BMW Motorrad sold 80,754 motorcycles and maxi-scooters to retail customers worldwide in the first half of 2016, a 3% year-on-year increase and new all-time record. However, June sales were down by 3.2% to 14,993 units.
During this six-month period, Germany remained BMW’s largest bike market, posting a 2% rise to 13,792 units — although other major European countries delivered stronger growth. Spain was 22.6% up, while Italy and France respectively added 6.9% and 5.6%. The UK was flat, selling just 0.2% more at 5034 units. Asian markets did better. China surged by 74.3% to 2388 units. Thailand was 62.6% up and Japanese sales grew by 10.4%.
The brand was overall German domestic market share leader and also claimed over-500cc sector leadership in Spain, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
Inevitably, BMW’s global best-seller was the R1200GS, up by 3.8% to 14,630 bikes. But the basic big-inch GS was chased by 11,732 samples of its higher-spec Adventure variant, sales of which grew by 12.5%. Four-cylinder models, the S1000XR adventure tool and S1000RR superbike, took third and fourth spots with respectively 5480 and 5291 units. The R1200RT touring boxer followed in fifth place on 5123 units and the retro R NineT was sixth at 4629 units. C650 maxi-scooter variants together accounted for 5259 sales, a 73.2% improvement.
Commenting on the results, BMW Motorrad head of sales and marketing Heiner Faust said: “Based on this positive development we will now strive to achieve another sales record for the year as a whole.”