Fewer Motorcycles Sold As Hard Times Continue
By technical definitions, we are no longer in a recession. By the anecdotal definition of millions of people still out of work, that’s hogwash. The reality is demonstrated by the status of the motorcycle market.
A report in the Financial Times last week says that U.S. motorcycle sales were down by more than 14 percent in the third quarter of 2010, compared to 2009. That makes it the 15th consecutive quarter in which the numbers have declined.
An interesting–and logical–note in the article says sales are off more in the U.S., primarily because we buy them more for recreation, while people in other countries buy them for transportation. You’ve got to get to work but you can do without that toy for the moment.
And here’s something I didn’t know. “Some Japanese bike makers did not produce 2010 models.” They were apparently so backed up with leftover models from 2009 that they quit building them. I wish the article said who. This was definitely news to me.
Even if new bikes aren’t selling, you’d better believe those of us who have bikes continue to ride them. This is demonstrated by another statistic, the sale of motorcycle tires. The article says tire sales (or “tyre” sales, since this is a British publication) were up 7.7 percent January through September. And to the producers, that translates into the likelihood that “replacement demand is building” for bikes.
I don’t have any conclusions to bring to all this. It was just some information I found interesting and felt was worth passing along.
Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Stolen pink “For the Cure” Sportster recovered
Biker Quote for Today
Some people ride to enjoy life, some ride to travel, and some people ride to bars.
Tags: motorcycle sales
November 1st, 2010 at 2:34 pm
The Japanese bike maker who didn’t produce 2010 models (at least for US consumption) was Suzuki.