Trendspotting: Moto Rising

By Angie Argabrite, Wednesday, December 21, 2011, at 9:01 am.

This season we’re seeing motorcycle culture penetrate more arenas than we can keep track of—on TV, “Sons of Anarchy” is riding high; the spring and summer 2012 runways for Derek Lam and Alexander Wang featured biker fashion (models for Wang carried floral helmets); busy independent bike shows like Born Free and the Brooklyn Invitational flourish; and such high-profile personalities as Jesse James (natch), Ewan McGregor and even Prince Harry are hitting the road. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis’ middle daughter, Scout, who recently attended her sister Tallulah’s debut at a high-society debutante ball in Paris, revealed her free-wheelin’ heart (and derriere) in an online spot for a fashion site. The sport’s tough, loud, leather-clad, anti-establishment aesthetic lends itself to marketing campaigns for all sorts of rough-and-tumble active lifestyle brands, appealing to both non-riders and serious enthusiasts. Most recently, camping-gear maker Poler (whose product is billed as camping stuff specifically for folks headed out on a road trip) has touted a moto vibe, and longstanding motorcycle culture bible DicE Magazine has benefited from a hip new readership. All this renewed attention is inevitably fueling bike sales; Harley showed a 13 percent revenue increase this past quarter. Marketers might want to saddle up and ride—at least figuratively.