August 2023 Registrations

BDN Commentry

Registrations sun fails to shine again

As what may prove to be a “winter of discontent” approaches, August new bike registrations didn’t offer much light relief – quite the contrary, in fact. BDN financial editor Roger Willis examines a weakening market.

Total headcount for the month declined by 7.1% to 8209 units. Motorcycles pretty much held station, just 0.2% down to 5807. But scooters comprehensively blotted their copybook, losing 20.9% at 1858. Mopeds weren’t much better, 19.3% in arrears to a mere 486. Trikes sank by 14.7% to 58.

Petrolhead products suffered an overall 4.5% retreat to 7875 units. Worst afflicted was the up-to-125cc sector encompassing entry-level mobility and delivery fleet sales, which shrivelled by 17.1% to 3458. The 126-500cc band, mixing higher-end mobility and budget/A2 enthusiast appeal, was also 8.1% down on 1100.

However, saving graces for dealers were available in the 501-750cc and 751-1000cc slots. The former put on 19.8% to 932, while the latter added a powerful 31.2% to 1316. In both cases, budget-priced twins were to the fore as best-sellers, respectively, Royal Enfield’s Super Meteor 650 and the Honda CB750 Hornet (featuring an actual 755cc).

Over-1000cc machines copped a fairly marginal 2.6% loss at 1069. But BMW Motorrad vendors were no doubt happy to snatch an 11.8% market share of that with the top-dollar R1250 GS Adventure offering’s leadership.

As for the still rapidly disappearing battery-electric PTW firmament, full sordid details of which can be found on page 25 of this issue, August saw a 43.7% reduction in sparkiness to an almost gestural 334 units.

Best-selling brand performance seemed to be all about stock availability or otherwise, hold-offs for September’s new-plate seasonal swansong splurge and creeping consumer reluctance to spend.

Market-dominant Honda was the sole representative counting in four figures but its sales dropped by 3.4%. Some 293 samples of Honda’s PCX125 fleet-fodder scooter accounted for a fifth of monthly output. Runner-up Yamaha, on the other hand, soared by 17.7%, although the company sold more than 500 fewer machines. Kawasaki, in third spot, went ballistic on 131.5% growth, recovering mightily from an abject stock famine in August last year.

BMW shrank by 1.5% as punters waited for the September plate. Nevertheless, the aforementioned cash-cow R1250 GS Adventure filled virtually a quarter of its entire monthly registrations. KTM rose by 7.6%, while Triumph was 3.7% down. Royal Enfield flatlined, 0.5% in arrears. However, 79 samples of the Hunter 350 took Modern Classic style category and 126-500cc band best-seller laurels. Another 82 samples of the Super Meteor 650 did the same for Custom and – as already mentioned – the 501-750cc slot. Together, they totalled about 40% of brand sales.

Suzuki surfaced in eighth position, having failed to make the top-ten grade at all last August. Lexmoto crawled into ninth, a painful 32.6% down. MotoGB’s Chinese Keeway brand closed the gate. Piaggio and MotoGB’s Benelli brand, listed in August 2022, were non-starters this time around.

For the eight months of 2023 to date, total registrations have declined by 4% to 80,500. Motorcycles are 1.4% positive on 60,151, scooters are 14.1% negative on 16,242 and mopeds are down the can to the tune of 31% at 3473. Within that, ICE machines are 1.4% adrift to 77,853 and electric kit has plunged by 45.2% to 2647.

“It is disappointing to see sales figures for August fall during the prime summer months, where motorcycle riders experience their greatest opportunity,” commented Symon Cook, head of The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), commenting on the latest MCIA registration figures for August.

“Adverse weather will have been a significant contributor towards thisdecline, as well as the all-important plate change month influencing riders to hold off on their purchases until September,” he added.

In August, total registrations fell by 7.1% from 8841 to 8209 units. The year-to-date market trails by 4%, with 80,500 units registered overall this year, falling from 83,821 at the same point last year.

“Some sectors performed particularly well this month, with ‘unspecified’ increasing by 211.1%, from 9 to 28 units; ‘road sport’ rising by 19.7%, from 583 to 698 units; ‘Custom’ motorcycles increased by 18.8%, from 528 to 627 units; and ‘competition’ PTW’s rose by 12.7% to 399 units.

“The highest registering sector, namely scooters, fell by 20.9%, from 2350 units to 1858, which is disappointing for this time of year.

“Honda continues to lead the market as the manufacturer with the most registrations, despite its overal figure falling 3.4%, and its Honda PCX 125 scooter was the overall most-regstered model achieving 293 registrations.”

Cook rounded-off with an upbeat prediction of where the market is headed: “Dealers predict that the new plate change month of September will encourage a spike in registrations and tail off summer on a more positive note.”