I sold bikes at a local dealership for a while recently. I heard the "behind the scenes" stuff here and there but you're not going to get "real dealer and industry insider feedback" as you call it. Your question is sort of... abstract. The people who can afford it are doing it. The people who are scared to ride aren't. Affordable sportbike insurance seems to be getting harder to get. We turned back a LOT of people who couldn't get insured. Also, the lending companies don't consider bikes a necessity, like cars. They look at them as a "luxury" item so you need better credit to get approved, whereas just about anyone with a pulse can get a car loan.
The economy is uncertain so maybe some bikes that usually can't stay on the floor are sitting around. The local shop I worked at has 2000 ZX-12's for $8,999!!!!!!! (of course Kawasaki is hurting BAD right now). The bike shops are a little desperate so it's a good time to buy if you have the dough.
We were behind an average of just over 70 bikes a month from the previous year. It's an uncertain economic environment... it'll return... no big deal.
The economy is uncertain so maybe some bikes that usually can't stay on the floor are sitting around. The local shop I worked at has 2000 ZX-12's for $8,999!!!!!!! (of course Kawasaki is hurting BAD right now). The bike shops are a little desperate so it's a good time to buy if you have the dough.
We were behind an average of just over 70 bikes a month from the previous year. It's an uncertain economic environment... it'll return... no big deal.
