This year’s Motorcycle Trade Expo in the UK (January 14-16) was another success for organisers Mayo Media – the publishers of leading motorcycle industry trade journal British Dealer News.
Europe's biggest motorcycle trade only show, this was the 24th year for the show, and the Stoneleigh Park, Coventry venue, in the geographic centre of England, continues to serve the event well with a strong attendance drawn from all quarters of the country.
As usual, the strong turnout of exhibitors from the UK – most of the British market’s major players were there – was added to by a burgeoning number of exhibitors and brands from elsewhere in Europe.
Backed up by a popular industry awards programme and dealer seminar sessions, the show beat expectations in a market where the growth in new registrations has stalled and done so to a greater extent than can be expected from factors such as the Euro 3/Euro 4 registration effects alone.
The nature of the once sports bike dominated UK market continues to morph, with naked style bikes and adventure tourers becoming ever more dominant, alongside a healthy custom bike scene.
Some fear that there is still oversupply in the UK market, as elsewhere, especially in the apparel and helmet markets where price-points appear to be being driven ever lower.
But Motorcycle Trade Expo showed that the “hard miles” are still being ridden in the UK with a strong contingent of service items, workshop equipment and performance vendors alongside several new and emerging motorcycle brand franchise opportunities, especially in the light and middleweight sectors, demonstrating that the industry is continuing to adjust to the riding needs and price-points of new generations of riders.
