Registrations of new motorcycles have increased for the seventh consecutive month, leading to a revised forecast for the full year.
The latest figures from the Motorcycle Industry Association show that 8,800 motorcycles and 1,086 mopeds were registered in July 2014. The combined total of 9,886 represents an increase of 13.9% from 8,681 in July 2013.
For the year to date, January through to July, total registrations reached 63,880. That’s up 11.4% compared with the same period last year.
Commenting on the sales figures, Steve Kenward, chief executive of the Motorcycle Industry Association, said: “At the beginning of the year, we forecast the sale of around 92,000 motorcycles. As a result of strong performance, we have revised this to around 100,000 units for 2014.”
The biggest increase in July was seen in naked motorcycles, with new registrations for this type of bike rising by 39.2% from July 2013. Year to date, registrations of naked bikes were up 37.7%.
Naked bikes are defined as machines that are built to a basic specification with no fairing (or only a small handlebar fairing) and an upright riding position. Engines are large to medium and often called retro, the Motorcycle Industry Association said.
Looking at the top ten brands in July 2014, Honda and Yamaha were the clear leaders, with Triumph in third place. BMW and Kawasaki completed the top five. Harley-Davidson was in sixth position, followed by Suzuki, Piaggio, KTM and Lexmoto.
