After a year without big motorcycle shows for manufacturers, small companies and punters alike, Yamaha have just released a statement confirming they won’t be at Motorcycle Live at the Birmingham NEC in 2022.
Instead, they’ll focus on presenting their 2022 line-up digitally, via their online platforms. It has, however, been confirmed that they will be in attendance at EICMA (the Milan Motorcycle Show). Do Yamaha think the Italians are more important than us Brits? Probably not, no; it’s just that EICMA plays a much bigger role in the launch of new products, for all the manufacturers. But anyway, EICMA is besides the point. What’s going on, why won’t Yamaha be at Motorcycle Live? And what does it mean for the rest of the industry?
Well I expect being forced to have a year off the NEC has put things into perspective for Yamaha, as it would have done, to some extent, for the entire UK motorcycle industry. Every exhibitor at the NEC bike show is making a massive investment to be there, even the small ones. By the time they’ve paid for the floorspace, the physical stand, the staff, and the logistics of getting everything there, you’re into thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds. Ludicrous amounts of cash as well as resources get fired into the bike show every year, particularly for the manufacturers.
Cluster
I imagine, despite last year being a bit of a clusterfuck all round, the UK HQ for Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki etc. could all breathe a sigh of relieve at the prospect of missing the annual NEC show.
And by the sounds of it, Yamaha have done alright without Motorcycle Live, on account of the fact that they’re pulling out this year. They’d have had to put certain things in place last year to mitigate the fact the show didn’t go ahead, and I’d expect those things must have worked well enough that they’re going to do the same (or similar) this year.
With Yamaha pulling out of Motorcycle Live, will any of the other big players follow suit? I think they might, yes. If Yamaha can manage without the show, then I’m sure the rest of them can. Or perhaps we’ll see manufacturers dipping in and out of the NEC show, from one year to the next. Yamaha have only really got the R7 to shout about this year, perhaps if they had a few more ‘all-new’ models and some extra ‘major-updates’, they’d be packing their troubles up and heading to Birmingham.
Evil
I think most manufacturers see Motorcycle Live as a bit of a necessary evil. They’ve always gone (well, most of the time, anyway), and they always will, because everyone else does and that’s what you’ve got to do to get your bikes in front of potential customers. But the world’s changing. We’ve got the internet now. We’ve also got deadly diseases that pray on people gathering in large groups. So who knows what’s going to happen?
At the end of the Yamaha statement it did say that “Attendance at UK and regional events will remain part of Yamaha Motor UK’s marketing approach during the 2022 season,” but I’ve got a feeling that if they have a reasonable first half of 2022, and hit their targets, they might decide to give the NEC show a miss again in ’22. And I’ve got a feeling, they might not be the only ones.
Any Jobs in Marketing at Yamaha!
They need them
Short sighted! Everyone is coming out of covid wanting to spend some cash on freedom, this show is perfect timing. We, instead of buying yamaha, will buy Suzuki due to the great sales guys and BSA after a GREAT show. We currently have two yamahas but with no effort at Live we have no time for them next purchase either.
Well, that is stupid, right now I have two bikes on my watch and both are Yamaha, by looking at their website or app my ass won’t know which bike suits him better. I think just for this year everyone should go and buy other brands, so Yamaha learns their lesson.
amazingly i had my eye on many bikes until i saw them and sat on them, only to then go “right, the drawing board is clear, lets start again..” then out of nowhere Suzuki, because they turned up, became an option where they didnt beforeand now that’s what the other half wants. I was hoping to try out the yamahas but as Honda had a massive range there, they convinced me with their CBF.. even later on when moving to a bigger 1000+cc ill look up the honda as they felt manageable despite the large engine
Well, that is stupid, right now I have two bikes on my watch and both are Yamaha, by looking at their website or app my ass won’t know which bike suits him better. I think just for this year everyone should go and buy other brands, so Yamaha learns their lesson.
A red-hot, high IQ take there from Michael J…
1 word for you boys. BREXIT!!! Japan has a trade agreement with the EU and you are all a bunch of 3 country TWATS now:) So you can see how they can easily move their bikes to Milan, but not to the TWAT island of ever shrinking NOT SO great britain. You are just a small market now compared to the EU. And that is also why Honda is closing their plant in Swindon:) Peace, love and harmony BOYS:)
Freedom is Priceless as the British military cemeteries across Europe testify to.
I originally came on this site because they announced Yamaha will be missing from the bike show in Birmingham which has saved me a journey from London. I had wanted to ask them if they intended to replace the FJR killed off by EU emissions as the Niken GT is no replacement for me.
Actually they used to get them INTO the EU via UK as we could access the markets. So, brexit has cut them off from Europe and should, instead be selling us bikes directly instead.. we will be a gateway into USA and other international markets we do deals with – very short sighted!