It should go without saying that this isn’t exactly the best time for motorcycle sales. The COVID-19 pandemic has many people around the world out of work and shelter-in-place orders have many riders grounded and unable to hit the road and enjoy riding season. While there isn’t much to be done about getting back on the roads right away, many motorcycle sellers are changing their approach to better cater to riders during these strange times.
With popular motorcycle manufacturers such as Harley-Davidson, Ducati and BMW suffering from stutters in their production due to partial or complete shutdowns, they’re looking for new ways to still turn a profit despite the pandemic. With many manufacturers and dealers now offering deals and discounts online, as well as shop-at-home programs that will allow potential buyers to peruse product offerings from the comfort of their quarantine.
Other offerings include Harley-Davidson offering an Electronic Vehicle Incentive up to $2,500 on their new LiveWire electric motorcycle. Harley has also rolled out home delivery services to ensure that potential buyers will not even need to leave their homes to purchase a new bike, should they choose to.
Yamaha has followed suit as well, allowing motorcycle purchases to be made completely remotely and will work with their dealer network to deliver the product directly to their consumers. Additionally, BMW has sought to boost their sales despite the pandemic by offering incentive programs on certain 2019 models, though they have yet to start pushing remote purchases and home delivery.
With the motorcycle market already an incredibly unstable and turbulent environment, it makes sense that different manufacturers and dealers would be searching for ways to ensure stable sales through the pandemic. However, the question remains as to whether or not this new supply of offerings and accommodations will even serve to meet a demand.
Given that many riders are confined to shelter-in-place by government order and mass layoffs across the country during this pandemic mean people that were once potential motorcycle buyers may need to focus their financials elsewhere, now does not seem to be the most ideal time to purchase a motorcycle. However, rest assured if you absolutely need to buy a bike during this pandemic, there are plenty of services and incentives available to make it a little easier.
For more relevant news and articles for motorcycle enthusiasts, please check out the Current News for Riders page on hupy.com.
