Unlike in many years past, where spring tended to see virtually all segments rise somewhat in unison, this year the cruisers and street bikes are leading the way, with the rest of the segments up by varyingly smaller amounts.

So far, 2020 is shaping up to be a generally positive year, but the market is struggling to “take off” at the moment. One observation that we have noted over the decades is that election years tend to have a slightly chilling effect on powersports sales, and it is starting to look like that pattern may be repeating itself again this year.

“With the impending arrival of spring this month, the powersports market is entering its most active time of the year. Prices at the wholesale auctions are up nearly across the board, but by significantly different amounts depending on the individual segment,” said Scott Yarbrough, senior analyst of motorcycle and powersports at Black Book.

In addition to the election potentially putting a bit of a damper on things this year, the coronavirus appears likely to have significant negative economic consequences. With factories in China facing reduced output and global supply chains affected, an overall economic slowdown appears inevitable. The effects of all this on consumer confidence and how it affects the powersports market will need to be followed closely.

Link: Black Book