Market reports – The motorcycle market is in Olympic form! –

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The motorcycle market holds an Olympic form !

Market reports - The motorcycle market is in Olympic form! -

This year, motorcycle sales hit new records with 86,118 units for the 125s and 91,754 for the large cubes, representing respective increases of 5.4% and 2.7% compared to 2007. Analysis of July results and August 2008.

In eight months, the French motorcycle market has totaled the record number of 177,872 registrations, an increase of 4% compared to 2007 !

This summer in France, the "Olympic" shape of motorized two-wheelers of 125 cc and more was maintained, despite bad weather in places, prohibitive gasoline prices and a flagrant lack of recognition and attention. from the authorities…

Thus in July, sales of 125 cc jumped 23.4% compared to last year, while those of large engines grew by 11.3% (read). However, it should be noted that the concessions remained open three more days in July 2008 than in July 2007 (July 14, in particular, fell on a Monday this year against a Saturday in 2007)..

Conversely, August 2008 was less advantageous than that of 2007 for sellers: August 15, 2008 fell on a Friday, prompting certain customers – the wealthiest, precisely! – to get away from home for a long weekend … Not excellent for business !

Compared to August 2007 (read), the market therefore recorded an increase in sales of 125 "restrained" to 8.4% cc and a decline in those of large engines by 7.9%.

Market 125

In the 125 cc, no surprise: Yamaha continues to take around 21% of market share, 20.84% ​​exactly at the end of the first eight months. Its Xmax is at the head of sales with 7766 registrations, seconded not by one, but by two motorcycles: the YBR (2940) and the all new YZF-R 125 (2212) !

With 17,946 registrations since January 1, the firm with three tuning forks therefore continues to crush the competition, especially Piaggio in full collapse….

The Italian resists as much as he can, but Honda catches up with him … and every registration counts: in July, the world number one registered three "125" more than Piaggio and 14 the following month !

Year-to-date, the Japanese are now only 286 immats behind: the XEvo may feel very lonely this fall against the S-Wing and Varadero which make it aspi in the top 15 sales by model. A ranking from which the MP3 125 has been released over the past two months, and in which the X7 has never appeared.

Suzuki too can only rely on a scooter to carve out a decent market share. But the Burgman is very well freed from its mission since it is still and always in second place in sales, totaling 1718 registrations over the last two months (against 2425 for the Xmax).

In the manufacturer’s ranking, Suz ‘is therefore in 4th position with 6,298 sales, an increase of 14.9% compared to the first eight months of 2007. A score that Peugeot Motocycles would have liked to achieve, whose progress is based on on that of the entire market: 5.4%.

Third best-selling 125 cc in France, the Satelis – all versions combined – fell behind in August (469 registrations against 640 for the best seller Suz ‘and 887 for that of Yam’). But paradoxically, over the same period, the French manufacturer posted an explosion of 72.7% of its sales: a simple "return to normal" after a difficult month of August 2007, will have noted the attentive readers of Site.

The two summer months were harder for the second "national" manufacturer, MBK, which did not take full advantage of the good health of the class and sporty 125 scooter segment. Yet the twin brother of the Xmax, the Skycruiser in "French", appears in its catalog.

But with 375 sales in July and 200 in August, MBK’s spearhead barely allows its brand to equalize its 2007 score. Compared to last year, MBK sales only increased by 0 , 9%. And besides those of the Skycruiser, the sales of the Flame X do not ignite…

However, among the solutions that the "little Frenchman" could use to relaunch its immats, that of the "low cost" appears to be interesting: without having ostensibly communicated on the subject – it was not found on the manufacturer’s official website this summer – , Peugeot has not sold 176 of its Sum Up ("QM125T" from the Chinese manufacturer Qingji), admittedly two times cheaper than a Satelis (€ 1,749 against minimum € 3,499) but on which the margin is certainly not negligible ?

Because if some French bikers / scooters / motomobilists (delete the unnecessary mention!) Do not hesitate to put their hands in their pockets to acquire Xmax, Satelis or MP3, others are undeniably closer to their money and prefer to invest in less expensive vehicles…

Hence the success of the Sym GTS, Jonway JS120 and other Honda Lead 110 or Kymco Grand Dink. Thus, Sym is dangerously approaching the 6th place occupied by MBK: 3996 immats for the "French" against 3757 for the Taiwanese !

Behind these two manufacturers who each represent around 4.5% of PDM, Kymco, Daelim and Jonway have flirted with 3.5% over the past two months and are on the way to acquiring their status as essentials of the French market !

