Demand for commuter motorcycles and scooters remains strong

“It is very encouraging that the motorcycle market saw a further, strong increase in registrations, up 31.2% in August prior to a new registration plate, highlighting the ability of motorcycle dealers to react to the growing demand”, said Patrick O’Connell, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents motorcycle retailers across the UK.

Motorcycle sales grew again by 31.2% in August, an impressive increase to 9,087 new machines put on the road compared to 6,924 in the same period last year.

All motorcycle power ranges saw an uplift in demand, with the 51cc – 125cc dominating the market thanks to a growth of 43.9% in August, taking the year-to-date figure to an encouraging +4.2%. Also naked machines saw a substantial 34.4% growth.

Low powered, 125cc motorcycles can be ridden upon completion of a straightforward Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course, with no test required, making the transition to powered-two-wheels an exceptionally accessible option.

The 27.8% increase in the 1,000cc or greater bikes can be justified by the large number of consumers who did not take their annual holiday and are looking elsewhere to spend their leisure time and disposable income.

Year to date figures are partially offsetting the previous declines, with the overall motorcycle market now only 11.7% behind the first eight months of 2019, a gap that continues to close each month. 

While Honda maximised its opportunity by registering 1,598 motorcycles in the month, Yamaha was in second position putting 881 units on the road, followed by Lexmoto with 705 registrations. Despite not promoting any 125cc machines, Kawasaki was surprisingly the fourth best-selling brand with 614 machines.

Patrick O’Connell added, “The positive trend facing low powered machines is clearly indicating that the move away from public transport is benefitting this segment of the motorcycle market.

“Following months of strong sales, we have now heard from dealers that supply issues may affect them and that a number of manufacturers are bundling available stock needed by dealers with less desirable models, which could affect the market over the coming months”.