New bike delays hit UK
Major manufacturers battle delivery issues caused by Covid, Suez and parts shortages
‘The Ever Given was carrying Yamaha parts’ ERIC DE SEYNES, YAMAHA
An apology to customers and dealers from Yamaha Motor Europe’s president has revealed the depth of problems that bike firms are facing in getting motorcycles and parts to UK customers.
Eric de Seynes, Yamaha Motor Europe’s President and CEO, said: “For the last 10 months, the availability of raw materials has become an issue in many areas, such as the semi-conductors required in the manufacturing of our smart keys, ABS braking system, ECU, etc. “Shipping goods overseas was also problematical due to the very high demand for many categories of manufactured products, but these issues have been made bigger right at the start of the season by the unexpected crisis in the Suez Canal involving the container ship the Ever Given which was transporting several thousands of Yamaha products and components.”
In the UK the impact has been softened by lockdown which forced showrooms to close, but some bikes have been delayed. New 2021 models are hit hardest as there’s no existing stock to fall back on. The first Yamaha Tracer 9 and Tracer 9 GT deliveries, due in late April, are now scheduled for the third week of May. The pandemic is causing many of the problems, but other issues have also come into play. The global shortage of semiconductors stems from a variety of factors including trade tensions between China and the USA, leading to some electronics firms stockpiling Chinese-made chips, and fluctuating demand from tech manufacturers as lockdowns lead to unpredictable sales. Covid’s impact on trade has also left empty shipping containers stranded in some parts of the world and a shortage of them where they’re needed, pushing up shipping costs and causing delays.
When the Ever Given ran aground in March and blocked the Suez Canal for six days, hundreds of other ships were delayed. There were further hold-ups as a bottleneck of ships queued to be unloaded at their destinations. These delays had knock-on consequences, with Yamaha’s factory in France left waiting for components to arrive from Japan. Yamaha also had a number of complete bikes on the Ever Given itself, and the ship is still impounded in Egypt six weeks after it ran aground.
Other firms have similar issues. Honda UK’s Department Manager of Business Planning & Sales Operations, Andy Mineyko, told MCN: “We have had delays, an example being the PCX125 which experienced a one-two month delay as a result of the challenge around shipping. Our remaining 2021 models are arriving now and will be in dealers shortly with stock of all units continuing to arrive throughout the year.” Kawasaki have also been hit by delays. MD of Kawasaki Europe, Kenji Nagahara, said: “Like many others we have been affected by the shortage of semi-conductors and the blockage of the Suez Canal.” He added that a shortage of a resin used in motorcycle manufacture has hit production schedules, but told MCN: “We promise to do everything in our power to face up to this challenge.”
‘Availability of raw materials is an issue’ ERIC DE SEYNES, YAMAHA