NEW motorcycle sales across Europe have been hit hard by the global COVID-19 pandemic, with sales across the five largest motorcycle markets all slowing down.
Between January and June 2020, motorcycle registrations in the five largest European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK) reached 413,200 units, a drop of 17% when compared to the first six months of 2019.
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While the bigger picture looks somewhat bleak compared to 2019, drilling down into the data does at least show some improvement within 2020 alone. The first four months of 2020 saw European markets fall on average 32% thanks to COVID-19 closing many dealerships and preventing riders from window shopping for bikes. With the last four months of 2020, April to August, fairing much better.
Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said:
“Motorcycle and moped registration volumes remain considerably below 2019 levels, due to the impact of Spring lockdown measures. The partial rebounding of the market since the restart of activities shows that consumers consider our vehicles as excellent mobility and leisure options, in the current context”.
“Nevertheless, it is still early to draw any meaningful conclusions about the short-term evolution of the market and operations within the sector, especially given the unforeseeable evolution of COVID-19. The second half of the year will be crucial - the fact remains that a large number of dealers across Europe, in particular in most hit markets, still experience considerable financial pressure. They also face the challenge of handling excess inventory of Euro 4 models which, should there be no decisive action from the EU institutions, will become unsellable due to regulatory changes”.
“This is why the motorcycle industry in Europe renews its call on policy-makers to support OEMs, dealerships, and suppliers in these difficult times, through an extension of the deadline to sell Euro 4 vehicles, and targeted financial measures at national level”.
