| Registrations by style (inc. hybrids) | ||||||
| Year to Date | ||||||
| MOPED | Feb 2025 | Feb 2024 | % Change | Feb 2025 | Feb 2024 | % Change |
| Moped Naked | 17 | 26 | -34.6% | 45 | 61 | -26.2% |
| Moped Other | 23 | 49 | -53.1% | 64 | 116 | -44.8% |
| Moped Scooters | 187 | 183 | 2.2% | 349 | 438 | -20.3% |
| Total Mopeds | 227 | 258 | -12.0% | 458 | 615 | -25.5% |
| MOTORCYCLE | ||||||
| Adventure | 533 | 834 | -36.1% | 1267 | 1963 | -35.5% |
| Competition | 306 | 300 | 2.0% | 748 | 725 | 3.2% |
| Custom | 171 | 248 | -31.0% | 322 | 510 | -36.9% |
| Modern Classic | 385 | 502 | -23.3% | 932 | 1133 | -17.7% |
| Naked | 578 | 819 | -29.4% | 1338 | 1918 | -30.2% |
| Road Sport | 267 | 452 | -40.9% | 584 | 867 | -32.6% |
| Scooter | 931 | 1545 | -39.7% | 1790 | 3135 | -42.9% |
| Touring | 37 | 76 | -51.3% | 156 | 156 | 0.0% |
| Unspecified | 7 | 18 | -61.1% | 14 | 43 | -67.4% |
| Total Motorcycles | 3215 | 4794 | -32.9% | 7151 | 10450 | -31.6% |
| TRICYCLE | ||||||
| Other | 3 | 16 | -81.3% | 22 | 26 | -15.4% |
| Scooter | 12 | 38 | -68.4% | 27 | 58 | -53.4% |
| Total Tricycles | 15 | 54 | -72.2% | 49 | 84 | -41.7% |
| Total Registrations | 3457 | 5106 | -32.3% | 7658 | 11149 | -31.3% |
| Registrations by capacity (inc. hybrids) | ||||||
| Year to Date | ||||||
| ENGINE BAND | Feb 2025 | Feb 2024 | % Change | Feb 2025 | Feb 2024 | % Change |
| 0 – 50cc | 183 | 172 | 6.4% | 367 | 423 | -13.2% |
| 51 – 125cc | 1423 | 2213 | -35.7% | 2715 | 4444 | -38.9% |
| 126 – 500cc | 621 | 894 | -30.5% | 1485 | 2150 | -30.9% |
| 501 – 750cc | 290 | 442 | -34.4% | 654 | 936 | -30.1% |
| 751 – 1000cc | 422 | 654 | -35.5% | 1178 | 1457 | -19.1% |
| over 1000cc | 391 | 580 | -32.6% | 960 | 1335 | -28.1% |
| Total Registrations | 3330 | 4955 | -32.8% | 7359 | 10745 | -31.5% |
| Top ten brands | ||
| 1 | Honda | 688 |
| 2 | Yamaha | 453 |
| 3 | Triumph | 264 |
| 4 | BMW | 239 |
| 5 | Lexmoto | 195 |
| 6 | KTM | 130 |
| 7 | Kawasaki | 115 |
| 8 | Royal Enfield | 103 |
| 9 | SYM | 85 |
| 10 | Keeway | 77 |
No relief on registrations
Moving through February, there was initially a degree of optimism abroad, on the basis of things couldn’t get worse. But that has proved to be an illusion. The flood of Euro-5 products preregistered in the final weeks of last year, mostly now still swamping showrooms at distress discounts, has perpetuated a massive market distortion that is set to undermine new bike sales throughout the first quarter of 2025 – and potentially far beyond.
Total new registrations in February collapsed, 32.3% down to 3457 units. Within that, motorcycles (including over-50cc scooters) fell by 32.9% to 3215. Mopeds dropped by 12% to 227 and trikes took a 72.2% dive to just 15. The powertrain split had petrolhead products suffering a 32.8% decline to 3330 units while electric cul-de-sac residents shrivelled by 15.9% to a mere 127.
