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Travel restrictions mean motorcycle sales boom in Northland
23 Dec, 2020 05:00 PM
4 minutes to read
John Shaw, of Shaw Motorcycles in Whangārei, has seen a 25 per cent spike in motorcycle sales since the Covid-19 lockdown. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Northland motorcycle retailers are seeing record sales under international travel restrictions, prompting a safety warning ahead of the festive season. John Shaw, of Shaw Motorcycles in Whangārei, has seen a 25 per cent spike in motorcycle sales across their Kawasaki and Harley Davidson ranges since the Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year. We ve been at the stage when we ve only had a few machines left on the floor and it makes my shop looks terrible. People ask you, Are you closing? , he said.
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“The driver of the car never looked. He just drove straight across [the intersection] and right over me. I was lucky [to survive].” Over the past four years, 2758 crashes involving a motorcycle or moped took place at urban intersections – 38 people were killed in these crashes, with over 500 being seriously injured. Drivers are at fault in 90 per cent of crashes between cars and motorbikes at urban intersections, according to Ministry of Transport statistics. Motorcycle sales increased in 2020, perhaps a knock-on effect of Kiwis’ inability to travel internationally. While 8350 motorcycles were sold in 2019, it is estimated that motorcycle sales will reach 9000 by the end of 2020, the highest in the last decade, according to ACC.