March bike sales drop 11.8%
Added on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor | One Comment
March bike sales drop 11.8%
The latest new machine registration figures for March 2010 show the decline in new motorcycle, scooter and moped sales across the UK shows little sign of ending, reports Alastair Walker.
Overall, two-wheeler registrations in March were down 11.8%, with mopeds down 11.3% and scooters dropping by some 8.3%. On the upside, the March falls were less than the rolling three month average decline of around 20%, so the better weather in March, plus the new registration letter, seem to have perked up the market slightly.
BMW dealers have reason to celebrate this month with the new S1000RR posting 385 registrations, making the top bike in its class. The R1200RT also did well, with 212 units being taxed and made ready for the road in March. BMW were in 4th place in the manufacturer league table in March, just behind Suzuki and ahead of Triumph and Kawasaki.
Honda were the most popular marque last month, with 2,354 units on the road, with Yamaha just behind them. Honda’s VFR1200 picked up another 190 registrations in March, following its successful launch in February and 458 CBF125 machines were logged with the DVLA, almost as many as the entire Piaggio range for the month ( 581 units ).
The market is most definitely being dominated by older riders, as Custom, Touring and Sports-Touring class bikes remained static in terms of registrations, whilst Supersport, Adventure Sport and Trail machines fell sharply, in fact the Supersport class fell by a whopping 27% in March, although at 2900-odd units, it is still a large chunk of the UK motorcycle market.
Small machines continue to struggle, despite the recession and rapidly rising fuel prices. 50cc mopeds and scooters were down 11.3% in March. In hard economic times you would expect car drivers to consider using a moped for commuting, but it doesn’t seem to be happening. On the upside, 50cc-125cc class machines posted a modest 3% rise in March, although they’ve dropped 16% on average in the opening quarter of 2010. Despite the UK industry association calling for a scrappage scheme aimed at encouragng sales of small, fuel-efficient bikes and scooters, there seems no chance of that happening, regardless of who wins the general election. A similar scheme in Italy boosted sub-125cc, Euro 3 compliant class machines in 2009.
Is the MCIA’s Get On campaign enough, post your ideas on promoting the fun, fuel saving and freedom from traffic jams that biking offers here;
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One Comment
Tim
April 14th, 2010It doesn’t surprise me bike sales are down and will keep doing so, fo cheap transport you can buy a Kia Picanto for about £5.5k, 65mpg. £30 a year road tax, tyres @ about £50 per pair (Fronts last about 15k+ miles, rears 20k+ miles, can carry 4 people in the dry…
or get a Bike say CBF600 for about same amount will struggle to do 55mpg, £50 a year road tax, tyres about £100 each (Fronts last 9k miles, rears 6k miles) can carry 2 people in the dry — as long as it’s not raining — need I go on, plus insurance is more on a bike, more vunerable on a bike etc. etc.
I will admit bikes are more fun especially in the nicer weather, but they just aren’t practical, I travel 12 miles to work takes 20 mins in the car door to door, takes 27 mins on the bike by the time yoiu take into account putting on/taking off protective clothing, locking up the bike..