A NARROW WIN FOR REGISTRATIONS

As we unerringly predicted, trade and supplier ingenuity would ensure achievement of break-even at least versus 2021 in the final weeks of 2022, reports BDN financial editor Roger Willis. 

To do this, dealers only needed to register a minimum of 3763 machines during December. Actually selling that many bikes, against a background of freezing weather early in the month and then seriously foreshortened festive showroom access, might have been a more challenging proposition. But in the event, 5926 machines were actually plated, according to MCIA statistics, a mere 1% decline on the previous December. Within that, motorcycles fell by 4.4% to 3969 while scooters put on 12.9% at 1466. Mopeds sank by 15% to 409. 

Preregistrations would have included various derogated Euro 4 remnants about to pass their sell-by dates and the usual batches of remaindered off-road competition kit ripe for discount disposal in advance of new-season versions. Some 29 samples the two-stroke Beta RR 300 enduro bike fitted that particular bill. The convenient arrival of a 50-strong demonstrator fleet of Royal Enfield’s new Hunter 350 helped too.

The aforementioned inclement weather probably affected December’s entry-level and mobility interest. Up-to-125cc products fell by 2.8% to 2790. And the middleweight mix spanning 126-650cc mobility and budget enthusiast propositions took a harder hit, down 12% to 1285.

However, more profitable 651cc-plus machines performed remarkably well, 11.7% up to 1851. The fact that BMW Motorrad dealers could ostensibly shift more than a hundred (admittedly second-string) R1250GS steeds at the arse-end of the year says a lot about franchise strength. Perhaps those lucky recipients will aspire to pannier and top-box ownership later in the New Year.

Jests aside, for major brands in general, a rump market typically lacked any sense of direction. Honda led the field by a country mile, boasting December’s only four-figure total of 1276 thanks to a 30.7% surge. Just over a fifth of all its registrations were PCX125 delivery fleet fodder, though. More useful to Honda dealers looking for muscular late-season cash input were 77 NC750X machines plated, topping the 651-1000cc band.

Numbers were pretty much downhill from there on. Yamaha registered fewer than half as many machines, 2.8% down to 522. Despite losing 6.1%, BMW finished in close pursuit, banking larger proceeds from 492 comparatively premium-priced offerings. Triumph in fourth spot was 13.5% up to 311.

After a year marred by persistent inventory shortages, Kawasaki completed the top five with a modest Xmas bonus, rising by 45.3% to 260 bikes plated. Suzuki, which had been absent from the Saturnalian chart 12 months earlier, followed with a guest visit flaunting 227 registrations.

We were then basically scraping the bottom of Santa’s sack. KTM plunged by 32.3% while Piaggio added 27.3%, both on identical tallies of 210. Lexmoto, still presumably suffering as a result of disrupted shipments from China, executed a 40.7% dive to 194. And Royal Enfield, awaiting arrival of its new Hunter 350 in proper volume, dropped by 15.5% to 180.  

For the full year to date, a 1.9% improvement on 2021’s overall total added just 2163 registrations, to reach 116,534. The 651cc-plus segment featuring bigger tickets and therefore most beloved by the trade was weaker, 1.4% up to 41,929. Hardly worth any tub-thumping crescendo. Maybe a sigh of relief will do.