The MIC reports Q2 new-model motorcycle sales among leading brands were +15.2% in USA. Compared to the year-ago period, YTD sales of on-highway models were +25.2%; dual sport models +16.7%; scooters +8.3%. Only off-highway sales dipped slightly through Q2, by -3.2%.
Polaris has announced a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.63 per share payable on September 15, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 1, 2021.
The eight AMA Hall of Fame inductees for 2021 are Dave Arnold, Nancy Davidson, Gary Denton, Tommy Hays, Loretta Lynn, Scott Plessinger, Kenny Tolbert and Ryan Villopoto. "The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2021 includes men and women who have excelled in competition, promotion and advocacy of the sport we all love," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "They have advanced motorcycling in areas as diverse as amateur motocross to American V-twin culture." They will be recognized at the annual Hall of Fame dinner (October) located on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio.
In addition to acknowledging that it will eventually adopt common-platform swappable batteries with rivals Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki, Yamaha has stated that while it only expects 2.6% of bikes to be electric by 2030, it projects a rapid increase after that, reaching 20% by 2035 and 90% adoption by 2050, with low-carbon technologies like synthetic fuel accounting for much of the remaining combustion-engined market at that stage.
In another win for the powersports industry in the battle against tariffs, the Office of the United States Trade Representative decided in July not to impose additional trade restrictions on Vietnam, where small displacement motorcycles, riding gear and accessories are produced.
New motorcycle registrations in Italy were down by -5.95% in July (ANCMA) at 14,209 units, but were still running at +40.43% (88,776 units) for the first seven months of 2021. That is around 25k units ahead of the same period of 2020, and the best market performance in Italy for the first seven months of the year since before the 2007/2009 financial crisis. Total new PTW registrations in Italy for the period (all Powered Two-Wheeler vehicles) were +38.74% (199,582 units).
According to JAMA, exports of new <+250 cc motorcycles to the United States from the domestic Japanese 'Big Four' brand factories were up in June 2021 at 5,437 units for the month and were running at +98.66% for the YTD at 36,009 units - higher than the same period of 2020 and 2019 but lower than 2018 and prior years. First half-year Japanese made motorcycle exports to USA peaked in 2006 at 216,725 units. Exports to Europe were also up in June at 12,579 units and were running at +39.77% YTD (106,824 units). Global motorcycle exports from the domestic Japanese factories were +46.08% YTD at 178,439 units and +51.71% in total PTW (Powered Two-Wheeler) terms at 222,803 units.
New motorcycle registrations in the UK were down by -11.74% in July (MCAI) at 11,556 units, but were still running at +21.04% (65,961 units) for the first seven months of 2021. That is around 10k units ahead of the same period of 2020, but modestly up on the same period in 2019 - the best first seven-month market performance achieved in the UK since before the 2007/2009 financial crisis was the 71,623 new units registered YTD in 2016. Total new PTW registrations in the UK for the period (all Powered Two-Wheeler vehicles) were +21.00% (69,944 units).
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter.com