In what is very much a seasonal industry, it is nice to see that the change towards autumnal weather and cold, dark evenings has done little to dampen the growth of new two wheel sales in the UK this year.
In the latest set of figures released by the Motorcycle Industry Association, registrations of new two wheelers in the UK rose 6.5% this October, when compared with the same month of the previous year. In total there were 7,445 new units registered this October, compared with just 6,993 in October 2013. Overall this year, sales of new two wheelers are up 9.9%, more than 8000 units in real terms.
There was however a sharp fall in moped registrations, which were -6.8% down, but sales of new motorcycles were up 8.8%, equivalent to more than 500 extra new bikes on the road.
Every motorcycle segment bar scooter saw an increase in sales, with scooter dropping by 10.6%, although this months top selling model was indeed, a scooter. The popular Honda PCX 125 has been the UK’s top selling monthly model several times this year, along with the learner legal YZR-R125 Supersport bike. Sales of touring models were up 50%, from 142 units last October to 213 this year. The growth in naked bike sales, which has fueled much of this years growth, was also up 25.5%, and the segment is up 32.5% overall this year, equivalent to more than 5000 units.
Trail and Enduro sales rose by 18.9%, custom bikes by 17.6% and adventure sport by 13.3%. Sport touring sales rose by 9.9%, and even Supersport saw a 4.3% rise, leaving Supersport sales up 1.4% in 2014 so far. This however, is only equivalent to 148 extra supersport bikes on the road.
By engine band, the 0 – 50cc segment was the only one to see a fall, down -7.0%, or 73 units. The learner legal 51 – 125cc band was up 3.3% on last October (109 units) and the A2 licence band saw sales rise by 5.5% (51 units) although it is only 1.8% up this year overall, since changes to the licence test made it less attractive for younger riders to take their A2 module. The 651 – 1000cc band grew by 15.8%, and 1000cc plus machine sales were up by a fantastic 26.3%, more than 200 extra units!
In terms of manufacturer sales Honda once again leads the way, registering 1,231 new units in October 2014, followed by Yamaha with 930. Triumph take 3rd with 411, and Lexmoto in 4th with 357. Harley-Davidson (354), Piaggio (349), BMW (345) and Kawasaki (335) make up the remainder of the top 8, with KTM and Pulse close behind.
The highest registering models by style were as follows:
- Adventure Sport – Pulse XF 125 GY-2B Adrenaline
- Custom – Lexmoto HT 125-8 Vixen
- Naked – Honda CBF 125 M
- Scooter – Honda PCX 125
- Sport Touring – Kawasaki Z1000 SX
- Supersport – Yamaha YZF-R125
- Touring – BMW R 1200 RT
- Trail & Enduro – Yamaha WR 125 R
With a clear trend of positive growth in motorcycle sales for 2014, it will be interesting to see how 2015 compares. With some more information on the number of tests taken, it should also be possible to make a more informed judgement on where all these new bikes are going, and how government made changes to the licence test are affecting the any influx of new blood. Are the majority of additional sales this year second bikes for long standing riders feeling the effects of the economic recovery, or are they new riders, taking to the road for the first time on two wheels, as a more economical, and exhilarating method of transport.
