|
Sales of powered two wheelers (PTW)
including motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, soared by 22 per cent last
month according to figures released today by the Motor Cycle Industry
Association (MCI).
PTW registrations in July were 14,306 –
an increase of 2,578 over the same month last year. Total PTW
registrations for the first seven months of the year are up 1 per cent
at 87,551. This is in stark contrast to the UK car market which fell
almost 13 per cent last month and is nearly 3 per cent down to the end
of July.
“Against the backdrop of the credit
crunch, inflation and economic uncertainty, this has been an up and down
year for the market,” said the MCI’s Craig Carey-Clinch. “But there are
signs that people are switching to two wheels in order to make daily
travel and commuting easier and cheaper. Dealers report very high
interest from new customers in practical commuter-type bikes, and test
centres are booked solid with people wanting to take bike tests ahead of
the test changes due to take effect in October. The July figures are
good and the industry is cautiously optimistic that people are looking
seriously at two-wheeled alternatives to cars and public transport.”
This view is supported by the fact
that, while most types of bike saw gains last month, there is a clear
trend emerging towards practical, multi-use and everyday bikes. Scooter
and moped sales increased by almost 27 per cent and 34.5 per cent
respectively in July while naked motorcycles continued to perform
strongly with a 46.5 per cent increase. The adventure sport and custom
sectors also showed strong gains. The only category to show a decline in
the month was trail and enduro bikes with a 7.9 per cent fall.
The biggest selling bikes in July were
two Yamaha 125cc models – the YZF R125 (338 units) and the YBR 125 (277
units) – reflecting an increasing demand for smaller-engined machines.
PTW registrations of bikes of up to 50cc increased by over 35 per cent
and engines from 51cc to 125cc increased by almost 31 per cent. Bikes
with engines from 651cc to 1,000cc increased by 40 per cent, driven by
demand for adventure sport, custom and naked bikes.
The biggest-selling make in July was
Honda with 2,011 registrations followed by Yamaha (1,860) and Suzuki
(1,486).
Carey-Clinch added: “Time wasted in
congestion, expensive and uncomfortable public transport, high parking
and congestion charges and the massive costs of car ownership coupled to
rising costs of living make a moped, scooter or motorcycle increasingly
attractive.
“A PTW is a real and viable alternative
that can cut journey times, is easier to park, low cost to run and helps
cut CO2 emissions. There’s probably never been a stronger
reason to switch to two wheels.”
|
