2018 motorcycle sales have taken a weather beating
April motorcycle registrations are down 13.1% on last year
BAD British weather isn’t just affecting our moods – apparently bike sales have taken a hit, too.
April motorcycle registrations totalled just 9,095, a 13.1% decline over the same month last year. Year to date, sales are just 0.5% up on 2017, some of which may be due to early-year incentives.
Dealers reportedly blamed a cold March for a slow start to this year’s motorcycle season, which was further delayed by a wet April.
According to Motoring Research, experts at Glass’s described the low sales situation as “very disappointing,” although added that “it would be naive to blame the weather entirely for the supressed market. Economic uncertainty continues to linker and hinder consumer confidence…. Thefts, particularly in cities, and rising insurance premiums, are also having a negative effect.”
Last year, 104,655 motorcycles were registered in the UK, down significantly on 2016, which saw sales of 127,702 bikes. Whether 2018 will be able to match or better 2017 is looking unlikely now.
Interestingly, while Adventure Sports sales fell 19.4%, Trail and Enduro bikes were up 27.4 percent and the Touring sector saw a huge 54.8% growth. Scooters grew 7.2%, while mopeds declined 31.4%. Finally, sales of naked bikes fell 14.1%. Among the most popular machines in dealers at the moment is the Kawasaki Z900 RS, Yamaha’s MT-10, the Triumph Speed Triple RS and Suzuki’s GSX-125 models.
