Two-wheeler crisis: Surprising discounts on unsold motorcycles

After several prosperous years for Israel's two-wheeler market, hitting a peak with 21,197 deliveries in 2022 and a promising start in 2023, the market abruptly halted in the last quarter of 2023.

Despite the initial optimism fueled by worsening road congestion, 2023 concluded with a 9.3% downturn, tallying only 19,224 deliveries. The surge in deliveries during the first month of the war, primarily due to pre-ordered units, couldn't offset the downturn. Israel's response to the crisis involved escalating insurance rates and higher purchase taxes on scooters, exacerbating the situation.

In the current climate, with subdued consumer activity, importers find themselves with stagnant inventories nearing registration deadlines. After 12 months in Israel, vehicles must be registered, prompting one importer to rethink their marketing approach.

The "0 km" vehicle sales model, popular for a decade, allows leasing companies and importers to clear registered inventory while offering customers brand-new vehicles at discounts of 5-10% or more. Ofer Avnir now introduces this model to the two-wheeler sector, starting with CFMOTO and Husqvarna. The discount comes bundled with equipment packages worth NIS 1,300 for CFMOTO and 1,000 for Husqvarna, along with interest-free financing spread over 24 payments.

CFMOTO presents three Adventure family models, with the 650MT priced at NIS 37,000 instead of 41,000. The 800MT comes in "Sport" and "Touring" versions, priced at NIS 62,000 and NIS 73,000, respectively, marking discounts of NIS 3,000 and NIS 2,000.

Husqvarna offers two models from the Svartfillen family, with discounts of NIS 1,500 on each. The 125 is priced at NIS 24,500, while the 401 is priced at NIS 34,500.

Looking ahead, the importer plans to extend the "0 km" activity to other models and brands in the future.