By Will Burgess

Roseau, Minn — In a message to dealer partners today, President of the Off-road Vehicles Division at Polaris, Inc (NYSE: PII), Steve Menneto, noted that new powersports customers are showing “growth from millennials, women riders, as well as Hispanic, and African American riders.”

Based on data from a Q1 2022 investor presentation, Polaris has welcomed 44% more millennials, 28% more women, 21% more Hispanic, and 7% more African American riders since 2016.
Additionally, for the first time ever, Millennial riders are overtaking the Baby Boomer demographic with a 30% rider share versus 27% for Boomers.

“In the first half of 2022, we welcomed over 70,000 new customers to the Polaris off-road vehicle family,” said Menneto.

Through partnership initiatives with the Battlefield video game franchise, and rider communities like Black Girls Ride Magazine & International Female Ride Day, Polaris expects to continue this momentum to welcome even more diversity and new rider demographics into powersports.

Some of the successes Polaris has shared have come from efforts to provide better accessibility to their vehicle lineup. Through focus research with women, Polaris has styled some of their street motorcycles with women riders in mind, configuring the vehicles to be lower and more ergonomic for shorter riders. Additionally, Polaris introduced an automatic transmission into their popular Slingshot series of three-wheel vehicles which opened the market to a newer, younger rider, as well as those with disabilities preventing them from shifting a manual vehicle.

BRP (NASDAQ: BRP) is another major recreational manufacturer that has also made a significant effort to reach more first-time and women riders by partnering with International Female Ride Day and Motoress.
Vehicles like the Can-Am Ryker, a low and sturdy three-wheel motorcycle, have contributed to increased ridership among women, in tandem with Can-Am’s efforts to bring more first-time riders to local motorcycle and three-wheel certification classes with BRP’s Rider Education Program.

In 2019, BRP stated that 30% of all Ryker owners are women and 42% are new riders, with 50% of students who enroll and participate in Rider Education courses representing as female.

Cover: Polaris revealed 2023 off-road models today. Included in this was this 2023 Polaris Sportsman 570 in Sage Green | credit: Polaris Off-road

Will Burgess is a journalist with Adrenaline Powersports Mag