it, learning from it, and inviting it in.
This past year, I had the pleasure of working with two such groups: The Moto Social and Fährt. We collaborated on a series of monthly events, and what struck me was how naturally they build community. If you have ever attended a Moto Social event, you know the vibe. Riders on every kind of bike show up simply for the joy of riding somewhere new, meeting people, and sharing space with others who get it.
The crew at Fährt brings similar energy. Their events, mostly in the northeast and now expanding into the Pacific northwest, bring together road and dirt riders. They highlight small businesses, share local routes, and create pockets of community wherever they go.
What these groups are doing is not entirely new, but the way they are doing it feels refreshing and inclusive. The camaraderie forming feels genuine. It is the future of what many moto groups will become.
The spirit of riding is not fading. It is right here, growing in new corners. The people carrying it might not fit the mold of yesterday’s clubs, yet they share the same love for two wheels. All we have to do is welcome them in.
Stephen was a guest on 200 Miles Before Breakfast, the only podcast in which you get to know the MOA one member at a time. Listen to his episode now!
