Why are there so many nice European motorcycles that aren't available in the states?

Question

In my area there is only BMW and triumph. There are some pretty cool bikes over there that would be worth considering.

Answer 1

Because the European Manufacturers like to sell their products to a discriminating clientele - people who know how to appreciate them and ride them properly.    

Not to a bunch of squids to do wheelies on.

Also they do not build in the quantities that the Japanese do. More hand labour; so there aren't that many to satisfy the demand.

Answer 2

they wouldn't sell well enough in the American market, they aren't what the majority of American riders would buy

Answer 3

My dealership sells Ducati, KTM, MV Agusta, Piaggio and many other European brands.  Guess it just depends on area.

Answer 4

Some manufacturers for various reasons just don't ship bikes overseas.  Shipping can be expensive and people often have their bikes or scooters imported.

Royal Enfield (which was originally European but I believe is now entirely based out of India since that is where the last surviving facilities remained).  A lot of European bikes that are available in Europe are also available here but they are more scarce, again, for various reasons.  Production, shipping, and marketing costs are several good reasons why you don't see more variety from across the pond.  

In the USA, you can get Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Triumph, Ducati, KTM, BMW, Ural (Russian), Buell (now owned by Harley Davidson), and others; you just have to find a dealer or import what you want through a dealer/broker; and in my area (North Carolina) the closest European bike dealer is a Carolina Euro which is a BMW-Triumph store.

Bikes suffer from the same issues cars do but since there are so many variety's of bikes, and a lot more car customers out there, it is difficult for manufacturers to carve out a niche in certain markets.

Answer 5

three letters for E P A  there are cars that you can buy in any state except california