Pandemic Didn’t Diminish Motorcycle Sales In 2020

IRVINE, CA – The COVID-19 pandemic turned lives upside down in 2020, but what it didn’t do was have a negative impact on motorcycle sales in the United States. Just the opposite. Motorcycle and scooter sales rose 11.4 percent. Indeed the broader power sports industry saw its sales increase 18.4 percent.

While sales of on-highway motorcycles were comparable to 2019, sales of off-road models were up a whopping 46.5 percent year-to-year, according to a Retail Sales Report issued recently by the Motorcycle Industry Council.

“Overall, the industry had a good year under difficult circumstances,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the MIC, a non-profit industry organization that dates back to 1914. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced all of us to be nimble and to make the changes we needed to survive. In the end, many in the industry saw strong growth, and now our opportunity is to keep all of these new riders riding and to inspire even more people to join us on two, three, and four wheels.”

The on-highway category included cruisers, sport bikes, dual-purpose models and scooters. The off-road segment included dirt bikes, trail bikes, competition models and other motorized two-wheelers not designed for use on public roads.

ATV Sales Also Up In 2020

The MIC also reported that sales of ATVs in 2020 jumped 33.8 percent over 2019.

“We are happy to see that more people are getting the chance to enjoy the outdoors and find new adventures with motorcycles,” Pritchard said. “As many riders know, motorcycles and scooters are not only fun, efficient ways to commute, they open up many recreational opportunities.”

The MIC’s Retail Sales Report tracks sales trends by gathering new motorcycle, scooter and ATV retails sales from 14 manufacturers and distributors in the U.S.

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Since 2010, RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland has been reporting about motorcycling in New England and portions of New York.