"Brompton profits plunge more than 99% amid bike industry turmoil"

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wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Saw this article this morning, looks like the slump is happening with Harley Davidson, revenue down by 60%

https://newatlas.com/motorcycles/harley-davidson-revenue-slumps/

They have factories in the US, Brazil, India and Thailand, and parts are sourced from various other countries.

Despite this diversity, things are not looking good for this iconic brand.

A comment to the article says 'they are mostly seen as ridiculously expensive, heavy, slow, and old'

The HD showroom in Reading closed recently, not sure if it's a victim of the decline :sad:

The "slump" is happening everywhere. Really I think it's reasonable to view it as a correction to a more sustainable (less unsustainable) model where the finiancial cost of manufactured goods is starting to reflect their real costs in terms of energy, natural resources and labour - rather than some unsustainably low value underpinned by the merciless exploitation of less "developed" labour markets, rampant pillaging of natural resources and debt.

Seems we might be living through end-stage capitalism.
 
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Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
I popped in to our local Brompton dealer this morning to see if I could cadge a box. They didn't have any because they are just not selling many new bikes, their refurbished used ones are also taking over a month to sell where last year they would have sold in a matter days.

I have two advertised at the moment, and so far the response has been very lukewarm, last year they would have sold in a couple of days, so the market has definitely changed. IMO it is a combination of a lack of disposable income, people working from home and the fact that Brompton's don't really wear out, so if you have a serviceable 15 year old bike why splash out £1500 on a new one if it's not really necessary.
 
OP
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wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
I popped in to our local Brompton dealer this morning to see if I could cadge a box. They didn't have any because they are just not selling many new bikes, their refurbished used ones are also taking over a month to sell where last year they would have sold in a matter days.

I have two advertised at the moment, and so far the response has been very lukewarm, last year they would have sold in a couple of days, so the market has definitely changed. IMO it is a combination of a lack of disposable income, people working from home and the fact that Brompton's don't really wear out, so if you have a serviceable 15 year old bike why splash out £1500 on a new one if it's not really necessary.

I've noticed this in other non-cycling areas too; I think on a broader scale it's probably the manifestation of ongoing cost-of-living issues against the backdrop of the inevitable festive drain.
 

biggs682

Itching to get back on my bike's
Location
Northamptonshire
I have been noticing over the last few weeks that second hand Bromptons are not selling anywhere near as quickly as they were and also some are being reduced in price to move them on .

So perhaps then second hand Bromptons have finally been hit like the rest of other bike sales
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
I have been noticing over the last few weeks that second hand Bromptons are not selling anywhere near as quickly as they were and also some are being reduced in price to move them on .

So perhaps then second hand Bromptons have finally been hit like the rest of other bike sales

Definitely
 

TheDoctor

Noble and true, with a heart of steel
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
They're just so expensive these days. An electric Brompton costs £2900 and up.
Once I've fitted a Swytch kit to my modded M9, I'll have a bike that cost me £1200 in total, has practically the same gear range as the latest 12 speeds, and more battery range. And I've been using it for 16 years already.
 

Fastpedaller

Über Member
I notice Brompton now have for sale a 'triangle bag' which fits to the frame in front of the rear wheel - something others have been selling for some time.
 
OP
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wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
As a bit of an aside I note that Brompton are having a sale of "discontinued" lines on their site which are typically half price - nowt too interesting but of note a 44T silver chainset and black BWR 3sp hub gear (almost worth getting one in the bank for £60-odd).

The silver bits are understandable since they've now gone black on all the finishing kit, however the BWR hub was the mainstay of the 6sp models; suggesting that perhaps these are for the chop.

Also interestingly the 12sp models don't appear to be that much more expensive than the 6sp - from memory the basic finishes being £1600 and £1450 respectively.

This could explain why the price of used 6sp models is plummetting; while surprisingly that FB link I posted last time is still active (and on closer inspection looks a bit shifty) so may be a scam.

Finally it appears that the greatest travesty of all is that the splendid black lacquer finish hasn't made its way to the 12sp (the only "lacquer" finish is "Amythist", which IMO doesn't look as nice as the black of flame variants).

Really none of this is relevant to me as I'm past the point of piling miles on my example, so best-case it'll be cleaned up, sorted out and left for "special occasions" if I ever actually visit anywhere where it would be of use.
 

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
The silver finish stopped in 2021 when they changed the naming to C P etc, my 2021 M6L was one of the last bikes with the silver finishing.

IMG_5696.jpeg
 
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OP
OP
wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
The silver finish stopped in 2021 when they changed the naming to C P etc, my 2021 M3L was one of the last bikes with the silver finishing.

View attachment 780945

Indeed - while I prefer the black, certain colours do look really classy with the silver bits; yours above included :smile:

I recognise that location!
 
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