Motorcycle sales in the United States have had a tumultuous year so far, starting Q1 off with a 9% sales decline from 2019. That figure didn’t tell the whole story though, as not all segments were reacting similarly to the coronavirus lockdown.
While street bike sales were down 23%, off-road bikes were up an astounding 30% (dual-sport sales split the difference, and were down 5% for the first quarter).
That dichotomy has continued onward as 2020 marched on, with the MIC now reporting that dirt bike sales continued to impress this year with a 50.3% gain, when tallying the first six months of the year.
Similarly, dual-sport sales are up 20.9% for the first-half of 2020, continuing the trend towards off-road fun. However, we see that on-road two-wheelers haven’t seen quite the same success, as street bike sales dipped by 9.6% (scooter sales rose by 4%, however).
Considering the start that the on-road segments had for Q1, these first-half numbers tell a story of a strong recovery in Q2 for street bikes and scooters.
With all the segments combined, the motorcycle industry in the United States is up 6.4% for the first six months of 2020, which could lead to a strong final year tally and the first industry gain since 2015.
Talking to US dealers, the rise in motorcycle sales can be attributed, at least in part, to the coronavirus stimulus package released by the US government, which injected $3 trillion into the US economy.
With direct payments made to tax payers, it would seem that some of those cheques went straight from the mailbox and into the hands of the local motorcycle dealerships.
While the news bodes well for the overall state for the motorcycle industry, these numbers necessitate some interesting conversations about how motorcyclists view different dirt bikes and street bikes.
Source: MIC
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