Biking provides thrills for Iowans of all ages
By WILLIAM PETROSKI
Register Staff Writer
02/20/2002
(Link to original Des Moines Register article)
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Brian Pospichal of Anamosa got his first taste of motorcycling in the 1970s when he owned a Cushman motor scooter while in high school.
He enjoyed the freedom, but he didn't pursue it. He went to college, got married, began raising a son and embarked on a career as a mechanical engineer in Cedar Rapids.
Four years ago, at age 41, he got the motorcycle itch again.
"I said, "I'm going to do it." I went to Kirkwood Community College, took the motorcycle rider education class, and I bought a Harley-Davidson," Pospichal said.
Pospichal's story is a common one among Iowa motorcycle enthusiasts. Iowa Department of Transportation records show that 72 percent of the 217,988 Iowans who hold motorcycle licenses are age 40 or older. Some have continued to renew their licenses and no longer own motorcycles, but many are active riders.
"The trend is going more towards the older rider," said Steve Rector of Marshalltown, state coordinator of ABATE of Iowa, the state's largest motorcycle group, with 7,000 members. "However, we are seeing younger people who are getting really good jobs and the first thing that they do is go out and buy a motorcycle."
As the majority of Iowa motorcyclists get older, they also represent a larger percentage of motorcycle operators involved in crashes. In 1980, 11 percent of motorcycle riders involved in Iowa crashes were over 35 years old. In 1999, 49 percent were 35 and older, state records show.
The tough-guy image of motorcycle riders has softened as the demographics have changed. A 1998 survey by the California-based Motorcycle Industry Council found the typical rider in the United States was a 38-year-old male who was married, had attended college and earned $44,250 a year.
"You meet such a variety of people," said Rector, 48, a quality-assurance technician for a gasket manufacturer. "I have friends who are factory workers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, a circuit court judge and a Catholic priest."
What attracts them is fun, friendship and the call of the open road, said Judy Pirillo of Altoona. She and her husband, Joe, 58, head the Des Moines-area chapter of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association. The Pirillos travel aboard a Honda luxury touring motorcycle that cost about $25,000, including add-ons. Their organization, like ABATE of Iowa and others, emphasizes motorcycle safety education.
"There is just nothing like the feel of getting on your bike on a beautiful morning, riding all day, stopping in small towns, meeting people, eating at little restaurants and taking up the local history," Pirillo said. "It's just marvelous. It's a real big stress reliever."
Pospichal, a member of the Metro Harley Owners Group in Cedar Rapids, said his most adventurous ride was last summer. He and his son, Wesley, now 14, rode 4,000 miles in 12 days and camped under the stars each night. They passed through the Black Hills in South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and made stops in Montana and other places.
Although motorcycle enthusiasm seems to be thriving in Iowa, there has been a sharp decline in motorcycle ownership. In 1984, Iowa had 195,515 registered motorcycles. That compares with 110,395 registered motorcycles in 2000, a reduction of 43 percent.
Industry officials said a combination of factors is related to the downturn: the high cost of some new motorcycles; more purchases of off-road, all-terrain vehicles; and competition for money and leisure time.
George Garvis, owner of Garvis Honda in Des Moines, started his business at 1603 Euclid Ave. in 1967. "Back then, there were a lot more smaller machines," whereas customers now are more likely to purchase big motorcycles like the fully-decked Honda Gold Wing, which retails for about $18,000, Garvis said. New motorcycles can still be bought, though, for as little as $3,000.
Garvis said his motorcycle sales are "up dramatically over the last three or four years," although he now sells even more off-road, all-terrain vehicles that are not classified as motorcycles.
Although some Iowans ride motorcycles to work, most use them in their free time, which is probably a reason for the decline in ownership, said Jane Hornung of Hornung Cycle Center in Hubbard. She and her husband, Gary, opened their store, which includes a small motorcycle museum, in 1979.
"There are so many other things out there after the entertainment dollar - golfing, boating - the list is endless," Hornung said. "They just can't do everything."
The reduction in ownership is a key reason why the number of motorcycle crashes has fallen sharply in Iowa, said Scott Falb, a safety planner for the Iowa Department of Transportation.
In 1983, Iowa had 54 motorcycle fatalities and 2,079 injuries. In 2000, there were 32 motorcycle deaths and 771 injuries, state records show.
Iowa law doesn't require riders to wear helmets, and 85 percent of all people killed while riding motorcycles in Iowa over the past five years were not using helmets, according to the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau. The mandatory helmet issue once provoked heated debates among policy-makers, but the Iowa Legislature is no longer seriously considering it.
