Market reports – Motorcycle market in January 2005: an optimistic note –

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Motorcycle market in January 2005: an optimistic note

Market reports - Motorcycle market in January 2005: an optimistic note -

The sales figures in January, which allow to draw the first trends of the 2005 market, start on an optimistic note with a growth of 4.1% for the 125s and a robust + 8.1% for the large engines. ! Monthly report.

On the eve of the Professional Motorcycle and Scooter Days Sunday and Monday in Lyon (read), the sales figures in January allow us to draw the first market trends in 2005. We will of course observe the usual reserves because, as we Said in marketing language, the sales "mix" varies according to the seasons. Winter is therefore more conducive to sales of scooters, utility motorcycles and enduro.

The year 2005 begins on an optimistic note, with growth of 4.1% for the 125s and above all a robust + 8.1% for the large-engined vehicles that make Jean-Pierre Raffarin himself dream !

More surprisingly, sales of quads fell by 4.7%: a first for more than 24 months. End of euphoria or simple stabilization due to the logical emergence of the second-hand market? Case to follow … stay connected !

125: Honda and Piaggio dominate the market

Seven scooters make it to this top 10 in winter sales. Honda, which mainly sells motorcycles, is therefore logically penalized, even if it maintains its first place with almost a quarter of the market. Note in particular the confirmation of the success of the CBR 125, new idol of young people. But Piaggio still dominates the sales of scooters and is getting closer to the leader … Its impressive progress compared to January 2004 must however be put into perspective due to the X8, which at the time had just landed in France.

Sales 125 by model – January 2005

Unlike Yamaha, still cannot straighten the bar with an aging Majesty and especially the absence of competitive 4-stroke motorcycles. With the XT and YB only arriving in the spring, there may be a lot of commercial work to do to regain lost ground.

Market share 125 – January 2005

Evolution of sales 125 – January 2004 / January 2005

Behind, Suzuki keeps losing ground with a range reduced to Burgman alone, while MBK put in a fine performance which should put a smile on Yamaha’s face. It should be noted above all that Peugeot and Aprilia started the year as badly as they had finished 2004. Something to seriously worry about for the Motocycles subsidiary of PSA Peugeot-Citroën, in chronic losses for several years and more and more on the harness within the automotive group…

+ of 125: things move at the top of the ranking !

While the Yamaha Fazer and Suzuki Bandit had shared the market lead for years, in January 2005 it was the Kawasaki Z750 that took pole even before the arrival of its streamlined cousin! Yet Kawasaki is regressing overall due to an offer not very suited to winter demand. And behind, the tradition takes back its rights with a 600 Bandit which follows the 600 Fazer.

With the slow rise in power of the Honda CBF (S and N) which finally points in the top 10 with 73 and 71 copies respectively sold in January, we can see that the reign of the Fazer, which has lasted since 1998, begins to be seriously shaken…

Sales over 125 by model – January 2005

Analysis by brand shows that Suzuki maintains its leadership. Yamaha comes just behind, buoyed by the success of its big T Max 500 and Majesty 400 scooters and enduro bikes. And Honda straightens its head with a satisfying January: World No.1 CBF finally posts decent sales figures and CBR 1000 is behind Yamaha R1.

For its part, BMW continues the momentum of 2004 with the phenomenal success of the R 1200GS, now the leader in large cubes over 750 cc! As for the R1150RT, it is predictably down sharply, as customers now expect the new R 1200RT. We can bet that at the start of the year, BMW registrations will depend more on delivery times than on order books !

KTM confirms its status as the sixth force in the French market and leader in off-road motorcycles, Harley-Davidson remains stable thanks to bikers that seem insensitive to seasonal variations and Triumph starts the year strong, unlike Ducati.

The big concern at the start of 2005 concerns Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, which after having experienced a disastrous end to 2004 (), did not start 2005 much better: with 45 and 25 registrations respectively, the drop was 66% compared to 2004. .. Needless to say that the Piaggio group must react very quickly if it wants to avoid the marginalization of its two brands and the demotivation of its network….

Market shares over 125 – January 2005

Evolution of sales over 125 – January 2004 / January 2005

Finally, last but not least with regard to "winter motorcycles", we note the registration of no less than 14 Ural sidecars for the month of January alone !

Benoît LACOSTE

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