news ROOM
POWERSPORTS
INSIDERS
Piaggio sales and profits up , Vespa + 13 percent
Fast Bike Industries of Hendersonville , North Carolina , U . S . importer for Italian suspension specialist Andreani Group , has also take on the British made Nitron range of shock absorbers and front suspension cartridge kits . The company says it currently sells to over 170 powersports industry dealers nationally .
Motonation has announced it is now the exclusive North American distributor of Trilobite Premium Aramid Fashion in North America . Trilobite apparel is designed and developed by Biker ’ s Crown / Rusty Piston in the Czech Republic and has never before been distributed in the U . S . With the Heritage , Urban and Travel collections , advanced protective materials used include Dyneema , Cordura Denim and patented Trilobitex .
BRP announced the creation of a Powersports Group and a new senior management member with the appointment of Bertrand Thiébaut as Powersports President . The new group brings together the Ski-Doo , Lynx , Sea-Doo , Can-Am and Rotax product lines into a single operating unit . The Spyder and Evinrude lines will continue to be operated independently .
KTM is offering some $ 56,300 in contingency prize money for riders using 450 SX-F models in this year ’ s AFT Singles ( American Flat Track ) in the USA .
TCX Boots USA has posted contingency support to AFT Singles competitors for the 2018 season . The Italian-based company produces a wide range of motorcycle boots and has been a long-time supporter of AFT racers , including Harley-Davidson factory rider Sammy Halbert and Indian-mounted privateer Kenny Coolbeth . TCX ’ s contingency offering totals $ 10,000 .
In November last year , Yamaha WaterCraft Group built its millionth ‘ WaveRunner ’ PWC ( a VX Deluxe ) at the Georgia facility where it has been manufacturing them for 29 years .
Organised by Delicate Promotions , the FIM sanctioned AMA Land Speed Grand Championship returns to the Bonneville Speedway near Wendover , Utah , on Aug . 25-30 . Also known as the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials , the event features both American and international amateur land speed racing competitors vying for AMA and FIM records .
In the first quarter of 2018 the Piaggio Group reported an improvement in performance “ with significant progress on all the main earnings indicators and a reduction in debt ”. Total worldwide vehicle shipments of all kinds ( PTWs , commercial and industrial vehicles ) were + 7 percent ( 129,700 vehicles ). Group consolidated net sales totalled 312.3 million euro , an improvement of + 1 % (+ 6.7 percent when adjusted for exchange rate changes ). The industrial gross margin was 96.7 million euro , up by + 1.6 ; the return on net sales was 31 %. At
‘ 80,600 PTWs sold worldwide ’
31 March 2018 , the Piaggio Group posted profit before tax of 7 million euro , a strong increase from 2.5 million euro in the first quarter of 2017 ; net profit was 4 million euro ( up from 1,5 million ). In two-wheeler terms , Piaggio sold 80,600 two-wheelers worldwide ( 82,500 in Q1 2017 ), generating net sales of 210.1 million euro ( 218.9 million euro in the year-earlier period ). The figure includes spares and accessories of 29.5 million euro ). PTW sales were + 36.4 percent in India and + 11 in Asia Pacific , offsetting the -15.9 percent decline in EMEA and the Americas , which Piaggio says was largely due to the weather in Europe and the downturn in demand for 50cc vehicles . In Europe Piaggio says it again consolidated its leadership of the scooter market with a share of + 23.6 %; the company says it “ retained a particularly strong presence on the North American scooter market ” where its share reached 24.7 %, and that it is already taking action to strengthen its position in terms of motorcycle sales in the region . Piaggio says that the main highlight of its scooter sales “ was the excellent performance of the Vespa brand , which boosted worldwide sales by about + 13 %, with a particularly positive contribution from the Indian market , where sales volumes rose by more than + 70 %. “ In the Group motorcycle business , important results were achieved by the Aprilia brand , with a + 30.6 % increase in sales , and a notably positive response to the naked Tuono models and the SX 50 . Moto Guzzi turnover was assisted by the positive sales performance of the V7 models , with worldwide growth of approximately + 18 %. Commercial vehicle sales were + 26.7 percent at 49,200 units for net sales of 102.2 million euro (+ 13.3 %). In January Piaggio announced the opening of its 300th ‘ Motoplex ’ multi-brand store in Hong Kong . In February the company gave its new Aprilia SR 125 and Aprilia Storm 125 their debut in the Indian market . In March the Moody ’ s Investors Service rating agency announced that it had upgraded its Outlook for the Piaggio Group from “ stable ” to “ positive ”, and confirmed the company ' s B1 ratings . In April Standard & Poor ' s Global Ratings announced its upgrade of the Piaggio Group rating from “ B +” to “ BB- ” and
Piaggio has opened its 300th ‘ Motoplex ’ multi-brand store , in Hong Kong
confirmed its Outlook as “ stable ”. Also in April , Piaggio successfully completed placement of a seven-year 250- million-euro non-convertible ,
‘ ratings agencies upgrade Piaggio ’
unsecured senior bond ( paying annual interest of 3.625 %) to refinance bonds of the same amount maturing in 2021 . Piaggio has launched a partnership to market the Ape in Egypt - part of its plan to strengthen and expand its position on the fastest growing markets . With light commercial vehicle shipments of around 70,000 in 2017 , Egypt is the world ’ s second export market for three-wheeled vehicles ( after Nigeria ) with volumes rising + 50 % since 2010 .
S & P and Moody ’ s have upgraded Piaggio ’ s ratings and risk status
18 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - JUNE / JULY 2018