Motorcycle sales down 83.5 per cent in April

Motorcycle sales plummeted 83.5 per cent in April compared with 2019 as the coronavirus pandemic forced dealers to shut up shop.

Just 1,623 motorcycles were registered last month, down from 9,820 in April 2019. Year-to-date registrations were down 31.1 per cent compared with the same period last year, with 25,451 new bike registrations in 2020 and 36,951 in 2019.

Honda sold the most motorbikes at 312, followed by Lexmoto with 177 and Yamaha with 173.

The best-selling moped was the Lexmoto Echo 50, with just 11 sold, while the top-selling sports bike was the Kawasaki Ninja 650 with 16 registered. Touring bikes were hit hardest, with sales down more than 96 per cent – the best-seller was the Yamaha FJR 1300 AE with just two.

Stephen Latham, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), which represents motorcycle retailers across the UK, said: “The full effect of dealership closures was felt in April 2020 with a -83.5% drop in registrations against April 2019.

“Most of the small number of registrations in April are likely to have been from online sales, with many being sold to key workers as a safe, independent option to travel to work.

“With the ongoing lockdown, many motorcycle businesses are looking to having a digital presence to sell new and used bikes online. This will help them weather the storm against them as we reach almost two months of closures, and the NMDA will continue to support their businesses throughout.”