MIC reports Q3 sales dip, but some segments show strength
According to the Motorcycle Industry Council’s Ride Report, sales of new motorcycles and scooters decreased 6.2 percent through the third quarter of 2024, compared with the same period the previous year.
“Although all general categories – on-highway, off-highway, dual, and scooter – are down year-to-date compared with 2023, there is good news within specific segments,” says Buckner Nesheim, MIC director of research and statistics. “Sportbike sales have spiked through Q3 and are at their highest levels since 2009. While touring bikes have shown some resilience, with a small increase this year. On-highway vehicles have experienced the smallest decline, essentially flat through September. Off-highway and scooters have seen the largest declines. The motorcycle market has evolved since the pandemic, and we are seeing dynamic shifts across the segments.”
Nesheim says that new unit sales are still well ahead of where the industry was before the pandemic – when consumers flocked to dealerships to buy powersports products for outdoor and family recreation. “Combining last year’s sales and an estimate of 2024 sales, we’ll likely still be well above the few years just before Covid,” he adds.
The association also revealed that through Q3 2024, its latest MIC Tire Sales Report shows a healthy sales increase for motorcycle tires among leading brands compared to last year.
