With 2013 in the rearview mirror, we can see that it was a year of mild contrasts inthe pre-owned wholesale market. Almost all product categories followed a normal seasonal wholesale price curve, yet several categories exhibited lower average wholesale pricing than 2012. ATV values were fairly consistent compared to 2012, while sport bikes had a softer summer and fall than the last few years.
Both domestic and metric cruisers had softer performance than 2012, with metric cruiser values softening in early summer after this year’s cold, wet spring, and domestic cruiser values softening in October with the launch of 2014 Rushmore bikes.
As 2014 drew closer, dealers began buying with new confidence, with December’s strong performance providing a glimpse into powersports dealers’ expectations for 2014. Wholesale values for seven out of the nine major product categories that make up the pre-owned wholesale market were up in December over the average of the three months prior.
This is similar to the upswing in December of 2012 as dealers optimistically approached 2013. Yet, December 2013
outperformed December 2012 in all categories except the cruiser and sport categories. This suggests confidence this spring season will be more temperate despite the harsh winter so far, as well as confidence that consumer optimism and strengthening pre-owned retail financing programs will encourage retail sales.
We expect 2014 seasonality to follow normal curves, with wholesale values rising another 5-10 percent across various categories into April, then declining somewhat in the summer months as retail demand wanes. We do not expect the same degree of softness however, provided that this coming spring’s weather is more moderate and economic conditions hold steady. 2014 should be a good year for the powersports industry.
All data provided for this column is copyrighted by National Powersport Auctions (NPA). For more information, please visit www.npauctions.com or call 888-292-5339.
MPN has partnered with NPA to provide our readers with a monthly recap of pre-owned wholesale powersport sale results. National Powersport Auctions is the largest provider of pre-owned vehicles, selling approximately 5,000 each month.