The ICE-powered firmament was uniformly lamentable. Sales in the 0-125cc basic mobility and fleet delivery slot fell by 32.7% to 1606 units. “Best-seller” in the 0-50cc bracket with Euro-5-plus compliance was Lexmoto’s distinctly verbose Diablo 50 LJ 50 QT-9M. Leading compliant 125cc machine was Honda’s PCX125 scooter, 116 of them – possibly derogated – no doubt competing for a slice of the sales action versus a host of similar pre-registered models.
The 126-500cc range dropped by 30.5% to 621 units. Some 51 representatives of Honda’s new bargain-basement GB350S took best-selling honours. Middleweight 501-750cc volume sank by 34.4% to 290, led by 38 Honda NC750X budget adventure tools. 751-1000cc kit was 35.5% down to 422. The unusual appearance of 32 BMW S1000XR steeds topped that particular pile. Finally, premium 1000cc-plus products copped a 32.6% retreat to 391 units, 50 of which were BMW R1300GS Adventure offerings, the current Motorrad cash cow.
The MCIA’s traditional best-selling brands chart had nothing in the way of year-on-year meaningful respite. Honda registrations had plunged by 36.6% to 688 units. Yamaha was 38.3% down to 453. Triumph slumped by 22.6% to 264. BMW Motorrad fell by 36.6% to 239. Lexmoto was 22.6% lower on 195. KTM, its dealers scratching around for stock and customers anyway, plummeted by 49.1% to 130. Kawasaki was 35.8% adrift at 115. And Royal Enfield completed the list of regulars with a 34.8% drop to 103. Multi-brand distributor MotoGB finalised the top ten thanks to input from 85 SYM and 77 Keeway products registered.
For what it’s worth, overall year-to-date 2025 registrations have now deteriorated by 31.3% to just 7658 units. And to conclude on some really bad news, there are consistent and credible rumours bouncing around our trade sources that stock availability, going forward through March’s crucial new-plate month and into the full-blown season, is likely to be impacted by unwelcome scarcities.
Market decline continues, NMDA urges Government to address uncertainty in sector
“The new motorcycle market continues to decline in 2025, with total registrations dropping by -32.3%” says Symon Cook, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), commenting on the latest MCIA figures.
In February, total registrations dropped by -32.3%, from 5,106 to 3,457 units compared to the same period last year. Total motorcycle sales declined by -32.9% from 4,794 to 3,215 units, whilst moped registrations also dropped by -12.0% to 227 units. Year-to-date figures show a decrease of -31.3% for total registrations.
The majority of motorcycle categories experienced declines during the month, ‘Modern Classic’ saw a decrease of -23.3% for the month to 385 units. ‘Adventure’ dropped by -36.1% to 533 units. ‘Competition’ was the only category to see growth, though it was minimal, by 2.0% from 300 to 306 units.
Electric motorcycles experienced a decline, with registrations dropping from 151 to 127 units, a drop of -15.9%. Year-to-date electric figures are down by -26.0% compared to the same period last year.
In terms of the different ICE capacities, the majority saw declines, except 0-50cc which saw growth of 6.4% from 172 to 183 units. The 126-500cc category fell by -30.5% as did the larger engines, with 751-1000cc dropping by -35.5%.
Symon Cook concluded: “The figures are not unexpected, given that February is typically a slower month for the market. However, they are concerning as they show a significant decline compared to the previous year, including for electric models.
“It is essential for the government addresses the uncertainty in the sector, with motorcycles needing to be included in transport policy and greater clarity provided on issues like decarbonisation.
“Despite the February figures, NMDA members remain optimistic for 2025. With warmer spring weather and with March being a plate change, the market is expected to receive an additional boost.”