UK Motorcycle sales recovery gathers pace, sales up 31% in August

The strong recovery of the motorcycle industry following the end of 2020’s protracted lockdown period continued into August with sales climbing more than 30% compared with the same period in 2019.

Following on from similarly buoyant returns to the black in both June and July, the third of the summer months continued the momentum with 9,087 PTWs (powered two wheelers) being shifted over the course of the month.

That’s compared with 6,924 units in 2019, totalling a huge 31.2% boost year-on-year, according to the Motorcycles Industry Association (MCIA).

All categories enjoyed sizeable gains over 2019, notably the Adventure Sport (+31.1%), Naked motorcycles (+34.4%) and Touring motorcycles (+43.6%) sectors.

The strong return to form means the industry is unlikely to suffer such a huge gulf in end of year sales.

Indeed, even the MCIA predicted sales could be as much as 25% down over the 12 month period, but while the deficit come the end of May stood at 35.5% year-on-year, this has already been slimmed down to 11.7%.

What was the UK’s best-selling motorcycles of August 2020?

No great surprises as Honda continued to consolidate its dominant #1 position in the sales charts, the Japanese firm shifting 1,598 PTWs and having the best-selling model of the month in the Honda PCX 125 scooter.

Yamaha maintained its customary second place spot behind Honda with 881 sales in August 2020, its most eye-catching performer being the Yamaha Tenere 700, which topped the charts in the Adventure Sport class.

Lexmoto ended the month the third best selling brand, ahead of Kawasaki - helped by the Ninja 1000 SX holding firm at the top of the Sport Touring sector - KTM and BMW, the overseas brands getting the better of Britain’s Triumph Motorcycles on home soil.

Suzuki held down eighth overall, with Piaggio and Harley-Davidson rounding out the top ten.