Tuesday 10th January 2012

PH2: Motorcycle sales stats for 2011

Bike sales still in a cloud, but at least we can see a silver lining

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Another year ends and, just as the Christmas decorations are packed away under the stairs, the Motorcycle Industry Association has revealed the winners and losers of 2011 when it comes to two-wheel sales.

The big news is that it isn't as bad as we all expected. Yep the world has gone a bit pear-shaped, but new bike sales are only down 2.5 per cent overall compared with 2010. Not that 2010 was exactly a vintage year...

A total of 79,401 two-wheelers were registered in the UK in 2011, of which 18,962 were scooters. In fact scooter sales have leapt 20 per cent in 2011, probably to do with the cost of commuting and the fact that summer wasn't a total wash out.

The biggest selling 'big bike' class continues to be naked machines, selling 16,800 units in 2011 which is a drop of only 5.8 per cent on 2010. The top three are the Honda CBF125 with 2,275, Yamaha YBR 125 with 1,894 and finally a proper bike in the shape of Triumph's Speed Triple, with 757 units shifted. To be fair, lumping 125s in with the nakeds has skewed the figures slightly.

Sports bikes are still popular in the UK, making up the second best selling class with 12,851 sold, a drop of 9.9 per cent on 2010. The top three are Yamaha's YZF125 with 1,363, Honda's Fireblade with 1,121 and BMW's S1000RR with 887.

Finally, bringing up the rear are the good old adventure bikes, which sold 10,570 in 2011, a 13.6 per cent increase on 2010 and proving why every manufacturer is desperate to enter this market. 2012 sees a new Triumph Explorer, Kawasaki Versys 1000 and Honda Crosstourer to name a few of the highlights. What is their target - well what do you expect? BMW's GS tops the adventure class with 1,070 sold, the GS Adventure version second with 867 sold and the Triumph Tiger 800 third with 651.

It's not as bad as many predicted, but it still isn't exactly pretty reading. The big plus side is the number of 125s and scooters being sold. If new riders can be attracted to two wheels, then the future could be a bit brighter.

[Mermaid]

Under 80k altogether - I am very surprised.

[sprinter1050]

Stretching the definition of "sportsbike" a bit to include a YZF125 isn't it.? :

presume it should have been YZF-R1 ?

p.s. shouldn't this item be in BB also anyway?

[Hellbound]

I'm tempted to get on two wheels. Maybe this'll be the year I upgrade my CBT!

[J B L]

sprinter1050 said:

Stretching the definition of "sportsbike" a bit to include a YZF125 isn't it.? :

I'm sorry but this:

when you are 17 is like sex with russian bi twins smeared in chocolate. And it'll do 250mph cranked over, and your mates will believe you, so will the twins. It's a sportbike.

[Jon Urry]

It is the Yamaha 125. Well it has a fairing, which is kind of sporty... The classes are very general, otherwise you get a million and one classes.

[3doorPete]

Good to see the Fireblade kicking arse on sales, proving most are not concerned by TC and anti-wheelie.

[sprinter1050]

Jon Urry said:

It is the Yamaha 125. Well it has a fairing, which is kind of sporty.

OK Jon- so I'm convinced.............



.........by J B L's explanation though

[Jon Urry]

Yeah, me too. His argument was far better. I only spotted it after I posted or I would have pinched it... I did 1,300 miles in three days on a YZF125 once for a magazine feature. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Amazing tank range...

[CBR JGWRR]

Jon Urry said:

Yeah, me too. His argument was far better. I only spotted it after I posted or I would have pinched it... I did 1,300 miles in three days on a YZF125 once for a magazine feature. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Amazing tank range...

Yep, 150 mpg is easily possible.

And as to the comment about it not being a sportsbike, aren't they about handling, rather than straight line speed?

I mean, you can carry 100% of its top speed round corners, try that on the R1...

[CBR JGWRR]

...Though that is because they only do 80 max flat out down hill.

[_g_]

And stretching the definition of 'adventure' to include a 1200GS too - I don't see any of them managing the dirt capabilities of say that R1 that did the Erzburg prologue .

[Monkey boy 1]

Quote: "The big plus side is the number of 125s and scooters being sold. If new riders can be attracted to two wheels, then the future could be a bit brighter."

This may be so, having teenage lads who need a mode of transport to get to & from work, Two wheels is really the only option as car insurance is just crippling (some of my sons friends are paying in excess of £5K for a years car insurance). Added to that the difficulty & cost of just obtaining a licence with car lessons at over £25/hr then it makes 2 wheels more attractive financially.

[CBR JGWRR]

Monkey boy 1 said:

Quote: "The big plus side is the number of 125s and scooters being sold. If new riders can be attracted to two wheels, then the future could be a bit brighter."

This may be so, having teenage lads who need a mode of transport to get to & from work, Two wheels is really the only option as car insurance is just crippling (some of my sons friends are paying in excess of £5K for a years car insurance). Added to that the difficulty & cost of just obtaining a licence with car lessons at over £25/hr then it makes 2 wheels more attractive financially.

Yep, you can buy and insure a brand new YZF R125 for less than most car insurance premiums. Lessons are just the CBT usually, and that is 70-100 odd.

[TimmyWimmyWoo]

It's probably quite good that two of the biggest selling bikes in their class are made in Britain. Is that a racist thing to say?

[Sivraj]

Fantastic that so many learner machines are being sold!...
I bet KTM are kicking themselves for shunning Ewen and Charley!...
Have to say I would be more inclined to buy new if the prices hadn't risen so much, I paid £7,000 for a new r6 in 2006 which has risen to £9,000 this year (or am I just being tight?).
Nice to see there will be plenty of Speed triples on the second hand market.

[nsa]

J B L said:

I'm sorry but this:

when you are 17 is like sex with russian bi twins smeared in chocolate.

Unless they were incestuous as well, you'd be missing a crucial part of the experience in this scenario.

[boyse7en]

"A total of 79,401 two-wheelers were registered in the UK in 2011"

Just isn't true.


A total of 93,849 two-wheelers were registered the UK in 2011
79,401 of them were motorcycles, the remaining 14,448 were classed as mopeds, but they still count as two-wheelers.

[_g_]

Sivraj said:

I bet KTM are kicking themselves for shunning Ewen and Charley!...

As ever, that story is, it would seem, rather contrived.
KTM still makes rather good money from selling bikes people know will do what they claim - win races.
While BMW's own-branded attempt at that was a reasonable failure, at least as far as sales go.

[boyse7en]

True, KTM are doing well and are a successful brand.
But you can hardly say that BMW are not having any sales success. 2011 is the companies best-ever sales year in the companies history with approx 103,000 bikes sold worldwide.

[_g_]

Oh yea, it certainly helped them - but to some degree fits in with their 'wannabe' image, while KTM which makes a bit more 'serious' bikes may find other unforeseen consequences of being adapted by such people.

To be fair, I'm sure if KTM had been able to match BMW's monetary offer they would be quids in now.
And we might have seen an official 690 adventure too, which'd be nice .

I expect the S1000RR did help BMW too - taking the Japs on and seriously trouncing them at their own sports bike game can't hurt their reputation (and is perhaps a bit anti-wannabe ).