| If you want to know what's going to happen in the | | | | industries will grow. Productivity gains are more difficult |
| economy, business and investment markets, look at | | | | to produce in those kinds of businesses than in |
| population trends or demographics. If we can't see the | | | | production and technology. So what should we do? |
| very long term coming, at least we can observe how | | | | Pay down debt and save. Easier said than done. You |
| people are changing their way to spend money. The | | | | don't want to make long-term payments on assets |
| biggest years for births in the baby-boom generation | | | | whose values are declining with time. |
| were 1957 to 1961. | | | | Cash becomes king in a deflationary period. The |
| Spending on motorcycles seems to peak at age 45. | | | | paradox: the longer we wait, more we will be able to |
| Harley-Davidson started to flatten out in 2006 and | | | | buy. So, what about our motorcycle industry? Hard |
| declined last year. Now we are all concerned about | | | | core bikers will continue to ride. Bikers who are also art |
| the future. The United States looks a lot like Japan and | | | | lovers will still want a "state-of-the-art" custom |
| Japan has been declining for the past 14 years. That | | | | motorcycle. And between these 2 groups? No room |
| means deflation. And if you look at Japan's economy | | | | for motorcycle fads and "fashionistas" on 2 wheels. |
| you see a decline in prices, in value of assets and | | | | Discretionary money just evaporated. It's really the |
| erosion of the buying power of wages. | | | | way I see it for a long, long time... |
| As baby boomers move into retirement, service | | | | |