First-Quarter Motorcycle Sales Way Up

– Double-Digit Increases in Every Category –

IRVINE, Calif., May 13, 2021 – New-model motorcycle sales among leading brands increased more than 37.2 percent in the first quarter of 2021, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council Retail Sales Report. The Q1 sales, compared to the same period last year, were up by double digits in every category: on-highway, off-highway, dual-purpose, and scooter.

“This is the fourth straight quarter of strong sales numbers, indicating continued and growing interest in riding among new and returning riders,” said Erik Pritchard, MIC president and CEO. “Combine the new-motorcycle sales performance with the pace of tire sales and we know that more riders are putting on more miles. We hope that indicates that riding is becoming a larger part of consumers’ lives.”

The MIC Retail Sales Reporting System gathers new motorcycle and scooter retail sales data from 14 leading manufacturers and distributors in the U.S., providing a strong indicator of total sales trends.

Year-to-date sales of dual-purpose motorcycles were up the most, by 47 percent. Off-highway sales were up 45.4 percent. Scooter sales rose 34.6 percent. And on-highway motorcycle sales increased 31.4 percent.

“May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and we’re also glad to see continued strong interest in hands-on rider training,” Pritchard said. “The Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse and the MSF DirtBike School are great places to start if you are new to motorcycling. The DirtBike School is open to students age six and up. For more experienced riders, advanced courses are available. We encourage riders to continue with training and education whenever possible.”

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect, and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications, media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, data communications standards, and involvement in technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and retailers of motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, ROVs, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts, accessories, and related services, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies, and consultants.

The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914.

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