If you’re a baby boomer, think back for a few moments to recall the first motorcycle dealership you visited during your formative years as a motorcyclist. Whether big or small, those 1960s dealerships served as gateways for many first-time buyers who reveled in the free sales brochures that the salesman passed along to each potential buyer, because the next step was to do just that — purchase a brand-spanking new motorcycle!
Those colorful sales brochures came in many sizes, too, ranging from pocket size up to the manufacturer’s current sales promotion that appeared as insert ads in motorcycle magazines. Many brochures were large enough for hanging on your garage or bedroom wall!
You also might have used a brochure of your particular bike model, as I did with my 1965 Honda Super 90 for a little restyling. At the time, I was still earning money to buy the bike (and obtain my first driver’s license), so in the interim, I wondered how the S90 would look with a low (read: road racing) handlebar. So I carefully erased the spot on the poster where the engineer originally placed the throttle grip. I then carefully drew in a “new” throttle. Once completed, I studied (read: daydreamed) about that bike and its soon-to-be racy stance.
Quite often, the initial “sales pitch” was found on any brochure that might also show the entire range of models, including “your” particular model. Those and other in-store marketing tools came in all sorts and sizes, always with the intent to help sell the motorcycle. And if you looked too timid, a gregarious salesman might introduce himself before handing you your own sales brochure to take home with you!
With that said, I’ll leave with this: You’re not likely to encounter such social interactions on social media today. And you probably won’t take home a free brochure, either!
