With inflation still unacceptably high and, therefore, the cost-of-living crisis unabated, May proved to be yet another challenging month for dealers. BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports.
Total numbers were 8.7% down, to 10,889. Motorcycles escaped with the least punishment, falling by just 2.5% to 8302. Scooters incurred a 24.2% loss at 2061, and mopeds plunged by 29% to 435. Trikes offered a flash of positivity, 13.8% up, but that represented only 91 units.
In the petrolhead firmament, where the vast majority of trade activity is focused, the overall headcount was 7.7% lower at 10,493. For what it’s worth, electric bikes sank by 30.2% to a negligible 396 units.
Up-to-125cc mobility and delivery fleet segment sales were 17.5% in arrears at 3670, to a great extent suffering as pre-prepared meal delivery businesses cut back in the face of burdensome inflationary costs eating into their proposition.
The 126-500cc range spanning some mobility and A2 rookies was also rolling backwards, 17% down to 1473. And 501-750cc stuff lost a less painful 4.5% on 1346. Although Royal Enfield provided a spread of best-sellers in these segments – HNTR 350 and Super Meteor 650 models, respectively in the former and latter – its overall monthly volume was notably lower. Inventory glitches in the wake of taking UK operations fully in-house could be an issue.
The high point was the 751-1000cc segment, stacking on 28.9% to 2154. Triumph’s Street Triple RS took best-selling honours but, generally, this is the current hot slot owing to a strong selection of keenly-priced new models from several brands.
Premium over-1000cc products were a disappointment, falling by 10.2% to 1850. However, it’s unlikely BMW Motorrad was bothered. The basic R1250 GS was best-seller, accounting for almost a fifth of BMW’s particularly muscular monthly total.
The manufacturers’ top-ten pecking order was a messy mix of winners and losers. Honda held onto hegemony but flatlined, plating one bike less than it had in May last year. Some 405 PCX125 scooters constituted 19.4% of the brand’s entire sales of 2083 units. Yamaha fared far worse, plunging by 25.2% to 1128. Triumph was also pretty flat, 1.3% down to 1001.
On the other hand, the aforementioned BMW added 28.5% to 875 and headed up a list of double-digit percentage growth achievers. Kawasaki put on 18.4% to 675, presumably having got over its shipment woes. Not far behind, KTM rose by 16.1% to 642. And then Suzuki, replete with attractive and budget-priced new twins in that hot 751-1000cc slot, soared by 43.5% to 505.
Three brands completed the chart. Royal Enfield fell by 19.1% to 471 for a possible reason already covered. Chinese flag carrier Lexmoto plummeted by 42.8% to 330, probably because it’s bereft of inventory. Finally, Ducati was 6.7% down to 321 and hardly worried, given the recent desirability of Bologna’s finest.
For the five months of 2023 to date, total registrations have fallen by 5.2% to 48,759. Motorcycles are actually 1.5% up to 36,751. Scooters are 18.5% down to 9656. Mopeds have dived by 34.6% to 1990. And trikes have grown by 8.4% to 362.