My Car Check: exciting new motorcycles, but what about new bikers?

My Car Check Trade’s motorcycle expert, Rob Hobson, has added his analysis of the segment to the company’s 2016 forecasts of the car and light commercial vehicle markets. He praises manufacturers’ latest products, but questions the segment’s ability to attract new customers. He said: “Following a 12 per cent increase in new bike registrations last year, and a relatively strong used sector, most in the trade seem reasonably optimistic that the upward trend can continue.

“There are some very exciting new bikes in niche sectors but, while new sales may be up, there is real concern about the lack of new people entering the market.

“As in previous years, we received widely differing reports about showroom traffic over the festive season. Some dealers seem to really benefit from opening throughout the 10-day period, while others suggest it is not worth opening. If there was an average experience it was a quiet couple of weeks in mid-December followed by a welcome upturn in the days between Christmas and New Year.

“The used market has slowed in terms of overall demand, but values have remained relatively strong. Expect demand to pick up sharply as soon as the weather improves.

“Prime retail stock is still hard to find, with some looking to Europe for lower mileage clean used examples. In terms of profit opportunities, shouldn’t high value accessories be factored into sale prices? “