UK SALES SUN SHINES ON

Jeremiahs warning of impending UK bike market deterioration couldn’t have drawn much support for their opinions from May’s MCIA registration statistics, which were cheerfully positive overall — and particularly good news for Yamaha. 

Total powered two-wheeler registrations for the month were 10.7% up at 11,638 units. Motorcycles grew by 13.5% to 8578 units and scooters rose by 11.7% to 2278 units. But sadly, 50cc moped sector collapse continues to queer the pitch, declining once again by 14.4% to 782 units.

Dominant style categories were Naked and Adventure Sport. The former was 28.6% up on 3424 units and the latter stacked on 28.1% at 1687 units. Yamaha led those and Supersport (the third-biggest slot by volume) with, respectively, its MT-07 ABS, MT-09 Tracer and YZF-R125 ABS products. The brand’s YZF-R3 also headed up the 126-650cc engine band.

And dealers across the board should be rubbing their hands in glee at a clear ongoing trend towards more profitable higher-capacity machines. Over-125cc bikes represented 56.4% of the entire monthly market. Better still, over-650cc stuff accounted for 43.4% of it.

Honda managed to maintain market leadership with Yamaha runner-up and Triumph in third spot. BMW and Kawasaki completed the top five. This is exactly the same pecking order as in May last year. But a month-on-month annual numbers comparison tells a more interesting story, given we are now into key peak-season sales performance.

Honda increased its May registrations by just 2.3% to 1963 units. But Yamaha aggressively closed the gap with a 14% lunge upwards to 1779 units. Triumph, meanwhile, lost ground as its tally fell by 7% to 915 units. Both BMW and Kawasaki reeled the British flag-carrier in with respective 7.8% and 15.6% improvements.

There were points worth noting further down the top-ten charts too. Leading Chinese brand Lexmoto in sixth place more than doubled its sales to 604 units. Ducati was 42.4% up, having shifted 524 Italian stallions. And an end to Suzuki’s misery may be in sight if a 51% surge to an identical 524 units can be sustained. Harley, on the other hand, backed off by 5.1% — down to 463 units.

For the year to date, UK registrations are now 11.3% up at 47,837 units.