New unit retail sales down nearly 16 percent in 2008
Due mainly to significant declines in off-road segments, new unit retail sales in the powersports industry declined by a double-digit percentage for the second straight year.
Retail sales charted by the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) declined nearly 16 percent in 2008 compared to the prior year, the MIC reported today. That data includes on- and off-road motorcycles, dual purpose bikes, ATVs and scooters. It does not include PWC, snowmobiles, ATVs sold by new entrant OEMs or UTVs.
ATV and off-road motorcycles both suffered off years, with ATV sales down 28.8 percent and off-highway bikes down 30 percent.
On-road motorcycles, the MIC’s largest segment, was down 5.6 percent compared to the previous year.
Bright spots included scooters, which finished up 41.5 percent from the prior year, and dual-purpose bikes, which were up 22.8 percent.
For more on the year-end numbers, see an upcoming edition of Powersports Business.
