Slow start to the year for UK motorbike sales

UK motorcycle sales were down 14 per cent in January, compared with the same month last year. According to the National Motorcycle Dealers Association, poor sales can be attributed to the “arctic weather” that affected much of the country during the middle of month.

Furthermore, recent decline in sales of 51cc-125cc motorcycles during the last two months continues, with a 12.7 per cent drop in registrations during the period. Last year, dealers relied on the turnover from these models to compensate for the decline in sales of larger machines. 

The only sector to buck the trend and outsell the previous January was Trail/Enduro bikes, where sales increased by 29.9 per cent. However, due to the much smaller market, this equates to an increase of just 87 machines.

Sue Robinson, of the National Motorcycles Dealers Association, commented: “The January motorcycle market tends to perform poorly, due to consumers reigning in spending after the Christmas period, combined with inclement weather. The pressure is on the manufacturers to stimulate interest with marketing offers and keen pricing, in order to persuade customers to consider motorcycling as an alternative for commuting.” 

Most of the major brands took their routine position in the sales statistics with the exception of Suzuki and Ducati who failed to make it into the top 10 models. Two lower volume brands to enter the top ten this month were Lexmoto in fifth position and Peugeot in eighth position, proving that demand still continues for good value small motorcycles.