| Registrations by style | ||||||
| Year to Date | ||||||
| MOPEDS | Jan 2024 | Jan 2023 | % Change | Jan 2024 | Jan 2023 | % Change |
| Moped Naked | 35 | 25 | 40.0% | 35 | 25 | 40.0% |
| Moped Other | 72 | 70 | 2.9% | 72 | 70 | 2.9% |
| Moped Scooters | 250 | 244 | 2.5% | 250 | 244 | 2.5% |
| TOTAL MOPEDS | 357 | 339 | 5.3% | 357 | 339 | 5.3% |
| MOTORCYCLES | ||||||
| Adventure | 1128 | 978 | 15.3% | 1128 | 978 | 15.3% |
| Competition | 426 | 466 | -8.6% | 426 | 466 | -8.6% |
| Custom | 262 | 275 | -4.7% | 262 | 275 | -4.7% |
| Modern Classic | 631 | 524 | 20.4% | 631 | 524 | 20.4% |
| Naked | 1099 | 1142 | -3.8% | 1099 | 1142 | -3.8% |
| Road Sport | 415 | 399 | 4.0% | 415 | 399 | 4.0% |
| Scooter | 1590 | 1447 | 9.9% | 1590 | 1447 | 9.9% |
| Touring | 80 | 141 | -43.3% | 80 | 141 | -43.3% |
| Unspecified | 25 | 9 | 177.8% | 25 | 9 | 177.8% |
| TOTAL MOTORCYCLES | 5656 | 5381 | 5.1% | 5656 | 5381 | 5.1% |
| TRICYCLES | ||||||
| Other | 10 | 25 | -60.0% | 10 | 25 | -60.0% |
| Scooter | 20 | 2 | 0.0% | 20 | 2 | 0.0% |
| TOTAL TRICYCLES | 30 | 45 | -33.3% | 30 | 27 | -33.3% |
| TOTAL REGISTRATIONS | 6043 | 5765 | 4.8% | 6043 | 5765 | 4.8% |
| Registrations by capacity | ||||||
| Year to Date | ||||||
| ENGINE BAND | Jan 2024 | Jan 2023 | % Change | Jan 2024 | Jan 2023 | % Change |
| 0 – 50cc | 251 | 256 | -2.0% | 251 | 256 | -2.0% |
| 51 – 125cc | 2231 | 2251 | -0.9% | 2231 | 2251 | -0.9% |
| 126-500cc | 1256 | 1006 | 24.9% | 1256 | 1006 | 24.9% |
| 501 – 750cc | 494 | 648 | -23.8% | 494 | 648 | -23.8% |
| 751 – 1000cc | 803 | 589 | 36.3% | 803 | 589 | 36.3% |
| over 1000cc | 755 | 814 | -7.2% | 755 | 814 | -7.2% |
| TOTAL REGISTRATIONS | 5790 | 5564 | 4.1% | 5790 | 5564 | 4.1% |
| Top ten brands | ||
| 1 | Honda | 1333 |
| 2 | Yamaha | 702 |
| 3 | Triumph | 616 |
| 4 | Suzuki | 420 |
| 5 | BMW | 327 |
| 6 | KTM | 274 |
| 7 | Lexmoto | 254 |
| 8 | Royal Enfield | 167 |
| 9 | Kawasaki | 166 |
| 10 | Piaggio | 137 |
Registrations ricochet
Bouncing off a fairly grim year-end and a particularly poor showing 12 months earlier, January’s modest registrations positivity had a lot to do with the unusual appearance of pre-season model releases courtesy of Triumph and BMW Motorrad, aided and abetted by more cheeky fleet sales from Yamaha and Suzuki pushing hard. So at least, for some dealers, it was worth going to work.
Total headcount was 4.8% up to 6043. The petrolhead contingent rose by 4.1% to 5790, and battery-electric stuff asserted its presence with a 25.9% surge – albeit to only 253 units. Scooters led on a 9.9% advance to 1590, mopeds added 5.3% to 357 and motorcycles grew by 3.4% to 4066. Oh yes, some 30 trikes were 33.3% in arrears too.
In the ICE sphere, up-to-125cc mobility and last-mile delivery products retreated marginally by 1% to 2482 units. But a 315-strong fleet factor of NMax 125 scooters kept Yamaha’s corporate till jingling, and Suzuki’s emporia made their mark with a wedge of GSX-S AND GSX-R 125 pocket rockets. Stepping up to the 126-500cc slot, Triumph dealers plated 130 samples of the new-for-2024 Speed 400 single. Although it’s fair to assume some would have been demonstrators, that contributed to a 24.9% segment gain. The 501-750cc range wasn’t so lucky, falling by 23.8% to fewer than 500 bikes. However, 751-1000cc popularity didn’t wane, boasting a 36.3% lift. Finally, although 1000cc-plus products were 7.2% down to 755 units, 13% of them were top-dollar BMW R1300GS steeds.
The best-selling brands chart held a few surprises too. Inevitably, Honda clung to leadership, a thin 2.6% increase and sole ownership of a four-figure tally. Runner-up Yamaha was a long way behind and 1% down. More than 40% of its registrations constituted the aforementioned NMax 125 fleet. Triumph in third had real bragging rights, adding 80.6% thanks to serried ranks of Speed 400 and some 660 Trident tackle in a budget bonanza.
Suzuki beat BMW Motorrad to fourth spot, 40.5% up against a Teutonic 9.7% slump. (How Suzuki’s luck has changed!). KTM and then Lexmoto followed, respectively on 9.6% and 23.3% gains. Royal Enfield crept into eighth but was 28% down year-on-year. Kawasaki and then Piaggio closed the door with respective 5.1% and 11% losses.
Roger Willis
BDN Financial Editor
Year starts strongly, but electric adoption remains slow
W
ith the final months of 2023 signalling a challenging time for motorcycle sales, it is promising to see a turnaround as we enter 2024. It is encouraging to see these positive sales when we look at the current economic climate and the impact of the usual winter months,” says Symon Cook, head of the NMDA, commenting on the latest MCIA registration figures.
In January, there was a 4.8% increase in total registrations year-on-year, from 5765 to 6043 units. Total moped and motorcycle sales increased by 5.3% and 5.1%, respectively.
Most motorcycle style categories saw an increase in registrations. The adventure and modern classic categories witnessed the most significant rises, going from 978 to 1128 and from 524 to 631 units respectively, equating to increases of 15.3% and 20.4%. Looking at the figures, most motorcycle categories continue to see growth. However, some saw a slight decrease, such as competition, which saw a drop of 8.6%, and touring, which saw a decrease of 43.4%.
In the current market landscape, electric registrations increased from 201 to 253 units, a year-on-year increase of 25.9%, signalling that electric adoption is slow, but steadily increasing.
January’s figures also revealed a decrease in 501-750cc motorcycles of 23.8%, however, 126-500cc motorcycles saw an increase of 24.9%, and 751-1000cc saw a rise of 36.3%.
Honda remains the top-selling brand in the market, with 1333 units sold in January. Yamaha comes in second with 702 units. Triumph completes the top three with 616 units, whilst Piaggio completes the top 10 with 137 units.
Cook concluded: “With January typically being a slower month for two-wheeler registrations, these figures signal a good start to the year. Regarding electric motorcycle registrations, it is great to see a slight increase, considering that these have typically struggled, especially in comparison to their four-wheel counterparts. We can expect and hope this increase will continue throughout the year. Hopefully, as the year progresses, so too will the registrations of all types of motorcycles.”