Whether you’re new to the world of motorbikes, or have been a part of the scene for a long time, buying a new motorbike isn’t something that should be rushed into. Looking into the current state of the industry can be helpful in determining which motorcycles are the most popular and how many people are registering for vehicles. New motorcycle registrations have dropped by 17.8% in August compared to the same month last year, according to figures released by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA). Last month, there were 6856 new registrations compared to 8341.
This points towards a consistent decline, as MCIA reported that motorbike registrations had dropped by 12.8% in July 2017 compared to July 2016. By this point last year, a total of 85,413 motorcycles had been registered, whereas 73,279 have been registered in 2017. The total registrations have dropped to 14.2%.
Of all the engine types, 51 – 125 cc motorbikes showed the biggest drop in registrations. 2574 were registered in August 2017, whereas 4019 were registered in August 2016. Motorbikes with engines of 651 cc and over showed an increase in registrations. For example, the number of motorcycles with engines of over 1000 cc increased from 1052 to 1105 registrations.
Faster motorbikes are on the rise, with Adventure Sport models being a popular choice in August. A total number of 1003 were registered compared to 812 registered in August 2016.
The most popular model bought last month was the Honda PCX 125 with 169 registrations. The popularity of the Honda PCX 125 contrasts with the decline of 51 – 125 cc engine machines. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of the model that’s made it so appealing.
The following table shows the most popular brand registrations:
| MAJOR BRANDS | August 2017 Registrations |
| HONDA | 1316 |
| YAMAHA | 963 |
| TRIUMPH | 532 |
| LEXMOTO | 392 |
| KAWASAKI | 375 |
| BMW | 370 |
| KTM | 337 |
| SUZUKI | 314 |
| HARLEY-DAVIDSON | 254 |
| PIAGGIO | 234 |
The key takeaways from the MCIA statistics are that despite the decline in new registrations, people are starting to invest more in faster motorbikes and Honda models are proving to be popular with the public.
Do you own or are you planning to buy any of the most popular models from the statistics? We’d love to see any pictures you have! Feel free to show us on our Inside Bikes Facebook Page.
