America's motorcycle industry hit a wall during the Great Recession and never clambered back into the saddle. Sales slumped in 2008 as discretionary spending by maxed-out consumers took a hit. Between 2006 and 2010 the number of big-engined Harleys slumped by a half, says Kyle Stock on Bloomberg. But a structural change has prevented a rebound: "ageing riders [are hanging] up their leathers".
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