Motorcycles rising in popularity in Galesburg
By David Kurian - Journalism 270
Motorcyclists have taken to Galesburg's streets in a big way over the past few years. Whether riding for the fuel savings, the low cost of ownership, the image, or just the sheer pleasure of riding, the city’s streets have been full of motorcyclists of every age and gender.Luke McVey, a sales representative at Nees Harley Davidson in Galesburg, said the area has seen a “huge rise” in the number of motorcyclists in the past few years. Doug Niles, co-owner of Speed Street Custom Builds in Galesburg, said, “The number of motorcyclists in Galesburg has probably doubled over the past few years.”
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the number of motorcycle registrations has increased by 45 percent over the past 7 years, from 198,444 registered motorcycles in 1999 to 287,892 in 2006.With the surge in the popularity of motorcycles, there are now thousands of new, inexperienced riders hitting the streets every year. With this in mind, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation created the Basic Rider Course, which is designed to provide beginning motorcyclists around the country with the information and training that they need to stay safe on the road. Joe Lindsay, the Motorcycle Program Coordinator for the Illinois Department of Transportation, runs the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s programs in Illinois. He said that the demand for the courses is extremely high – Illinois now has 60 training sites that run the Basic Rider Course every weekend from late March to early November every year. Lindsay said that the demand for the course is constantly growing – the program increased training by 103 percent from 1998-2007, including a 10 percent increase in training over the past year. Lindsay said that plans are in place to increase training by another 8 percent across the state by 2008. Galesburg’s Carl Sandburg College hosts the only Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course in the Galesburg area.
One of the factors that has led to the popularity of motorcycles is the rising cost of fuel. According to Haneghan, many Galesburg residents look to motorcycles as a fuel-efficient mode of transportation. Motorcycles have been a popular option for the fuel-conscious due to the fact that most motorcycles can be ridden forty to ninety miles per gallon of gasoline.Still, not all of Galesburg’s bikers ride simply for the fuel savings. Many, like Haneghan, ride simply for the fun of it. Haneghan, a long-time rider, likes to “take the scenic route” when he’s traveling on his motorcycle. He attends bike rallies, takes trips on his bike, and uses it as an everyday vehicle.
While motorcycles are often considered a male-dominated segment of transportation, an increasing number of women are taking to the streets on two wheels. According to McVey, a growing number of his Harley-Davidson customers are women buying their own motorcycles. Bob (who goes only by the name Bob), an employee at Chilly Willy’s Custom Cycle in south-east Galesburg also said that more women than ever before were riding and owning motorcycles. At a recent Basic Rider Course at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, four of the twelve participants in the course were female. Lindsay said that 35 percent of the participants in the Basic Rider Courses in Illinois are women.
There are a number of 60-plus year-old men and women actively riding motorcycles in Illinois. At the same Basic Rider Course at Carl Sandburg College there were two men over the age of 70 in attendance. Lindsay said, “we have had people over the age of eighty take the course – and some of them do quite well.”Galesburg is also a popular site for motorcycle-related businesses as well. Nees Harley Davidson, located on South Soangetaha Road, sells motorcycles, riding equipment, and Harley memorabilia. Speed Street Custom Builds, located on Grand Avenue, is a company that specializes in custom-built motorcycles. The company has won several awards and prizes for their bikes, but remains somewhat of an unknown in Galesburg. Robert Miller, a co-owner of the company, said that much of their business comes from the east coast. Chilly Willy’s Custom Cycle, on Knox Street, sells customizing kits for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and deals in parts and service as well.
The Galesburg Motorcycle Club, located 7 miles north of Galesburg, was founded in 1923. It has an award-winning “Short Track” racetrack, as well as a motocross track. The organization is a popular racing venue for motorcyclists living in western Illinois.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, 131 motorcyclists were killed in Illinois in 2006. Due to the dangerous nature of motorcycles, wearing helmets has long been considered one of the key elements to staying safe on two wheels. The Illinois Department of Transportation reported that only 37.6% of Illinois motorcyclists actually wear helmets. McVey said that only about half of the riders he sees in and around Galesburg wear helmets at all. “It’s a matter of personal preference,” he said.Larry Hunt, an instructor for the Basic Rider Course at Carl Sandburg College, said he stresses the importance of wearing a helmet when he talks to the participants in the courses he teaches. He said that he never rides without a helmet, and even when doing simple demonstrations for the class, he makes a point to wear his helmet and protective gear.
In 2006, Galesburg Mayor Gary C. Smith proclaimed May to be ‘Motorcycle Awareness Month’. Joe Haneghan said riding in Galesburg is “pretty safe” for motorcyclists, adding, “I just ride expecting no one to see me.” Bob, at Chilly Willy’s, said that whenever he’s riding his blue Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide, he constantly “has to watch out for the ‘cages’ [cars]”. Doug Niles, at Speed Street, said that, in the two years he’s been in Galesburg, he found that he likes the motorcycling community, and feels that it is a safe and fun place to own and ride a motorcycle.
