Market reports – Bad weather, two-wheelers out! –

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Rotten weather, two-wheeler exit !

Market reports - Bad weather, two-wheelers out! -

Certainly compared to 2006, the month of July had two more working days … But with the appalling weather conditions encountered last month, the motorcycle market shows an honest increase of 6.6% ! Review and analyzes.

With 22 working days in July 2007 against 20 in July 2006, a 10% increase in sales of two-wheelers – of 125 cc and more – would only have meant maintaining the level of 2006 sales. However, the French motorcycle market achieved last month an increase of "only" 6.6%…

However, taking into account the weather factor, the figures for July are not that bad! With weekends spoiled by low temperatures and heavy rainfall over much of the country, two-wheelers are doing quite well in the face of a much more favorable month of July 2006 (read). "It will be sunny tomorrow", buyers have no doubt repeated !

Therefore, it is not surprising to find in the model rankings, vehicles well equipped against bad weather, like the S-Wing – new Honda with ABS-CBS braking – or the BMW R 1200 GS adventurer. !

Moreover, in these delicate conditions, the "over 125" are doing better than their little sisters: their sales increase by 10.5 and 3.4% respectively. Thus, compared to July 2006, only the 125cc immats lost ground … Revenge in August if the sun deigns to reappear ?

Market 125: 13,693 units (+ 3.4%)

Last month, 13,693 125cc vehicles were registered in France. This represents an increase of 3.4%, and even keeping in mind the two additional working days, the 125 French do not have to be ashamed of their performance: remember that last year, this market had swelled by 28 , 3% !

Smaller brands such as Sym, Sky Team and Keeway are once again “good students”. The latter two appear for the first time in the Top 10 manufacturers with 378 and 361 sales respectively. They relegate Kymco (350 sales) and Aprilia (262) to the background.

The products of the two Chinese manufacturers are in full launch phase: the Dax – formerly Honda! – for Sky Team and the Matrix for Keeway achieved 278 and 269 sales respectively. They naturally allow their brand to record record increases in sales! But for its newcomers it will be a question of maintaining this meteoric rise in the coming months and then stabilizing sales with the help of a solid network and impeccable after-sales service. To be continued !

Conversely, the leader of the French 125 market had a difficult month in July: Yamaha registrations fell by 14.8% and caused the Japanese market share to fall to less than 18%. However, his Xmax is still at the top of sales (1,128 last July) and his old Majesty is still close to 400 deliveries, just like his YBR.

Looking at last year’s results, we can see that it is the DT models (42 sales) and XT (261) that penalize the brand in tuning forks the most compared to last year (279 and 377 , read) … Would the "little" bikers have been more cautious than scooter aficionados ?

Not necessarily, because the Varadero totaled 672 sales last month and is perfectly tied with the second best seller: the Suzuki Burgman. Of course, we can consider that the target of the Varadero is more similar to that of the GT scooters than that of the DT or XT … This is where "comes in" the sporty CBR125RR: its 369 sales – c ‘that is to say as much as the utility Yam – proves that young bikers are not absent !

Thus the small Honda assures its manufacturer a month of July in line with the general evolution of the sector: + 4.9% for the world No. 1. Note also the good result of his S-Wing, whose abs version ranks 10th with 363 sales. The standard version has sold 116 copies: a strong indication for manufacturers of scooters !

Still n ° 2 out of 125 in France, Piaggio obtains exactly the same market share as last year: 17.89%. The Italian delivered 495 X9 and 384 MP3 and the X8’s replacement – the XEvo – made its appearance in the Top15 in 11th place with 302 registrations … The gap narrows with Yam !

Suzuki is also aligned with the 3.4% market growth and retains its July 2006 PDM in July 2007, ie 6.3%. After an exceptional June (832 sales, read), Hamamatsu’s scooter had a good July with 672 registrations. On the other hand, as you might expect, his Address failed to convert the French to low-cost big wheels: it only sold 38 copies last month….

Peugeot is experiencing more or less the same development as Honda and Suzuki: its sales are rising at about the same rate as the overall market (+ 5.2%). The Sochaux Lion however took advantage of a big brake on MBK (-26.2% compared to July 2006) to reach 5th place in the manufacturers’ ranking.

Daelim 8th with 491 sales seems to have reached its "maturity" phase: + 5.8% for the Taiwanese competing fiercely from Sym, Sky Team and Keeway but which manages to overtake Aprilia in the aggregate of the first 7 months.

