“As predicted last month’s new number plate has proven to be a month of success for Power Two Wheeler (PTW) registrations” says Symon Cook, Head of National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) commenting on the latest MCIA registration figures.
In September, there was a notable 11% increase in total registrations, soaring from 12,137 to 13,471 units. This growth is attributed to the new ’73 number plates introduced in September. However, the market is still behind last year figures by -2.1%, with 93,971 registered this year, compared to 95,958 at the same point last year. These year-to-date figures indicate that we are still striving to match last year’s market performance, with moped sales plummeting by 28% and motorcycles experiencing a marginal 0.5% dip.
Certain bike models exhibited outstanding performance, such as, the ‘Unspecified’ category witnessed a staggering 104.8% surge, leaping from 84 to 172 units. ‘Naked’ models increased 10.1%, rising from 19,350 to 21,304 units, while ‘Competition’ models grew by 6.9%, climbing from 4,507 to 4,819 units.
In the current market landscape, ICE motorbikes continue to dominate, surpassing electric counterparts, which have seen registrations drop by 43.0%, declining from 5,367 to 3,059 units. Symon added “The interesting fact for this month is the huge decline in interest on Electric scooters and was this driven by the recent PM’s announcement of the delay in the ICE ban to 2035.”
Year-to-date figures reveal a substantial 27.0% increase in 751-1000cc motorbikes, rising from 13,442 to 17,067 units, with the Honda CB 750 HORNET leading sales in this category.
Notably, Honda emerges as the top-selling brand in the market, with a remarkable 2,862 units sold in the month of September. Yamaha follows closely with 1,487 units, BMW with 1,218 units, and Ducati, on the lower end, recorded just 295 units sold during the month of September 2023.
Symon Cook concluded “Hopefully that the freakishly warm weather we are currently experiencing through September and well into October will generate plenty of footfall into our dealerships and the added benefit of the ICE ban delay will help consumers decide to update their current rides to the latest models available.”
*Article Source www.rmif.co.uk
