COVID-19 blitzes European bike industry

The European motorcycle industry has called upon the European Commission extend the period in which dealers can legally sell Euro4-compliant products, as it weathers the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the ACEM, a peak representative body for the European motorcycle industry, registrations of new motorcycles and scooters dropped sharply in March and April while commercial activity has been "virtually paralysed", with dealerships in most European countries forced to close under strict lockdown regulations.

The pandemic has wiped out the strong seasonal sales European motorcycle dealers typically experience as the continent heads into spring and summer. It's also led to many dealers retaining excess stock of Euro4 models, which will soon become unsellable due to the introduction of Euro5.

The ACEM says total motorcycle registrations fell by 39.6 per cent in March in the five biggest markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK), while those markets fell by an astonishing 74.9% in April.

Some individual European nations saw new motorcycle registrations contact by between 84 to 96%, says the body.

Scooter too couldn't escape the turmoil. In the largest scooter markets (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain) new registrations fell by 37.9% in March (year on year) and 55.1% in April.

"With the progressive restart of activity, data for the next three months will give us a clearer overview of the final impact of the COVID-19 virus," said Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General.

"Nevertheless, it is already clear that 2020 will be a very difficult year for the sector, with extraordinary disruptions on the activity of manufacturers, dealerships and suppliers.

"ACEM and its members are working together with EU and national administrations to find a solution to the problem of hundreds of thousands of Euro4 vehicles excess stock.

"This will require reviewing relevant legislation to ensure that motorcycle dealerships across Europe can recover from the effect of the COVID-19 crisis as soon as possible."