What has been heard more frequently from the bicycle industry, from which the booming e-bike business in particular benefited, also applies to the motorcycle industry: The Corona Year 2020 helped the motorcycle industry to unimagined heights.
Actually, this is not understandable. Why is the motorcycle industry booming because of Corona? Many who wanted to avoid public transport switched to bicycles and thus to "contactless" passenger transport. From this point of view, buying a motorcycle at the time of the Corona pandemic is just as obvious. But the intensity of the buying frenzy is now a bit surprising. After the celebration follows the hangover. According to this motto, the bicycle and motorcycle industry will have to bake smaller rolls in 2021, because the manufacturers and importers simply cannot deliver, there is too little product. The big brands in particular are currently unable to satisfy demand. Incidentally, this is the case internationally, as the comparison between Germany and Switzerland shows. 2020 has led to massive increases in sales, after years before a slump or decline punished the industry.
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
23341 | 27306 | 26391 | 26942 | 24544 | 24254 | 29450 |
+ 16% | – 4% | + 2% | – 9% | – 0.2% | + 21% |
Source: Motosuisse
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
96823 | 102238 | 117587 | 100877 | 108296 | 113039 | 132126 |
+ 5% | + 15% | – 15% | + 7% | + 4% | + 17% |
Source: IVM - Industrie-Verband Motorrad Deutschland e.v.
Winners and losers
As always, there are winners and losers. There are brands that have made massive gains, but also those that have lost further sales and market share. But even among the losers, it must be remembered that the decline might have been even more pronounced without Corona. Kawasaki takes the cake. The brand surpasses the 4000 mark for the first time, gaining over 73% in sales. This puts the brand in second place behind Yamaha for the first time. The Z 650 and Z 900 models in particular, which sold around twice as many as in 2019, contribute to the good result. Above all, Kawasaki's Z series and its strong sales are responsible for the brand's top result. In addition, Yamaha, KTM, Triumph and Indian are among Corona's big winners. Why Honda and Moto-Guzzi hardly show any changes?
Harley-Davidson steadily less, what's going on?
Have people lost their desire for the great freedom à la Harley? The brand is constantly losing sales. How does Harley intend to stop this? The cult brand doesn't seem to be scoring with the electric concepts, and maintaining the existing might not be enough. Above all, the competition has also become stronger, especially Triumph has caught up mightily and is giving the Americans a hard time.
Victory soon non-existent
With two units sold, the 2020 brand is practically no longer on the market. What led to the decline? The thing is, the American group Polaris stopped production anno 2017, after never getting out of the red for five years. Victory is indeed history.
2021 is expected to be another modest year or normal year. If you can't meet demand because you can't deliver the products you want, sales can't be good either. But 2022 could be another strong year if the global supply chains work again and demand remains high.
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2 thoughts on “Corona steigert Absatz der Motorräder massiv”
Good to know that Yamaha are the best selling motorcycles during the pandemic. My uncle wants to buy a new motorcycle. He will pay attention to the trend during the pandemic and buy a new Yamaha motorcycle.
I want to buy a motorcycle. It's good to know that Corona has increased motorcycle sales enormously. It's nice that not all industries have suffered from the crisis.