Market reports – Neil Webster (MV Agusta): the Dragster RR surprised everyone – Occasions MV AGUSTA

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Neil Webster (MV Agusta): the Dragster RR amazed everyone

Market reports - Neil Webster (MV Agusta): the Dragster RR surprised everyone - Occasions MV AGUSTA

With 629 registrations, MV Agusta posted a jump of + 20.7% on the French motorcycle market. Neil Webster, manager of MV Agusta France, establishes for Site the 2015 balance sheet of the Italian brand and reveals its objectives for 2016. Interview.

Site: Do you consider that the announcement of the end of the law of 100 horses had a negative effect on the market in general and on your results in particular? ?
Neil Webster, Head of MV Agusta France: It’s very likely, at least in the second half of the year. There was a double effect: many customers preferred to wait until the beginning of 2016 to buy a motorcycle directly as a free version, and most dealers have significantly reduced their take-backs of restricted motorcycles. All this could have been mitigated by better visibility if the government had communicated more clearly and sooner..

MNC: On the contrary, will it boost activity in 2016? ?
N. W.: All MV Agusta motorcycles amply exceed 100 hp, so it is clear that this new data from the French market will have a positive impact on us. But as I speak to you, the text has still not been voted on and therefore nothing is yet engaged for the retro-unlocking and the correct registration of "full" motorcycles (except Euro4 homologated motorcycles like our new Brutale 800).

MNC: Can the Paris Motor Show at the end of 2015 also stimulate the market at the start of the year? ?
N. W.: The Paris Salon no longer has the same national impact as before. We noticed that a lot of bikers rediscovered MV Agusta during this show, so it was still very positive for us. This will certainly help us in our development in 2016.

MNC: How do you interpret the current success of "neo-retro" motorcycles? ?
N. W.: MV Agusta is a very performance oriented brand so we are not riding this wave. I nevertheless understand the growth of this market segment and the pleasure of those who subscribe to it.

MNC: What is your opinion on the ban on motorcycles before 2000 in Paris from this summer? ?
N. W.: It is a purely political decision which, unfortunately, shows again that those who make the decisions do not understand the motorcycle and its direct implications. We will not see any impact on the environment here.

MNC: How do you feel about the overall evolution of the French motorcycle market in 2015? ?
N. W.: The evolution of the market shows that the motorbike, in addition to responding effectively to travel needs, can provide answers to those looking for pleasure and relaxation. The motorcycle remains one of the great symbols of freedom !

MNC: What is your assessment of your brand? ?
N. W.: 2015 is a very positive year for MV Agusta in France. In a rather stable market and lacking in visibility (the jailbreaks to come), our sales increased by + 20%. And in terms of quality, our network has made good progress in terms of representation and coverage of the territory. We will continue our work on the same path in 2016 !

MNC: Which models have performed particularly well this year?
N. W.: The has amazed everyone in quality, design, pleasure and sales! A victim of its success, delivery times have lengthened and customers have had to be patient. His cousin, la, also gave satisfaction.

MNC: Who are those who have stayed behind? Why ?
N. W.: The (and especially its) arrived later than expected on the French market and we missed the high season with this new more road bike..

MNC: Did your new products for 2015 reach their commercial objectives? ?
N. W.: Overall yes, especially if we look at our entire roadster range. The is an excellent motorcycle, very exciting, and we are going to redeploy it commercially in early 2016 in order to show it off..

MNC: What was the pleasant surprise of your 2015? And the less good ?
N. W.: MV Agusta is in the process of redeploying in France and our best surprise was the great satisfaction of our customers who have rediscovered the brand and its products. It is always fun to share the passion of our customers! This public enthusiasm exceeded our expectations during our presence at the Motorcycle Show and other national events (Sunday Ride Classic, Cafe Racer Festival, Superbike, Bol d’Or, etc.). The least pleasant surprise was the lack of professionalism on the part of the government on issues that directly impacted our business sector (real lack of commitment and understanding, visibility of future legal texts, etc.). Our rulers do not appreciate the economic consequences of their slowness and myopia…

MNC: According to you, what was the highlight of 2015 in the world of two-wheelers? ?
N. W.: Apart from the and the, I must say that being passionate about motorcycle sport, the sickened me … It was a magnificent season which ended like a bad joke … More positively, I attended the Moto Cross des Nations in Ernee: the atmosphere was fabulous and what a result for the French team! Hats off to Romain Febvre !

MNC: What are your good resolutions for 2016 ?
N. W.: Our best resolution for 2016 will be to continue what we started in 2015! We will continue to improve the visibility of the brand and the quality of our dealer network, so that customers are happy to share our passion for beautiful Italian motorcycles. !

MNC: What are your major events in 2016 ?
N. W.: ! And the launch of the in a hotly contested market segment. We have confidence in the qualities of our new three-cylinder roadster.

MNC: To conclude, what MV Agusta ordered from Santa Claus this year ?
N. W.: Santa Claus must exist because our wishes are granted! Our customers can finally, as in all the rest of Europe, and fully enjoy the soul of MV Agusta: passion !

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

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