Behind are Kymco (350 sales in July 2007), Aprilia (262), Gilera (192), Yiying (190), Jmstar (188), Hyosung (167), Kinroad (101), Jonway (95), Fym (91 ), Revatto (66), etc.

Large engine market: 12,234 units (+ 10.5%)

For once, the market for large cubes is growing more than that for 125! With an increase in their sales of 10.5%, the "more than 125" totaled 12 234 registrations in July 2007, and thus exceeded the 80,000 units mark for the total of the first 7 months. !

Once again, on the other hand, the inseparable leading duo shows results that are slightly behind those of their market. Far from the 10.5% increase, Suzuki (+ 2.5%) is stalling, like its GSR, overtaken by the Honda Hornet over the cumulative 7 months: 2,507 immates versus 2,619.

Yet Suz benefits from models that are still very popular with French bikers: his Bandit and GSX-R 1000 sold 404 and 193 copies respectively. Would the early announcement of 2008 innovations have limited acquisitions? Not sure because Yamaha, which has not yet unveiled one of its new models, is experiencing the same evolution…

Despite a 3.2% increase in sales compared to last year, Yam saw his PDM drop by 1.3 points. Nevertheless, his Fazer (637 sales) valiantly holds 2nd place in the ranking of sales by model. And what about the Tmax (533), 3rd best seller in "more than 125", leaving far behind the Burgman 650 and the Silverwing 400 (133 immats each) !

Usually 3rd, Honda is for the second time in a row ranked 4th in the French market. The 3.4% drop in sales compared to July 2006 brings down its monthly PDM by almost 2 points: 13.35% for July 2007.

Cumulatively, the Japanese giant is threatened by its youngest Kawasaki: 12,042 sales against 11,816 in 7 months. A strong supporter of ABS and combined braking, Honda clearly did not take advantage of the unfavorable weather conditions of the past month.

What if the three Japanese simply couldn’t counter Ninja Kawa’s late offensive? Because it is clear that last month, Kawasaki achieved a very good score: 2,037 sales against 1,569 in 2006, an increase of almost 30%.

The Z750 found 931 buyers – after 1,451 in June! -, the ER-6 seduced 531 and the Z1000, neck and neck with the CBF 1000, 177. In addition to its roadsters, the Akashi firm has benefited from the arrival in concession of its new GTR 1400 : 149 sales for the new flagship, for which the next few months should be quieter. To check !

Behind the Japanese manufacturers, all the lights are green! Only KTM recorded a growth lower than that of the market (+ 5.9%).

At BMW, sales have increased by 25.1%, so much so that the Bavarian is close to the 7% of PDM cumulatively for the first 7 months of the year. Its R 1200 RT has sold better than the FZ1, CBF1000 or GSX-R1000 and this July took the lead in sales of motorcycles over 750cc. Its R 1200 GS even allowed itself a foray into the Top15 with 143 registration cards: it is the 1st trail ahead of the V-Strom 650 (127) and the Versys (105).

Installed in 6th place in the manufacturers’ ranking, Harley-Davidson is continuing its good path: + 17.5% in July and + 15.3% over the last 7 months. But behind the American, the battle rages on !

Ducati has made a good comeback: 9th overall, the Borgo Panigale firm is 7th last July, thanks to a 27.3% increase in sales. Triumph therefore loses one place but its + 15.9% compared to July 2006 and, above all, the unloading of its new Street Triple in concession in August allows it to approach the new school year with the greatest optimism..

The "small" + 5.4% of KTM sales in July 2007 somewhat blurs its general increase observed at the start of the year but the Austrian retains its 8th place with 2,770 sales, coveted by Ducati and why not in the medium term, Piaggio ?

Last to appear on the Site table, the scooter manufacturer saw its sales soar last month by 69.1% compared to July 2006: half of its registrations (130 out of 274) are those of its new MP3 400.

At the same time, Gilera registered 111 vehicles – including 48 Fuoco -, Moto Guzzi 102, Aprilia 93, Peugeot 90, Buell 71, Gas Gas 46, MV 42, HM 37, Beta 30, Husqvarna and Kymco 22, Sym 21, Sherco 20, Scorpa 17, Benelli 11, Endfield 7, Morini 5 and Voxan 2.

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