New plate sales up, but 10.4% down on two years ago

The new plate’s arrival in March is supposed to herald a series of expectations – not least rubber-stamping the year’s early traditional sales surge and flagging up confident signals of market recovery to come. Unsurprisingly, therefore, when delivery doesn’t go quite according to plan, we can be forgiven for developing a nervous twitch.

At first glance, a 15.1% year-on-year hike to 15,056 units seems OK, until it’s put into context. March 2025 registered 13,086, down from 16,803 in March 2024, 17,443 in March 2023 and 16,784 in March 2022. So we’re still on the slippery slide.

This time around, total motorcycles registered stood at 14,572, a 15.4% gain, over-50cc scooters were 20% up to 2404 and mopeds added just 1% to 392. Trikes climbed by 31.4% to 92. With seven of them Harley-Davidson TriGlide Ultras and a further 28 as Piaggio MP3 310 S HPE models.

Sticking to the more stable definition of internal combustion power, the total number of machines thus equipped rose by 16.1% to 14,789. Starting at basic 0-50cc mobility, this sector grew by 9.3% to 329 units. Best sellers were 48 Lexmoto Diablo 50 LJ mopeds. Moving a big step up the 51-125cc entry-level mobility and delivery chain, dealers plated 29.8% growth to 3475 units. A fleet of 296 Honda PCX 125 scooters were dominant. Honda and Yamaha also shifted motorcycle headcount respectively spanning 201 CB125F and 76 WR125R models.

The bargain-oriented 126-500cc slot was less lively, rising by 11.2% to 2791 units. Some 129 Jawa-engined BSA Bantam models from Mahindra claimed best-seller status. The 501-750cc sector grew the most, stacking on 34.3% to 2209 units. Honda’s NC750X took top honours with 203 bikes sold. Royal Enfield entered the fold with a more modest 67 Super Meteor 650 models ridden away from showrooms.

The 751-1000cc sector was significantly less active, adding 7.7% to a tally of 3256 units. 120 of them were Kawasaki Z900 best sellers. Premium 1000cc-plus products expanded by only 5.7% to 2729 units. These included sales leadership from 309 samples of the basic BMW Motorrad R1300GS model and 108 R1300RS “sport tourers”

Accumulated volume of the ten best-selling brands during March 2026 amounted to 11,168 units, 957 up on the 10,211-strong equivalent in March 2025. However, individual positions were erratic, particularly at the sharp end. As usual, Honda led the field, but its 2704-unit headcount fell by 56. BMW Motorrad was a loser too, down by 43 units to 1735. Triumph was first to boast a gain, rising by 40 units to 1531. Yamaha added 287 units to 1368 and Kawasaki improved by 284 units to 1183.

Among the lower echelons, Suzuki put on 79 units to 627. Royal Enfield followed, selling a minimal addition of six bikes in a tally of 539. Ducati upped its stake by 67 units at 524. Lexmoto bolstered the Chinese corner with 135 more units, taking its reckoning to 497. And finally, KTM increased its presence by 158 units to 460.

Total 2026 year-to-date registrations have now increased by 15.2% to 23,898. The crucial internal combustion firmament upon which our industry depends is 16.3% up to 23,381, representing year-on-year growth of only 3285 units. And for what little it’s worth, the battery-electric contribution has shrunk by 20.2% to just 517 units.

Solid start to year brings optimism

With new L-Category vehicle registrations showing a continued growth of 15% at the close of March, the head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), Symon Cook, remains optimistic about the momentum built in the first quarter of 2026.

“The numbers are a welcome sign. It’s not entirely surprising, given the results we saw at the end of last year, that March has maintained the fantastic start to 2026 that we saw in January and February.”

Growth for the month finished 15.1% ahead of the same month in 2025, bringing a total performance improvement of 15.2% for the year so far. Motorcycles recorded a solid 14.6% increase for the quarter, while scooters remained the standout segment, growing by 17.5% according to the figures released by the MCIA.

Cook continued: “The strong beginning is a really encouraging sign for what’s ahead. Even amid some early economic uncertainty, demand has held up well, driven by a committed customer base and dealers working hard to meet their needs. Ongoing international tensions, from shipping disruption to rising energy costs, haven’t dampened that pace, which gives us confidence for the rest of the year.”