Research has shown that 95% of motorcycle owners also own other vehicles. With this in mind, technical automotive information provider, Autodata, suggests it may be time for garages to start looking towards servicing those two-wheelers as an extra revenue earner.
According to The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), there are over 1.25 million motorcycles registered in the UK today, with motorcycle sales rising by 11.7% in the last year. However, only 1% of UK workshops currently service and repair motorcycles.
With 95% of motorcycle owners also owning other vehicles (Department of Transport – National Travel Survey, 2015), a key opportunity for repeat custom is being missed by workshops that aren’t currently servicing motorbikes. The aftermarket tends to assume that most motorcycle owners want to, or even have the skill and knowledge to maintain their own motorcycles as they are easier to service and repair than other vehicles – a misconception, says Autodata.
With over 43 years of experience in providing the aftermarket with the technical data tools required, the company saw a great opportunity for workshops to extend their business value amongst customers who own both cars and motorcycles, as well as the chance for workshops to build new business relationships with motorcyclists who are also likely to own other types of vehicles.
The average cost of a standard motorcycle service is £120. If workshops were to service just one motorcycle per week, that would provide an additional annual revenue of £6,240. Minus the cost of investing in an accurate technical automotive data tool, servicing and repairing motorcycles could provide additional annual revenue of at least £5,150.
With that in mind, Autodata has released ‘Autodata for Motorcycles’, an automotive technical information application for workshops. Like the online workshop application for cars and light commercial vehicles, workshops that subscribe to Autodata for Motorcycles also benefit from easy access to the accurate and relevant information such as technical specifications, repair times, diagnostic trouble codes, and an estimate calculator to support technicians as they carry out servicing and repairs to motorcycles.
Max Lienard, Head of Product & Market Development at Autodata Group, says: “Many workshop owners feel they don’t have the technical knowledge to service or repair motorcycles – but the fundamentals are the same, and we now provide an easy-to-use workshop application to assist technicians with motorcycle diagnostics and repairs. Workshops can even combine our car and van technical data application with our new online motorcycle application to ensure that their workshop has the ability to service any vehicle.”
Autodata for Motorcycles is said to be the aftermarket’s first online technical data application for motorcycles, covering 8,000 models of motorcycles, scooters, quads and off-road bikes from 62 manufacturers worldwide. Existing subscribers to the car and van workshop application are being advised to upgrade their subscription to include motorcycles by contacting Autodata.
