Motorcycle sales buck Brexit trend with 6.8% increase

The UK motorcycle market has enjoyed a period of sustained growth despite the continuing economic uncertainty, with sales year-to-date up 6.8% on 2018.

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The UK motorcycle market has enjoyed a period of sustained growth despite the continuing economic uncertainty, with sales year-to-date up 6.8% on 2018.

This is according to the latest data from the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), which revealed that a total of 45,180 new motorcycles were registered in 2019. The adventure sport category experienced the highest growth, with registrations up 15.5% to 8,029 this year.

Neil Richardson, head of the motorcycle division at Close Brothers Motor Finance, said the increase in sales comes as a surprise considering the economic and political uncertainty surrounding the UK at the moment. “Last month, total motorcycle sales stayed flat, leaving year-to-date sales up 6.4%. Contrastingly, car manufacturing is at an all-time low, and stagnant registration persists with a fall of 3.1% in May year-to-date despite the new registration plates in March and a relatively low base in 2017.

"We’re seeing increasing interest from consumers in smaller bikes, adventure, and classic bikes as well as in higher end quality bikes. The bulk of this interest lies in models that are around three to four years old. Contrastingly, sales of sports bikes have been slightly weaker."

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Richardson attributes the increase to the better weather this year, referencing the effect the Beast from the East had on the market last year.

He also stated that the introduction of London’s clean air zone has had a positive impact on bike sales. “The Ultra Low Emission Zone came into force in Central London in April, meaning that petrol cars which do not meet the Euro 4 standards (pre-2006) and diesels the Euro 6 standards (pre-2015) have to pay £12.50 for entering the area each day. While the standards also affect pre-2007 motorbikes, we have seen a rise particularly in scooters, which are now a cheaper and more efficient means of transport on London’s busy roads for commuters.”

With regards to Brexit, Richardson believes the ongoing political turbulence has made consumer behaviour more difficult to predict. “There are cases of consumers delaying buying or switching to cheaper alternatives until there is more certainty about the economic climate.

“What we are hearing from dealers is a mixed bag: some are seeing flying sales, with no problems getting hold of particular stock. Others are experiencing the opposite, with demand for particular models being very low. In uncertain times, opportunities continue to exist. The key for dealers is to maintain engagement with customer demand by doing their research and stocking the most relevant makes and models.”

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