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Plate change drives motorcycle registrations in September

NMDA 13/10/2021

“Power Two Wheelers (PTWs) continued their upward trend with 13,425 registrations in September,  traditionally a high-volume month as customers have opted to wait to obtain the latest registration plate on their new machine,” said Paddy O’Connell, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents PTW dealers in the UK, commenting on the latest MCIA’s figures.

Whilst the market was still down -7.5% compared to September 2020, it is important to note that last September the industry was responding to the pent-up demand after a series of lockdowns. There were also fewer issues with supply. When compared to a more ‘normal’ period of trading in September 2019, we saw 12,978 registrations. 2021 figures show a 3% growth compared to then.

Sales of Electric Powered Two-Wheeled Vehicles (ePTWs) continued to perform well – especially in the low powered segment, with an increase of 97.1% (619 units), both overachieving year on year and adding to the 4,467 registrations year to date for 2021.

Larger capacity, leisure bikes registrations remain reasonably strong and dealers look towards better supply as we exit the normal seasonal cycle of our marketplace. Half of the highest registering motorcycle models within each style, are made up of 125cc PTWs. The Honda PCX came out on top of all engine sizes with 557 units, equating to almost 1 in 5 (19.5%) of every scooter registered for the month. Honda remain the highest registering brand (2602 units) almost doubling those of BMW in second place (1312 units).

Paddy O’Connell added, “As we now enter the final quarter of 2021, the NMDA is optimistic that the market going forward will remain steady for the remainder of the year, notwithstanding the various issues across the entire supply chain”.

The NMDA continues to encourage members to join our quarterly NMDA meetings to share experiences of all the support that NMDA membership can offer, and to get behind the #DestinationDealer campaign. This initiative is to help dealers reconnect with their customers and remind them that motorcycle and scooter showrooms are not just a place to transact, they are also a place to chat, have a coffee, look at the new products and meet up with like-minded people.

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Results taken from the Motorcycle Industry Association Press Statistics September 2021 – New Motorcycle registrations.

About the RMI

The Retail Motor Industry represents the interests of operators in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man providing sales and services to motorists and businesses. The RMI has a formal association with the independent Scottish Motor Trade Association which represents the retail motor industry in Scotland.