Latest NMDA Dealer Attitude Survey shows fall in satisfaction levels

“It is disappointing to see that motorcycle and scooter dealers’ average satisfaction levels with their respective manufacturers have fallen across the board”, said Stephen Latham, interim head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) commenting on the results of the latest, recently-published NMDA Spring 2022 Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS).

The NMDA DAS provides an overview of Power-Two-Wheelers (PTW) dealers’ satisfaction levels with key business issues affecting the relationship with their manufacturers. The survey attracted an improved response rate of 27 per cent.

Overall franchise value

The Spring 2022 edition of the NMDA Dealer Attitude Survey revealed satisfaction levels with the value of holding their franchise at 6.0 points out of 10, a 0.9 point decrease from the previous survey.

• Triumph (8.7), Kawasaki (8.6), and BMW (8.2) were the three highest-rated franchises.
• KTM (3.1), Piaggio (3.2), and Honda (5.4) received the lowest ratings.

Profit return

When asked “How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the profit return representing your franchise?” dealers recorded an average of 3.0 points out of 5. The top three manufacturers in this sector all experienced growth.

• The top three performers were BMW, Kawasaki and Triumph all sitting equally at 4.0 points.
• Piaggio was the lowest performer at 1.6 points with KTM, Yamaha and Honda following at 2.6 points.

Ability to do business with manufacturers

The average score in response to dealers’ ability to do business easily with their manufacturers on a day-to-day basis was 3.1. This represented a small decline from Autumn 2021’s 3.3.

• Kawasaki (4.6), Triumph (4.0), and BMW (3.8) received the three highest scores.
• Piaggio (1.6) and KTM (2.0) recorded the lowest scores.

Stephen Latham added: “The past few years have been challenging for the motorcycle industry and it is remarkable that the sector has remained buoyant, matching consumer demand.

“However, the NMDA Dealer Attitude Survey reveals that dealers would have liked to receive more support from their manufacturers through ongoing issues such as COVID-19, supply constraints and cost of living pressures.

“Another factor impacting PTW dealers’ satisfaction levels is the inconsistency of product availability, as this is detrimental to consumer demand.

“NMDA would like to thank survey respondents for their continued support, and we encourage manufacturers to embrace these results, identify and address particular issues which may be affecting their relationship with their dealership network.”