The Italian powered two-wheeler market continued its plunge downwards in November with double-digit declines in all categories, according to latest data from Italy’s bike industry association ANCMA.
Motorcycle registrations for the month fell by 17.5 per cent to 1772 units. And while scooters appeared to be marginally positive with a 0.8 per cent rise to 5010 units, this was illusory once the latest batch of delivery machines supplied under a Piaggio rolling contract with the Post Office were factored out of the figures. At a retail dealer level, scooter sales were actually down by 19.4 per cent to 4006 units. The 50cc moped sector fared even worse, plummeting by 29.5 per cent to 1427 units.
For the 11 months of 2013 to date (again with Piaggio’s sweetheart Post Office fleet replacement deal discounted), the picture was similarly grim. Motorcycle sales dropped by 11.5 per cent to 51,193 units. Scooters fell by 23.4 per cent to 98,730 units. Mopeds were 36 per cent down at 30,240 units.
A VAT increase to 22 per cent, introduced at the beginning of October, is clearly eroding sales at an ever-faster rate. However, some manufacturers have absorbed this to moderate prices.