January 2021 Registrations

UK 

08/02/2021

Doomsters and gloomsters shouldn’t jump to the wrong conclusions about January’s MCIA new registrations data. There were a lot of factors in play. BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports.

Overall numbers were 37.6% down to 3834. Motorcycles fell by 44.7% to 2423. Scooters sank by a more reasonable 23.5% to 1015. Mopeds were 11.8% lower at 351. But the 0-50cc power band in which they reside, including equivalent e-bikes, increased by 19.8% to 520. Trikes added 15.4% to 45.

So what are the ameliorating influences? After December’s underogated Euro 4 preregistrations party, there was always going to be a hangover. The sell-through of already-plated machines would inevitably cause a downwards distortion.

In addition, many brands are desperately short of inventory, due to freshly-imposed importation bureaucracy and logistics hurdles post-Brexit. Supply chains will settle down. But it’ll take some time to overcome delays.

And then particularly horrible winter weather throughout much of the UK has coincided with this latest ongoing Covid lockdown. The vast majority of dealerships remained open behind locked showroom doors, selling remotely and completing deals via either click-and-collect round the back at their workshop entrances or with home deliveries. But persistent rain, snow, frost, ice and gale-force winds hardly enhanced motorcycling USPs.

However, demand for self-isolating mobility solutions as a much safer alternative to public mass transport clearly didn’t go away. That aforementioned 0-50cc band bucked January’s shrinkage trend altogether. And it’s interesting to note that 64 samples of Vmoto’s 4kW Super Soco CPx electric scooter achieved highest-registered status in the band.

Total scooters including moped versions were just 22.8% down to 1279. In a broadly similar vein, 51-125cc machines declined by 27.9% to 1481. Honda’s SH125 claimed both scooter and eighth-litre leadership accolades. These figures stand in stark contrast to the entire 126cc-plus market, which halved — plummeting by 49.9% to 1833 machines.

Major brand rankings were fairly opaque. Honda held its usual hegemony but plunged by 57.1%.. Lexmoto was a surprising runner-up, given the large number of bikes it was obliged to preregister in December, 37% in arrears. The Chinese brand’s LXR125SY was also highest-registered (and presumably derogated) supersport product. KTM in third podium position was 35.4% down, and had enough leftover 300EXC TPI enduro ironmongery with appropriate status to dominate the relevant style category.

Yamaha fell to fourth place with a 61.6% loss. Anecdotally, we understand it is particularly challenged by supply-chain problems from Europe. But there was still sufficient made-in-France Ténéré 700 stock around to top the 651-1000cc chart. Whether BMW Motorrad, 41.9% lower in fifth, has sourcing issues is unknown. However, its R1250GS Adventure hung onto supremacy in the eponymous style sector.

Sixth-ranked Triumph sank by 60.8% and Kawasaki was the final comparable brand on a 33.2% reduction in seventh. A mere 17 samples of the Ninja 1000SX earned sport/tour stardom. Below them, completing a ten-strong grid, were respectively Piaggio, SYM and Keeway. They replaced Suzuki, Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield appearances in the January 2020 rankings — all of whom must therefore have registered fewer than 89 machines each in the first month of this year.

UK 

09/02/2021

“Following a particularly strong year that demonstrated the ability of businesses to adapt and embrace click & collect, January’s decline indicates a degree of weariness in the marketplace, but dealers remain positive about 2021”, said Paddy O’Connell, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) commenting on the latest MCIA’s registration figures.

MCIA’s latest statistics showed the overall Power-Two-Wheeler (PTW) market was down 36.7% in January, a total of 2,312 fewer units sold compared to the same period last year. With much of the UK plunged into further Covid related restrictions from January, the “weariness of the marketplace” may have contributed to the drop in motorcycle and scooter sales, respectively down -43.1% and -22.8%.

Despite the fall in January, Honda remains the major brand seller with 549 units, followed by Lexmoto (310 units) and KTM (288 units). The BMW R 1250 GS Adventure retains the top spot of highest selling motorcycle (62 Units), showing that riders may continue to consider their leisure use and longer journeys this year, with a number of travel restrictions to remain in place. On a positive note, the sale of electric PTWs increased by 166.7% (180 units), as more products become available.

There is no doubt that the cessation of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) has negatively impacted the sales of the smaller CC PTWs, despite the highest registering scooter, the Honda SH 125, managing sales of 159 units. NMDA has repeatedly highlighted the issue to the Government and indicated that there is a large proportion of riders who need to renew training in order to keep in gainful employment and many last-mile delivery services requiring new staff to cope with enhanced demand resulting from the latest lockdown.

Paddy O’Connell, Head of NMDA, added: “Overall, NMDA members have expressed a positive outlook for 2021, with many budgeting for a strong year of sales as riders, both new and old alike, are expected to turn to PTWs for leisure travel and escapism.

“These ‘new’ riders will be critical to success in 2021. Attracting different age demographics to our products has long been a concern and we need to, as an industry, work further together to highlight all the benefits of PTWs”.