NMDA ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AND REVAMPED DEALER ATTITUDE SURVEY

“The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) is pleased to announce the release of the latest edition of our Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS). The survey provides a comprehensive overview of the motorcycle retail sector’s satisfaction levels in key business areas that affect the relationship with their respective manufacturers. We are excited to have also joined forces with a data analytics company, Metryx, to provide a new and refreshed look for the report, providing an easier, more accessible read” said Symon Cook, Head of the NMDA which represents Power Two-Wheeler Retailers across the UK.

The Spring 2023 edition of the NMDA DAS attracted a response rate of 29%, a slight 3% fall from the Autumn 2022 edition of the survey six months ago.

Overall franchise value

The Survey revealed satisfaction levels with the value of holding their franchise averaged 6.3 points out of 10. Compared with Spring 2022 this latest edition records a +0.3 increase; yet saw a drop of 1.2 relative to Autumn 2022’s score.

• Triumph (9.5), BMW (8.8), and Royal Enfield (8.6) were the three highest-rated franchises.
• Piaggio (2.9), Ducati (3.6), and Harley Davidson (5.4) received the three lowest ratings.

Profit return

When asked “How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the profit return representing your franchise?”, dealers recorded an average score of 2.9 points out of 5. This represents a decrease of 0.4 compared to 6 months ago and returns to the same level recorded a year ago in the Spring 2022 edition.

• The top three performers were Triumph (4), Kawasaki (3.7), and Royal Enfield (3.6).
• The lowest performers were Piaggio and Yamaha (2.7).

Ability to do business with manufacturers

When asked about dealers' ability to easily conduct business with manufacturers on a day-to-day basis, the average score was 3. 3. This indicates an increase in Year-on-year of +0.2; however has fallen -0.4 when compared to Autumn 2022’s edition.

• Triumph (4.6) record the highest scores with Kawasaki and BMW (4.2) both recording the second highest.
• Piaggio (1.9), Ducati (2.1), and Honda (2.8) recorded the lowest scores.

Dealer standards expected by manufacturers

The average score in response to the dealer standards expected by their respective manufacturer was 3.1, a fall of 0.3 compared to Autumn 2022’s result; there was no change with Spring 2022’s result for this question.

• Triumph (4.1), BMW (4.0), and Suzuki (3.9) have the three highest scores.
• Piaggio (1.9), Ducati (2.0), and Yamaha (2.3) gave the three lowest scores.

Electric Power Two Wheeler future and current product offering

NMDA introduced questions relating to the transition towards the electrification of the market and the influx of electric Power Two Wheelers (ePTWs).

Dealers were asked to score the electric products currently offered by manufacturers, which received an average of 2.3 out of 5.

• KTM led with a score of 3.3 and both BMW and Suzuki followed with 2.8.
• Ducati (1.9), Harley Davidson (2.0) and Piaggio (2.1) recorded the lowest.

When asked to score their EV/Plug-in product for the next two years, dealers also returned an average of 2.3 out of 5.

• Royal Enfield (3.3), and both BMW and Kawasaki (3.0) were the most optimistic.
• Ducati (1.2), Suzuki (1.9) and Piaggio (2.1) were the least optimistic.

Symon Cook continued: “With the motorcycle market undergoing continuous transformation it is positive to see that motorcycle manufacturers and retailers are continuing to operate and adapt effectively. The challenging financial climate has affected both supply and demand noticeably in the motorcycle market, however, it is positive to see average used motorcycles sold being at an 8-edition high at 321 per site sold.

We are still seeing continued supply troubles that have impeded the availability of stock for motorcycle showrooms due to the semi-conductor shortage that dealers are still battling against.  This may reflect a slight reduction in the scores representing the relationship between dealers and manufacturers for this edition in comparison to the autumn edition six months prior.

Yet, when analysing the data year on year, the dealer-manufacturer relationships have remained similar or have improved, reinforcing that the bike sector remains robust and is on a positive trajectory yearly. It is vital that manufacturers and retailers continue to work in a mutually beneficial way and use the survey responses as a mechanism to see which areas may need improvement.”

The Dealer Attitude Survey continues to serve as a vital tool for the motorcycle industry, providing invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by dealerships, as well as shedding light on the overall health of the sector.

Find the full NMDA Dealer Attitude Survey Spring 2023 HERE