Whatever the argument for cost of goods leaving the factory floor, it’s also a small part of the final consumer cost.
The distribution model is entirely different. A lot of brands come in via distributors where motorcycles are subsidiaries, and dealer margins are much higher on cycles than motorcycles, so that’s going to impact the cost of bikes disproportionally as bikes get more expensive.
That margin needs to exist though if we want cycle shops, because bikes models come in different sizes whereas motorcycles don’t, and therefore stock turn is much worse on cycles than motorbikes. Invest £50k for example stocking a high end mountain bike range from a boutique brand, and the chances of you having the right bike, in the right size, and the right colour for your next customer is slim. Return on investment is very poor in the cycle trade for most cycle shops at the kinds of bike prices we all ride.
Also, much of the motorcycle trade’s income comes from strong contribution from workshop and used bike sales. Two things that just don’t exist in any significant way in the cycle retail trade, which means not only do the cycle retailers need the higher margin on bikes, they also need to try and retain it as it’s their only real source of income (well, they do if want to still have shops to go to).
