Press

The Pied Piper Management Company LLC released today the results from its annual industry bench-marking study that measures how effectively U.S. motorcycle dealerships transition a shopper into a customer.

The study—in its 11th-straight year—measures the treatment of shoppers who visit the dealerships, tying in mystery shoppers and dealership sales success.

BMW motorcycle dealerships claimed first place in the 2017 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Benchmarking Study. Finishing second was Harley-Davidson, with Indian Motorcycle (Polaris Industry owned) and Ducati North America (Audi AG owned) tied in third.

Pied Piper says five years ago, BMW dealerships were below the industry average. But BMW Motorrad USA improved its score every year by offering new initiatives. For example, compared to five years ago, BMW dealers in 2017 were 50% more likely to mention test rides, were 60% more likely to encourage going through the numbers or writing up a deal, and were 30% more likely to ask for contact information to allow follow-up, Pied Piper reports.

Brands showing the greatest overall improvement over the past year were Husqvarna, BMW, Triumph and Yamaha. Brands with declines from 2016 to 2017 were Ducati, Aprilia, Zero and dealerships selling the Polaris Slingshot. Eleven of 16 brands improved, which generated an industry average PSI score of 110, a one-point increase from 2016, and the highest score Pied Piper has measured for an annual motorcycle industry study, Pied Piper says.