Now that's a really interesting chart, and it pretty much confirms was said a couple of pages earlier - there's been a bubble. Remove the bubble and you see a growth rate almost too steady to believe.
Meriden, I'd bet on Baby Boomers (i.e. me). The bubble corresponds with the period at which I began to notice, in my camping travels, herds of doctors and dentists on chromed out Harleys, wearing doo rags and having foregone shaving and haircuts long enough that they hoped to pass themselves off as the rebels of their youth. The first wave of Boomers (about 1946 to '50) are already retired, and have either given up riding or at least have bought their last new bike and are nursing it until they trade it for a Can Am or a Miata.
I can relate. At 66, I'm losing upper body strength, so I know I can't ride forever. The VStrom is probably my last bike. In my case, so sad for motorcycle dealerships, but in a few years, I'll probably make some Fiat dealer happy when I drive off his lot with a brand new 124 Spyder.
If somebody is smart enough to capitalize on it, there may be a coming bubble in the sporty two-seaters that went out of fashion as we Boomers grew up and became (ugh) responsible. Now we're irresponsible empty-nesters and those who don't ride may go looking for the new generation of what used to be highly affordable MGBs, Triumph Spitfires, and Carmen Ghias. That's probably why the Fiat 124 name has been brought back, even though it's really a one-off of a Miata.
And beyond that, there may be some high-powered, chromed-out mobility chairs on the horizon.