After a "positive" July, the "other" manufacturers posted a decline in their sales in August compared to 2007 and established a cumulative score for the first eight months of -1.3%. However, they continue to represent 21.4% of PDM, a little more than Yamaha.

July: 12,903 units (+ 23.4%)

August: 10,119 units (+ 8.4%)

Market over 125

Admittedly, compared to 2007, Suzuki does not record phenomenal scores and is content to follow the trend of the sector with + 10.4% in July, then -14.5% in August while Yamaha recorded respectively +11.1 % and -9.7%.

Admittedly, the Bandit 650 is taxed by the Tmax: 1,113 immats for the motorcycle against 1,175 for the maxiscoot … But the fact remains that in the big cars, Suzuki regains control against the French number one – all combined displacement !

Suz ‘therefore reappears at the top of the table with 17,494 sales and a market share of 19% – two points less than last year – against 17,125 sales for Yam’ and its 18.8% of PDM – also in decrease compared to 2007…

However, this breathless battle between the two leaders is likely to last a long time since Yamaha, disappointed with the scores of its FZ6 "78 horsepower version", has just announced the arrival in 2009 of a new Diversion (read) !

An entry level that will certainly strengthen Yamaha’s presence in the top 15 sales by model. For the moment, the firm with three tuning forks is placing three of its machines there: the Tmax (4488 registrations in eight months), the Fazer 600 (3717) and the FZ1 (1533).

For its part, Honda accommodates four of its motorcycles in the top 15: the Hornet, the CBF600, the CBF1000 and the Transalp, but their registrations are lower than those of the best sellers of the two Hamamatsu firms: respectively 3378 immats, 1617, 1319 and 1195.

So much so that the world number one remains third in France with a market share that has not yet quite reached 15.5%. However, the situation should change by the end of the year, thanks to the new CB1000R roadster.

In fact, Honda’s main innovation for 2008 has just made a sensational entry into France with 378 sales in August. "And again, the ABS version which was not available should be even more successful", confided Bruno Chemin (communication manager at Honda France) during the presentation of the new 2009 models….

At the same time, Kawasaki can be satisfied with the plebiscite of its Z750 in France: since January, 5,750 copies of the "small Z" have passed. The manufacturer of Akashi therefore remains at the level of Honda, despite a sharp drop in sales in August (-31.6%).

A fall due in particular to the drop in speed of the ER-6 (254 sales in August), whose versions "n" and "f" have been revised for 2009 (read). Sales of the valiant twin-cylinder will therefore go up for sure next year but by then, the Greens will have to wait behind the Reds.

Behind the Japanese four, BMW is still progressing and exceeds 7% of gross profit at the end of these first eight months: its R1200RT and its R1200GS are in 11th and 13th places of the best sales with 1431 and 1355 registrations respectively..

The 800 Bavarians, meanwhile, are in ambush with 479 registration cards for the F800GS and 428 for the F "650" GS, but cannot reach the volumes of the Japanese medium-displacement vehicles..

In customs, on the other hand, Harley-Davidson defends its niche dearly with 4858 sales in total. The month of July was excellent for the American (+ 37.3% compared to July 2007), in particular thanks to its new Nightster: 180 immats against 80 for its other novelty in 2008, the XR1200.

Same story for Triumph, which flooded France with Street Triple in July (410 copies!) Before experiencing a somewhat quieter month of August. In cumulative sales, the British manufacturer returns its 6th place to the Milwaukee firm but the difference remains minimal: 34 motorcycles separate the two English speakers !

In sharp decline in July but rescued by his Monster 696 the following month (115 immats), Ducati gradually fills the gap between it and KTM: the Italian totals 2,603 ​​sales after eight months against 2,936 for the ‘Austrian.

Tenth in the ranking of manufacturers in France, Piaggio saw its sales erode: -35% in July and -28.8% in August compared to last year, when Italian maxiscoots were on the rise.

But the thunderous announcement of the arrival of MP3 250 and 400 "LT" suggests a new explosion in sales of Piaggio in large engines. Indeed, these MP3 with the front axle widened by only 4 cm will be approved in the motor tricycles category and can be driven by holders of the B license! There is plenty to talk about in the cottages … and sell in the concessions !

Finally this summer (July and August), sales of "other" manufacturers fell by 2.5% compared to the same period in 2007, limiting their provisional increase for 2008 to 3.9%. For its part, Voxan maintains its rhythm with four motorcycles registered this summer (three Black Magic and one Charade), for a total of 16 in eight months. Naturally, the Issoire factory wants to do better (read)…

July: 13,614 units (+ 11.3%)

August: 8,055 units (-7.9%)

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