American Motorcycle Dealer 305 December 2024 AMD305 December 2024 | Page 18

The Motorcycle Industry Council in USA ( MIC ) is reporting that among leading brands , sales of new motorcycles and scooters decreased by -6.2 % through the third quarter of 2024 ( the period to September 30 , 2024 ), compared to the same period the previous year . ATVs decreased -3.7 % among leading brands . " Although all general categories - onhighway , off-highway , dual ( ADV ), and scooter - are down year-to-date compared to 2023 , there is good news within specific segments ," said Buckner Nesheim , MIC Director , Research and Statistics . Sport bike sales have spiked by + 22 % through Q3 and are currently at their highest levels since 2009 . And touring bikes have shown some resilience with a + 2 % increase so far this year . Onhighway vehicles have experienced the smallest decline with just a -1.40 % drop , essentially flat through September . Off-highway , down -16 %, and scooters , down -19 %, have seen the largest declines . " The motorcycle market has evolved since pandemic times , and we are seeing dynamic shifts across the segments . " While new bike sales for all of 2024 will likely be down compared to last year , sales volumes are still well ahead of where the industry was before the pandemic - which was a big boost to the industry as consumers flocked to dealerships to buy powersports products for outdoor and family recreation ," Nesheim said . " From 2017 through 2019 , we were averaging some 463,000 new units a

USA Q3 Units Sales

year among leading brands . Combining last year ' s sales and an estimate of 2024 sales , we ' ll likely still be well above the few years just before COVID ." Motorcycles and scooters accounted for 76.7 % of total new-unit sales through Q3 and ATVs represented 23.3 %.

The latest data from ACEM , the Brussels based international motorcycle industry trade association , shows motorcycle registrations running at + 1.3 % ( 874,004 units ) across the ' Big Five ' markets ( Italy , France , Spain , Germany and UK ) for the nine months to September 2024 . Motorcycle registration volumes increased in Spain ( 163,476 units , + 6.1 % year-on-year ) and in Italy ( 286,052 units , + 5.3 %) showing an upward trend , while a slowdown is noticed in France ( 164.387 units , - 2.2 %), in Germany ( 185,377 units , -2.7 %) and in UK ( 86,208 units , - 4.0 %). Moped registrations reached a total volume of 132,533 units in the six European moped markets monitored by ACEM ( Belgium , France , Germany , Italy , the Netherlands and Spain ). This registration volume represents a reduction of -14.5 % compared to the same period in 2023 ( 155,090 units ). The decline is widespread in all

monitored countries : Germany ( 12,368 units , -18.8 %), France ( 49,023 units -17.7 %), Netherlands ( 23,546 units , -14.9 %), Spain ( 10,709 , -17.5 %), Belgium ( 22,221 units , -8.6 %) and Italy ( 14,666 units , -4.2 %). Antonio Perlot , ACEM Secretary General , said : " The European motorcycle market was stable in the first nine months of 2024 , resulting from mixed performances at National levels . " Long term trends highlight record highs in Italy and Spain with motorcycles matching the best nine months performance in the last five years overall , while moped electric powered two-wheeler registrations shrink . " The last quarter of the year is usually slower in terms of volumes , but the

Antonio Perlot , ACEM Secretary General , said : " Long term trends highlight record highs in Italy and Spain , with motorcycles matching the best nine months performance in the last five years overall ."

EICMA and INTERMOT shows lead us into 2025 , bringing the spotlight onto manufacturers ' new vehicle lineups - something that always raises consumer interest ." www . acem . eu

Malcolm Smith ( 1941-2024 ), who many consider to be America ' s mostrenowned and best-loved motorcyclist , has died from complications of Parkinson ' s disease , which he battled for more than two decades . He was 83 . Smith passed away at home in Riverside , California on November 26 , peacefully and surrounded by family . He is survived by his wife Joyce , daughters Louise and Ashley , sons Joel and Alexander , granddaughters Evie , Adeline , Amelie , Miley and Claire , and grandsons Ethan , Malcolm and Conrad . During his 83 years , Smith did it all : Rider . Racer . ISDT gold medalist . Shop tech . Service manager . Repair shop owner . Aftermarket distributor . Retail store owner . Actor . Sponsor .

Philanthropist . Pro-motorcycling advocate . Husband . Father . Grandfather . Friend . And much more . But over and above all that , Malcolm Smith was everyman ' s motorcyclist , an enthusiastic , fun-loving , driven and talented example of what motorcycling could do and be for the everyday enthusiast , and how the sport could affect our lives in unimaginable ways . " Malcolm Smith embodied so much of what ' s good about motorcycle enthusiasts and the sport of motorcycling ," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman . " Not only did he excel in riding , racing and business , but Malcolm was also a great example of how to get the most out of motorcycling and give back and support our sport , which he did during much of his life - and always with a grin ." Funeral and memorial services are pending . In lieu of flowers , the family kindly requests donations to Malcolm ' s favorite charity , the Malcolm Smith Motorsports Foundation , which supports the children of Baja . More than decade ago , Malcolm Smith wrote these words for the final chapter of his acclaimed 2015 autobiography : " It all started for me on March 9 , 1941 , in a small rural hospital in the village of Ganges , on Salt Spring Island , British Columbia , Canada … " Where it will end , no one knows . But you can be sure I ' m going to enjoy every minute I have left , with a smile on my face , and my family nearby . Can ' t ask for more than that ."

You can ' t , and he didn ' t … and the world ' s motorcycling fans are better for it . Godspeed , Malcolm .

18 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - DECEMBER 2024 www . AMDmag . com