Talk about super September – the new 70 registration plate is helping to make up for lost sales during the Covid-19 closure.
Director Rob Walters said: “September has been very good, better than expected considering what happened earlier in the year. And it reflects the number of new bikes being sold.”
This has been the best start to a September since Rob and Dave Willis took over Orwell Motorcycles three years ago. The proportion of new bike sales, compared to used, has risen from around a third of the total to nearly half.
Rob puts it down partly to some people not buying a new bike earlier in the year when the showroom was closed and holding on for the new 70 plate.
But he also feels the new KTM franchise, which has joined the Suzuki and Kawasaki brands, has had an impact.
“There have been good deals about,” he said. “And lots of people, who have experienced recessions, rising interest rates and credit being harder to get, have decided to just get on with it as the deals might not continue.
“In the run-up to September we had the most new bikes ready to go out since we took over.”
Used bike sales are also very strong, even when people have been unable to come to the showroom.
“We’ve done a lot more distance selling and taking bikes further afield,” he explained.
Bikes that have been traded in are also going into the showroom quicker now valeter Stewart Wakeling has someone helping him to prepare used bikes to our high standards.
“We can now turn round part-exchange bikes quicker and get them into the showroom,” Rob explained. “If we can get them sold quicker that also helps turnover.”
Since the showroom reopened at the beginning of June, we’ve regularly been having record weeks of like-for-like sales, year on year.
“Traditionally August sales slow down, with people going on holiday but this year it has continued throughout August.
“It’s helped make up for what we lost earlier in the year. Those months we lost were definitely what we consider to be our biggest months, at the beginning of the motorcycling season.”
Looking to buy a new 70-plate bike? Find out what we can offer at orwell.co.uk/new-bikes