Iran's motorcycle market shifts toward repair as a new bike costs at least 200 million tomans

Iran's motorcycle market has run into a set of simultaneous pressures in 1405, changing the pattern of purchases. Mehr News Agency reported on Friday, 31 July 2026 (9 Mordad 1405), that price increases, weaker purchasing power, parts shortages, foreign exchange restrictions and rising production costs have pushed buyers toward repairing worn motorcycles and buying used ones instead of new machines.

Mohammad Mohammadi, head of Tehran's union of bicycle and motorcycle parts producers and repairers, said that over the past year, alongside rising motorcycle prices and a rising exchange rate, visits to repair shops have increased and the repair trade has picked up. The head of the Mashhad motorcycle sellers and repairers union said the market's usual spring and summer boom has given way to stagnation this year, with most buyers looking for used motorcycles or instalment plans. He said motorcycle prices are more than 100 percent higher than last year and that consumables such as tyres, tubes and oil have also risen considerably: a new motorcycle now costs at least about 200 million tomans, and even worn-out machines go for 50 to 60 million tomans.

Asghar Farzipour Qarahlar, head of Tehran's union of bicycle and motorcycle sellers and importers, identified foreign exchange restrictions and difficulty sourcing parts as the main obstacle to production, saying a significant share of the industry's parts are imported in knocked-down form and that problems with currency allocation have forced operators to buy the foreign exchange they need on the open market. Market participants say the mix of buyers has also changed, with workers and lower-income groups turning more to repairs or second-hand purchases.