Are automatic motorbikes the next big thing?
Three manufacturers (BMW, KTM and Yamaha) are bringing out automatic transmission systems for their motorbikes in 2025, which electronically activate the clutch and allow riders a choice between shifting manually or having a fully automatic transmission.
On paper it is a smart move, making motorcycling more accessible and helping attract a new audience on to two wheels. Will it have the desired effect? Will they have die-hard bikers chopping in their manuals… or will they be disappointing flops? We’ll be keeping an eye on the sales charts to find out.
And what about electrics?
How often have we heard the words ‘it’s the future’ with regards to electric motorcycles, usually through clenched teeth by veteran bikers.
The problem is, despite being ‘the future’ electric motorcycles have failed to make any significant impact on the sales charts for over a decade now. Ok, Chinese tiddlers NIU and Super Soco made a bit of a fist of it during the Covid years but that bubble seems to have burst, while high performance EV superbikes remain a novelty. Sales remain largely insignificant and last year even saw Italian trailblazer Energica go to the wall. American maker Zero, the ‘two-wheeled Tesla’ perseveres and recently announced its ‘All Access’ programme with a commitment to make more affordable machines, with six new models under £10k planned for coming years. Is that enough to convince British bikers of an electric future? As much as we love ‘em, we remain to be convinced…
Will small/cheap bikes continue to appeal?
Triumph arguably delivered the bikes of 2024 with their new-from-the-ground-up 400cc single-cylinder range. Following on from the success shown by Royal Enfield, and opening up a whole host of new markets for the iconic British brand, the Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X were instant best sellers.
Honda is now taking them on with the stylish looking £3949 GB350S and we think it’ll be a winner too. Will that encourage other manufacturers to expand their range downwards too? We’d like to think so!
Will next generation supersport bikes reignite interest in race replicas?
We all know sportsbikes have fallen out of favour in recent years, replaced largely by more practical and comfortable adventure bikes, but could 2025 see a reversal in the trend? Having seen the once huge 600cc supersport class decimated, the few 1000cc superbikes still on sale exist largely to just to provide a base product for production racing.
But the sports bike isn’t dead yet, and some new and more accessible models are trying to breathe some life into this dying class. This could be the year when we finally discover if there really is an appetite for racy roadgoing machines? Ducati has launched its new Panigale V2, a machine which is slower and less powerful than the model it replaces, while Yamaha’s much anticipated R9 is based on the MT-09 roadster and is essentially a replacement for the legendary R6. These bikes will go head-to-head on the race track, as part of the world supersport championship. We’re curious to see if these less extreme new generation models will be as popular with road riders as they’ll surely be with racers and racing fans.
Will Chinese manufacturers make their big breakthrough?
Just as the Japanese came from almost nowhere to dominate the global motorcycle market in the 1970s, it now feels like a Chinese invasion is not too far away.
Chinese brands are already on sale in the UK and are no longer the joke they once were, with the likes of Voge and CF Moto bringing good quality bikes to market at very reasonable prices. We’re seeing Kove and QJMotor entering world championship racing, and India’s Royal Enfield has shown that consumers will snap up good quality bikes if the price is right, regardless of where they are made. With many Chinese companies partnering with European manufacturers, we expect to see some shaking up in the traditional order, if not in 2025 then definitely in the not too distant future.
What next for KTM?
KTM’s woes are well documented. Placed into self-administration in late November, the Austrian brand was never out of the headlines in December – usually for all the wrong reasons.
Overproduction and poor sales are the main reasons cited for the failure, but what’s most important now is the recovery plan. As we write this there’s still no clear roadmap for KTM’s turnaround, but we hope that whatever happens Europe’s biggest bike maker is saved, along with the many livelihoods associated with it. We expect things to become clearer by the end of January, although the storm will likely continue for months and maybe even years.
Can dealers survive these rocky times?
Talking of tough times, 2024 was a really difficult time to be a motorcycle dealer. With customers strapped for cash and overheads going through the roof, many dealerships struggled to keep the lights on and called it quits after a lacklustre summer sales season left them with plenty of expensive stock sitting on the showroom floor.
There’s no doubt 2025 is going to be tough too, although a brief rally in the market late in the year gives some reason for optimism. Our hope is that those surviving dealers are able to ride out the storm and that we’re all in a position to get out and get the motorcycling economy moving again in 2025.
What drama awaits away from the racetrack?
Motorbike racing always creates dramas and headlines, especially in the mid-season when riders look to transfer to new teams for 2026.
On track, we expect the main story to be about Marc Marquez as he starts his life as a factory Ducati rider, but the subplots will be strong too – with world champ Jorge Martin moving from Ducati to Aprilia and Honda and Yamaha looking to build bikes capable of fighting for honours again – the latter widely reported to be developing a V4 engine for its YZR-M1.
Off track it should be a quieter year, with most top riders in the first of two year deals, but we think the KTM situation and the delayed sale of the championship to Liberty Media will cause huge waves behind the scenes too.
Will KTM race? What will happen to their top man Pedro Acosta? Will BMW or Suzuki step back in and will Toprak Razgatlioglu make the move from WorldSBK (where he is a strong favourite for a third title) as is often rumoured.
Whatever happens on track, behind the scenes is set to be fascinating.
Can anyone stop Honda in the sales charts?
Honda is the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer and have traditionally topped the sales charts in countries around the world, including here in the UK. Recent years have seen the company’s utilitarian offerings, like the evergreen CB125F and PCX125 thrive – appealing to fleet users while expensive sportsbikes and tourers struggled – but 2025 looks like being a year when the Big H comes out swinging in all sectors. The new Hornet 1000 looks like incredible value, with an £8999 price tag that must have Mr. Kawasaki and Mr. Suzuki tearing their hair our, while other budget offerings like the aforementioned GB350S and the ever popular 500 series mean that Honda won’t just be fighting on the strength of their reputation and dealer network, they’re going straight for the jugular on pricing too. Let’s hope it’s not a bloodbath!
Will motorcycling make it onto the policymakers’ agenda?
Transport is always in the news. Whether it’s railways, EVs or cycle lanes, there’s always a new project or policy being introduced to try and reduce emissions or reduce congestion. But, despite very obvious benefits, the British government appears to be completely ignoring motorcycling and the role it can play in the transport mix. In 2024 the new government stated it had ‘no plan to encourage greater uptake of motorcycles’ but the MCIA, the industry’s industry association, continues to lobby hard and keep powered two-wheelers in the spotlight. Will they see the light this year?
