Motorcycle owners are more satisfied with their purchases this year and are willing to spend more money to ride, according to the 2011 U.S. Motorcycle Competitive Information Study from J.D. Power and Associates.

Compiling responses from 8,123 customers who purchased new motorcycles between Sept. 2010 and May 2011, the study found customers are more satisfied with their purchases this year than customers from a year ago. Customers reported increased satisfaction with their new motorcycles and with the cost of ownership.

Customers were especially satisfied with the sale experience, with the study producing an overall score of 856 on a 1000-point scale, and improvement from the score of 838 reported last year.

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The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has started what it calls the first-ever naturalistic study of motorcycling, with 100 motorcycles equipped with data logging equipment to record real-world riding situations over the course of a year.

The information will valuable data that will help shape the MSF’s rider education and rider training program and other safety initiatives.

“Our priority with this research is to observe the participants on a day-to-day basis,” says Dr. Sherry Williams, MSF director of quality assurance and research. “We’re installing unobtrusive cameras and recording devices on the bikes so the participants soon forget they’re being recorded. We can learn a tremendous amount by just observing their normal, routine riding behavior.”

Each of the 100 motorcycles is equipped with five cameras, a GPS, radar, machine vision lane tracker, accelerometer, gyroscopes, radar and sensors for the brake lever and pedal input. The equipment will be used to gather data in real environments, totaling about 500,000 miles of riding. The test motorcycles were prepared by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

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Arai retained the top spot on J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 U.S. Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study, sharing top honors with Icon.

The J.D. Power and Associates study measures the customers’ satisfaction with their helmets. Brands are scored on a 1,000-point scale generated from 11 different attributes: quietness; ventilation; de-fogging performance; face shield wind protection; face shield scratch resistance; ease of replacing face shield; shell scratch resistance; color and graphic; weight; ease of strap fastening; and fit and comfort.

Arai is back on top for the 13th consecutive time, tied with Icon with an overall score of 852, well above the industry average of 788 (a new record high in the study’s 13-year history). According to J.D. Power and Associates, Arai rated well across all 11 attributes, especially fit and comfort and face shield wind protection. Icon rated high in color and graphics. Shoei, which rated second in last year’s study, dropped to third this year despite increasing its rating and performing well in ease of shield replacement.

The study also found some other interesting trends. Customers are more likely to buy helmets over the Internet than ever before, with 23% of helmet owners purchasing their headgear online, compared to just 20% in 2010. The average helmet purchase price was $209 in 2010, a small increase from the industry average of $206, and the $203 average from 2007.

The Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study also re-affirmed data from J.D. Power and Associates’ latest Motorcycle Competitive Information Study: motorcycle riders are an aging demographic. The median age of a new helmet buyer is 48, a consistent increase from the 2000 study.

J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study
Brand	2011	2010	2009
Arai	852	836	830
Icon	852	826	806
Shoei	831	827	815
Harley-Davidson	800	815	790
Scorpion	800	785	782
Industry Average	788	784	766
Bell	781	777	722
Nolan	774	758	752
HJC	761	757	738
Fulmer	759	769	730

Press release after the jump.

Related Reading
2010 JD Power helmet satisfaction study
Customer Satisfaction Down in 2010

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Back in November, we posted a story about motorcycle riding being linked to impotence, citing a study from Japan that was published in the International Journal of Impotence Research. Yes, apparently there is an entire journal with an unrelenting focus on our fun bits. I digress. Anyhoo, the study suggested that men who ride motorcycles are at risk of impotence and urinary problems due to the vibration of the engine damaging nerves in our happy place.

MO readers piped up in large numbers, adamant that years of riding hadn’t prevented their little soldier’s from standing at attention. According to patent-granted author Randall Dale Chipkar, they may be half right. “More studies are needed to determine the cause,” says Chipkar, who believes that the focus of the study was based on limited information and too few variables, making it inconclusive the motorcycle seats are the cause of impotence.

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A new report says riders with ABS-equipped bikes can dramatically reduce the chance of a fatal accident. The study compared fatality rates among riders on bikes that have antilock brakes, and it found that death rates were 38% lower on motorcycles equipped with the optional ABS systems compared to non-ABS bikes.

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A recent medical study is warning motorcyclists about dangers linked to the hobby that your mother never talked about. The study suggests that men who ride motorcycles are at risk of impotence and urinary problems due to the vibration of the engine damaging nerves in the area where their bathing suits cover.

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