After September’s aberrant growth fantasy based on Euro 3 legacy stock disposal tactics, October data from the Motorcycle Industry Association swerved back towards depressing reality, writes BDN financial editor Roger Willis.
Overal registrations for the month struggled to avoid negativity, just 0.3% up at 8595 units. The only half-decent sector performance came from scooters, posting a 6.8% improvement to 2265 units. And given its usually remorseless decline, a 0.6% rise for mopeds to 780 units looked good at first glance. But the suddenly best-selling Longjia LJ50 Echo, bereft of Euro 4 compliance, accounted for almost one-tenth of them. Draw your own conclusions. Motorcycles, the market’s real meat and two veg, fell by 2.3% to 5480 units.
The only light relief in high-volume style categories came from Naked bikes, growing by 6.9% to 2254 units. Custom was 6.3% down and Supersport dropped by 9.8%. Traditionally puissant Adventure Sport also went into reverse, losing 4.5% — against 39% growth in October last year!
Abnormalities pervaded both engine capacity bands and best-sellers. Although the 51cc-125cc slot claimed 46.6% of entire registrations, it was 1.7% down. On the other hand, 126cc-650cc was 6% up. However, top-selling (or perhaps most-preregistered) product was Scomadi’s eminently retro Turismo Leggera 200 scooter with 5.3% of that band. And where did the KTM 1290 Superduke R come from, suddenly to grab over-1000cc laurels? Presumably that’s Euro 3 left-over inventory too. The KTM and a Scomadi are pictured above.
As for monthly brand rankings and market share, Honda underlined hegemony, increasing sales by 11.5% and improving share from 16.1% to 17.7%. Yamaha marked time in second spot, share declining marginally from 14.2% to 14.1% with sales rising by just 0.7%. But while principal Chinese flag-bearer Lexmoto clung on to third step of October’s podium, its sales plummeted by 20.2% and share dropped from 9.9% to 7.8%. That probably denoted being ahead of the Euro 3 legacy elimination game, leaving dealers short of stock.
In fourth, Triumph had a good month. Registrations for Britain’s finest stacked on 14.7% and its share rose from 5.2% to 5.9%. Ditto KTM in fifth, with sales climbing by 28.7% and share up to 4.9% against 3.8% last October. No doubt they were both pleased to see main European enemy BMW Motorrad languishing down in eighth, having suffered a 10.6% decline in numbers and share falling from 4.4% to 3.9%.
For the ten months of 2016 to date, total registrations are 6.7% up at 110,010 units; scooters have risen by 14.3% to 22,860 units; motorcycles boast a more modest 6.4% growth to 78,972 units; and the 50cc moped sector is 8.2% down on 7354 units.        Â
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