USA First Quarter Sales Of Motorcycles Are Down 0.2%. Blaming The Weather. The Motorcycle Industry Council states that 1st quarter sales are unchanged versus same period of 2013. A very harsh winter seems to have affected the motorcycle industry as it has affected other businesses. The market segments who have progressed dual sport (+3.9%), highway motorcycles (+0.9%), ATV (+0.5%) Those declining the lost are Scooters (-10.7%), off-highway (-2.7%)
US Motorcycle Deaths Declined In 2013. Year 2013 is the second year since 1997 that fatal bike crashes have declined. The final fatality total to be published soon by the GHSA (The Governors Highway Safety Association) is expected to be 4,610, down from 4,957 in 2012 and nearly identical to the 2011 figure of 4,612. The GHSA collects statistics directly from the state safety officers who make up its membership. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said motorcycle deaths accounted for 15 percent of highway fatalities in 2011, though motorcycles amount to just 3 percent of vehicle registrations. NHTSA said injuries from motorcycle crashes increased to 93,000 in 2012 from 81,000 in 2011. Motorcyclists are more than 26 times as likely to die in a crash as occupants of cars, and five times as likely to be injured, NHTSA said. Alcohol is a bigger factor in motorcycle crashes than it is for cars, with 27 percent of riders intoxicated, compared with 23 percent of drivers. Motorcyclists killed at night are three times as likely than other drivers to have been drunk, NHTSA said. The use of helmets dropped to 60 percent in 2012 from 66 percent in 2011. The District of Columbia and 19 states require helmets for all riders. Thirty-one states have repealed such laws, though some require helmets for younger riders.
BMW Motorrad Sales Reached An All-Time Record During 1st Quarter Of 2014. BMW sold a total of 28,719 units (previous year was 24,732 units) making for an increase in sales of 16.1 percent. BMW supplied 15,183 motorcycles and maxi scooters (previous year: 13,067 units) to customers worldwide in March. With an increase of 16.2 percent as compared to the previous March, the best monthly sales performance in the history of the company. The strongest individual markets for BMW Motorrad continues to be Germany, followed by the U.S., France, Italy, Brazil and Spain.
Minnesota Senate Approves Veterans Motorcycle Plate. Few US states offer the option to get a personalized motorcycle license plate. The Minnesota Senate just approved a bill to create a license plate for wounded soldiers which will be a shrinked version of the one car owners can get. A new plate for volunteer firefighters will also be created but a plate for motorcycle safety — “Start Seeing Motorcycles” — was voted down. Why?
“Motorcyclists are more than 26 times as likely to die in a crash as occupants of cars, and five times as likely to be injured.”
This statement from above explains why the bottom feeding lawyers are hanging around motorcycle rally’s hope to get a client, dead or alive!
@rodent I was T-boned by an 82 yr old man in a 83 Chevy 3/4 ton Pickup and now suffer from multiple Injuries including a Traumatic Brain Injury. I’ve always been able to fight my own battles and I thought I could fight the Hartford Insurance co on my own. I was wrong. After nearly two years of struggle The Insurance Adjuster stated “We Feel This Accident Was Your Fault”. That left me no option but to call a professional. Fighting Insurance Companies is not for Amatures. The Insurance Adjusters job is to pay as little as possible if any. The ONLY way to force them to pay is with the Law and I am not a Lawyer.
Hockey-Pucker,
You tried and then called a lawyer, you didn’t signup in advance in case you got into a wreck. These guys want to sign you up before you wreck and then refer you to a associate for a piece of the action.