powersports dealerships | Powersports Switchback

As we kick off 2025, I feel like everyone in the powersports industry is looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. Certainly, there were some bright spots in 2024. After a two-year pandemic hangover, inventory across the board is stabilizing. Consumer sentiment is also rising, ticking up two points to 71.8 and notably higher than its lowest point in July, according to the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index. While sales and service revenue continues to be down across the board, a recent J.D. Power Q3 Market Insight report revealed that sales of sports bikes ticked up in the quarter and are tracking 5.4 percent higher year-over-year.

It’s been a fantastic year for some powersports dealers. Thanks to government stimulus checks and a burning desire to leave the house, ATV and recreational powersports sales have gone through the roof from April to June. Many dealers have already exceeded their 2020 forecasts for the year!

But will the boom times continue? Or will sales fall from these unprecedented highs? There are several factors which could impact the second half of 2020.

Government stimulus

Second quarter sales were propelled in large part by the pandemic-driven CARES Act which provided stimulus money to those who had been furloughed or lost employment. Those stimulus funds have ended and further funds are stalled in Congress until early September. If another round of stimulus is offered, chances are that powersports sales will continue, albeit not at the levels seen in Q2.