Sale of motorcycles and scooters in France: a two-speed market…
The trend observed by MNC in 2011 is confirmed: the 125 cc are falling and the big cubes are resisting. The motorcycle market in France is therefore looking very gray overall and recorded a disappointing -9.1% in the first half of the year.. Figures, Charts and Analysis.
A two-speed motorbike and scooter market
Between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 92,964 motorcycles or "motorcycles and scooters with displacement equal to or greater than 125 cc" (excluding 50 cc, therefore) were registered in France. This market thus saw the number of its sales fall by -9.1% compared to the first half of 2011 (read our).
How to explain this lack of 9,276 registrations at the end of the first six months of 2012? First of all, the motorized two-wheeler professionals interviewed by MNC will not fail to mention – like the hair growers dear to Desproges, but that’s another story – the vagaries of the weather … !
Exceptionally hot and dry in 2011, the first half has indeed been much more gloomy this year. It took good morale to enter a dealership and, above all, to come out on the handlebars of a motorcycle or a scooter..
Motorcycle sellers will long remember the polar temperatures of February 2012 and the heavy rains in April … And the pretty ugly month of May did nothing to help dealers’ affairs. !
Bad times for two-wheelers
But the climate factor was not the only one to play against motorcycles this fifth month of the year: May 2012 was much less productive than last year because of the two bridges – viaducts ! – 1st and 8th, Ascension Thursday, Pentecost Monday and the second round of presidential elections !
Naturally, the shortfall in this nonworking month could be covered the following month. June was also sunny in the southern half of the country and in this sixth month alone, the market returned to the first positive result since January 2012: + 1.3% compared to June 2011.
This figure again hides a strong disparity between the two different sectors listed by Site: the 125 cc on the one hand which ended their month of June at -9.2%, and the large displacement (over 125 cc) on the other share which emerges at + 9.1%.
Our graph illustrating the half-yearly sales of motorcycles in France since 2003 hardly speaks for itself … The 2012 score for the large cube market is reassuring, since it is in the average of those of the first half of the last three years.
On the 125 side, the fall that began in 2009 continues, so that this market has reached the lowest level ever observed by Moto-Net. Com. A small ray of hope, however: less seasonal by nature, the 125 market almost matches its score in the second half of 2011, which could indicate that it has reached a bottom value…
A "floor" on which to bounce ?! The experience – of the first half of 2010, in particular – invites us to be extremely cautious … Especially since no indication of a political, economic or other nature suggests a possible recovery.
Before studying these two very different markets in detail on the following pages, let’s take advantage of this month of June to review the ranking of motorcycle manufacturers in France..
The French prefer the big ones
Like last year, the four Japanese manufacturers are at the top of the French "charts", but this year Yamaha and Honda are joined by Kawasaki on the podium. The Japanese lose one point of PDM compared to the first half of 2011, but they continue to represent a little more than half of motorcycle sales in France (51.3%).
In the Top 10 of the most popular motorcycle models in France, nine Japanese products appear: the Satelis is only in 10th place, far behind the Xmax (assembled in France!), Tmax (made in Japan) and PCX (made in Thailand) who occupy the podium.
Among large cubes, we therefore note that the Z750 is dethroned by a maxiscooter! The Kawa retains its crown in the roadster segment – “motorcycles” more generally – and is ahead of its ER-6 sister revised in 2012 as well as the Honda Hornet 600, small but sturdy and inexpensive….
Behind Yamaha (-6%), comfortable leader thanks to its scooters which provide a "max", Honda and Kawasaki are the most dynamic in terms of the release of new models. The world number one aims the fairest with his NC700 in particular, and makes the best card for the Japanese (-4.5% against -20% for Kawa and -22% for Suz ‘).
Also very active in recent years, Europeans have experienced various increases depending on the new products offered this year, but also those launched last year: a point to be taken into account when studying the evolution of sales. !
Building on the renewed success of these R1200s, BMW continues to beat its own records (+ 6.8%), notably thanks to its new K1600 and S1000RR. The imminent arrival of these two maxiscooters could even allow the German manufacturer to take a new step: after the 10,000 immates of 2011, what objective for BMW in 2012 ?!
Harley-Davidson (-4.9%) is in 6th place at the end of its first six months, a position that Piaggio (-9.6%) occupied at the end of 2011 … The situation is analogue for Triumph which is ahead of Peugeot, except that the English and the French were suddenly overtaken by the Austrians in KTM !
It will be necessary to closely monitor the performance of the new scooters (X10 and Satelis) which could well change the situation at the beginning of the next school year and allow the scooter riders of Pontedera and Mandeure to pass again in front of the "bikes" of Milwaukee and Hinckley…
Remember, however, that Piaggio could be credited with double registrations if MP3s were not considered "tricycles" … A little trick that allows the Italian to sell 300, 400 or even 500 cc scooters to French motorists , but which prevents it from shining in the balance sheets market Site…
Fortunately for him, the Piaggio group has more than one brand in its portfolio: Aprilia and Moto Guzzi are among the good students in terms of progress (respectively +15 and + 13%). In absolute terms, the sportier models of Noale continue to be preferred to the road or neo-retro of Mandello del Lario
Conversely, sales of Kymco, Daelim and Sky Team plummet by 28%, 38% and 25% respectively … These latest brands alone sum up a trend that appeared a year ago: the French prefer large motorcycles ( bridles) to small scooters (requiring a 7-hour training course for first-time buyers) !
To discover all the figures, tables, graphs and analyzes concerning the first half of 2012, click on the following page !
Related articles
-
Market reports – Christophe Decultot: we want to sell 30,000 motorcycles and scooters – Used HONDA
Christophe Decultot: we want to sell 30,000 motorcycles and scooters With 26,225 registrations, Honda posted an increase of + 1.9% on the French…
-
Sales of motorcycles and scooters in France are at their lowest The first half of 2013 has just ended with a sad record: 76,771 registrations. This is,…
-
Small scooters against ‘real’ motorcycles: the trend is reversed The French motorcycle market recorded a slight drop in sales over the first six months…
-
No improvement for sales of motorcycles and scooters this summer Bright from a weather point of view, the months of July and August 2013 did not allow…
-
Fall in sales of motorcycles and scooters in France, yes ” May ”… Working days in deficit, bridges of the 1st and 8th, unreliable weather and…
-
Market report: the French are still fans of motorcycles and scooters The French motorcycle market (motorcycles and scooters over 50 cc) had an…
-
Summer 2018 in France: Such a great sun for the motorcycle and scooter market The months of July and August 2018 were very prolific for the motorcycle…
-
French motorcycle and scooter market: the 2016 annual report The French motorcycle market is on the rise for the third consecutive year: 151,761…
-
French motorcycle and scooter market: 2014 annual report After six years of decline, the French motorcycle market returned to growth in 2014: + 2.5%….
-
Market reports – Things are going well for motorcycles in France –
It works for motorcycles in France With 19,582 motorcycles sold last October, the French market for motorized two-wheelers over 50cc increased its sales…