December 2020 Registrations

UK 

12/01/2021

MCIA registration statistics for December were a seasonal fairy tale with Santa’s elves delivering magical numbers — of unsold and underogated Euro 4 stock in urgent need of plates. BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports.

Progressively mounting in degrees of unlikelihood, motorcycles were 45.8% up at 5126, scooters rose by 81.1% to 1916, mopeds climbed by 93.9% to 766 and trikes went ballistic to the tune of 233.3%, a 90-unit tally. The sum total of this monthly extravaganza was alleged 58.1% growth to 7898 machines.

Fantasy figures engulfed every parameter. Stars among style categories shone brightly. Custom was 75.5% higher, led by Lexmoto’s ZSB 125 EFi. Naked put on 51.6%, with Lexmoto’s ISCA 125 SK out in front. Supersport gained 69.9% and Lexmoto’s LXR 125 SY topped that particular pile. Trail/Enduro added 41.8%, as a fleet of KTM 300 EXC TPI enduro bikes took the holeshot.

Capacity classes displayed similar twisted reality. The 0-50cc slot blossomed by 93.7%, with the Yadea C-Like YD 1200 D-11 and Surron Light Bee claiming leadership. The high-volume 51-125cc firmament stacked on 134.9%, dominated by Lexmoto’s Enigma ZS 125 scooter. Middleweight 126-650cc stuff was 22.9% up, with Suzuki’s previously invisible DL650 V-Strom to the fore. The 651-1000cc range was also exuberant, boasting a 23.4% rise. Another Suzuki, the GSX-S750Z Phantom got those laurels.

Only over-1000cc machines spoilt this party, 0.6% down. BMW’s probably Euro 5 compliant R1250GS Adventure received highest-registered honours.

If you haven’t clocked the picture by now, December brand rankings gave the game away. Most major marques, short on stock anyway and obviously more capable of managing Euro 4 derogation issues, suffered registration declines. The three biggest Japanese contenders — Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki — were down respectively by 9.9%, 17.6% and 31.3%. Triumph sank by 21.9%. BMW Motorrad escaped with a minor 0.4% loss.

Primary preregistration culprits were blatantly obvious. Lexmoto apparently usurped Honda from long-standing market hegemony with a ridiculously unfeasible 531.3% monthly growth. Runner-up Suzuki recorded an incredible 180.3% recovery from its weak performance in December 2019. KTM’s 27.9% surge was also somewhat suspicious.

And as for niche retro scooter player Royal Alloy’s sudden ascension into top-ten territory, jaundiced observers would note that its fellow Keeway and SYM brands in the MotoGB distribution stable variously achieved the same feat during October and November, undoubtedly for the same reason.

A sensible estimate of the position, going forward into 2021, is that there are somewhere in the region of 4000 preregistered new bikes now gathering dust in showrooms or sheds, awaiting customers looking for bargains. Given the aforementioned inventory shortages and without this distortion, actual sales in the final month of 2020 probably turned negative. 

UK 

12/01/2021

“A decline of -2.6% in the motorcycle market in a year like 2020 when we faced so many challenges is hugely positive as dealers’ performance exceeded all expectations”, said Paddy O’Connell, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), which represents motorcycle dealers in the UK, commenting on the latest MCIA’s figures.

Despite the multiple challenges that faced businesses in 2020, the motorcycle market ended 2020 with a marginal -2.6% decline from the previous year. A total of 104,612 units were registered, just 2,796 less than in 2019.  Even with the additional restrictions and changes in regulations, motorcycle sales saw a ‘staggering’ 58.1% growth in December.

As consumers continued to choose two wheels to stay ‘Covid safe’ in their commuting, many last-mile delivery businesses required additional scooters and mopeds to meet the rising demand. All of this led to a 10.5% rise in scooter registrations for the year and only a 6.7% drop for motorcycles.

Continually strong performance through the year for adventure sport (-9.9%), sport/tour (-9.5%) and naked bike (-7.9%) segments, indicated that both new and old riders alike were still engaged and wanting to get onto new PTWs. BMW once again showed great traction with the R 1250 GS Adventure and the touring RT.

With no travel, less opportunity to eat/drink out, hardly any live sports or music to watch, one of the biggest winners were the Trail/Enduro bikes (-0.6%). With the KTM 300 EXC outselling the competition in this segment for December, it is encouraging to see that this side of the hobby and leisure market remained strong at the end of the year.

Total registrations for electric motorcycles increased by 51.2% compared to 2019. A final surge in December (+111.9%) showed that consumers are starting to adopt ePTWs as the technology improves and more models become available.

Paddy O’Connell added, “Just for a moment, transport yourself back to the confusion and disarray of the first lockdown in March. If you had asked whether dealers would be happy with registrations declining by -2.6% for the year, there would have been much scoffing and speak of ‘wishful thinking’, but that is exactly where we ended the year.

“Throughout the whole of 2020, motorcycle dealers have shown resilience and flexibility to meet the Government’s closure of foot traffic to their sites. With the lockdowns, tier changes, restricted business practices and all the other obstacles that PTW dealers took into the end of 2020, a 58.1% growth in December is simply staggering”.