Market reports – Satisfactory first quarter! –

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Satisfactory first trimester !

Market reports - Satisfactory first quarter! -

With 21,090 motorcycles registered last month, the 125cc and larger two-wheeler market confirms the growth observed since the start of the year. 125 scooters and 600 roadsters are still celebrating, but March brings a surprise !

The 21,090 vehicles registered last month represent an increase of 8.8% compared to March 2006. This value is therefore very close to the + 8.4% recorded for the total of the first three months, which in 2007 counted one day. more working than in 2006.

But by separating the sales of 125 from those of large cubes, we realize that the motorcycle market runs at two speeds..

Thus last month, registrations of 125 in France increased by 18.8% compared to March 2006, totaling 8,919 vehicles. This sector therefore closed its first quarter of 2007 with a 19.8% increase in sales compared to 2006..

However, last year over the same period, the small engines had already made a jump of 38.5% compared to 2005: to say that lately in France, the 125 are on the rise is an understatement! And although scooters make the most of this situation, the performance of the Varadero in March is noteworthy: it is quite simply the best seller in France, all displacements combined. !

On the other hand, the large-engine sector is struggling to break its records set last year: the "+ 1%" recorded this first quarter actually symbolizes an increase in sales of only 260 units (26,825 in 2007 against 26,565 in 2006 ).

While the 2007 novelties land in dealerships, French bikers did not travel much more last March than in March 2006 (+ 2.5%). Who is primarily responsible for this timid start to the year? Kawasaki and its new Zs that are slow to launch into the battle 2007 !

Market 125: 8,919 units, + 18.8%

Last month, Piaggio recorded a 32% increase in registrations compared to 2006. While last year Pontedera’s scooters ran out of steam against the Xmax, Satelis, Burgman and Majesty, 2007 presents a completely different truth . But everyone knows it: "the truth is elsewhere"…

By creating a three-wheeled scooter (read), Piaggio was playing big, in terms of investment but also image and market share. But the Italian bet turns out to be a winner in France as well as in England where the MP3 achieved in February the second best score in its category. !

More than five months after its release, the MP3 continues to rise in the ranking of French best sellers, thus surpassing the status of mere fad: with more than a thousand registrations (1,010 at the end of March), the new scooter is playing firmly. the podium !

But last month, the king of the 125s – and even all-size motorcycles – was a queen! The Honda Varadero largely dominates the ranking of small displacement with 704 sales against 533 for the Xmax and 383 for the X9, while the second 125cc motorcycle is only 10th: the Yamaha YBR with 224 sales.

Despite the absence of a GT scooter in its catalog – the S-Wing will only replace the Pantheon this summer (read) – Honda therefore manages to maintain its pace of last year but necessarily sees its market share decrease within ” an expanding market.

However, the big loser for the month of March remains Yamaha, which sees its leadership position threatened by Piaggio. Over the first three months, the tuning forks brand has totaled 3,758 sales against 3,734 for the Italian group !

The Xmax retaining the head of sales in 125 scooters, it is on the side of the YBR that the causes of the 16.9% drop in registrations of the Japanese manufacturer must be sought. With 224 sales last month against 307 in March 2006, the "inexpensive" little Yam is logically the first victim of the arrival of Chinese products on French territory….

The Jonway YY100 and Yiying YY125 are also the spearheads, and both appear in the monthly Top 15 national registrations. Distributed mainly by supermarkets, these scooters reach a new category of people eager to buy at very low prices. The after-sales service probably leaves a lot to be desired, but if the purchase is made knowingly, after all…

And casually, Jonway moved to 10th place among manufacturers with 239 sales last month while Sym and Daelim continue to progress – respectively + 72.1% and + 35.1% – reaching volumes comparable to those of ‘Aprilia or MBK: almost 3% of MSRP.

MBK also had a disappointing March, registering 400 vehicles against 479 last year. His Skyliner – French version of the Xmax – sold only 166 copies and his Skycruiser – Majesty chez Yam – only sold 88 copies.

But let fans of the Blues be reassured because at the same time, sales of Peugeot Motocycles continue to grow (+ 31.7% in March), the Satelis – standard and compressed versions – representing 6.7% of gross profit, i.e. more than the Xmax and its 6% PDM.

This allows the Sochaux Lion to further widen the gap over its direct competitor Suzuki, whose Burgman suffered a slight drop in speed (370 sales against 349 in February). Nevertheless, during this first quarter, the Japanese manufacturer saw an increase in its sales of 25.6% compared to 2006..

Finally, Aprilia remains 7th in the ranking – 3.5% of PDM in the 1st quarter – but sees Daelim, Sym and Jonway following it closer and closer! Will the new price for its Atlantic, which went from € 3,699 to € 3,390, be enough to resist? Case to follow on Site !

Large engine market: 12,171 units, + 2.5%

In large cubes, Suzuki ended its first quarter with a 7.3% increase in sales in March, in particular thanks to the group shooting of its GSR (418 sales) and its Bandit 650 (404 sales) respectively 3rd and 4th. best French sales.

By accumulating sales of the "naked" and S SV650s, the V-twin is in 8th position (294 immats), just behind the new GSX-R 1000 and its 307 sales. But hypersport Suz ‘is not the only Superbike to have stood out last month !

Showing that the French are still far from having to hang up the leather despite an ever heavier road repression, no less than 221 CBR1000RR and 210 YZF R1 have invaded French roads. Beware of radars anyway !

Thanks to its Fireblade but without forgetting its Hornet 600 (359 sales), its CBF1000 abs (231) and its Deauville (204), Honda raised the bar at the end of the quarter (+ 10.2% in March), signing thus a total increase of 1.2% since January 2007.

On the contrary, Yamaha saw its sales drop by 61 vehicles compared to March 2006, and limited its sales increase to 4% this first quarter. Yam ‘however achieves the best progress among manufacturers in the land of the rising sun.

At the head of sales of 600 4-cylinder roadsters with the Fazer (593 sales), of maxiscoots with the indefatigable Tmax (400) and 1000cc roadsters with the FZ1 (250), Yamaha is nevertheless stung by the ER- 6 n and f totaling 644 registrations.

But the valiant inline twin is alone to fill the void due to the late launches of the Z1000 (read) and the French bestseller Z750 (read)…

Although the Versys was in 14th place among the best sales of the first quarter of 2007, its 381 units sold were not enough to maintain the 2006 sales level. From 4,014 motorcycles registered last year at the same time, Kawa moved to 2,799 in 2007, representing a drop of 30.3%! What are the Z waiting for to appear out of the night ?

Behind the Japanese, which together absorb two-thirds of the large-engine market, BMW signs an excellent month of March (+ 24.4%) even if its best-selling model – the R1200RT with 184 sales – only appears. in 13th position of more than 125.

The R1200GS and R1200R are not, however, very far away – 125 and 119 immats respectively – and we note the satisfactory debut of the new G650X Country, which has 69 buyers for its first month on the market..

While remaining in volumes lower than those of the Bavarian, KTM also posted "Moto-Net indices" in the green with an increase of + 28% over the whole of the first quarter: 1,261 motorcycles distributed in three months, c ‘ is 276 more than in 2006 !

The Austrian’s best seller remains the 250 EXC-F enduro (102 in March 2007) but its road range – including its new 690SM and 990 Superduke – represents a significant part of its business: nearly 200 sales last month.

Harley-Davidson, by offering radically different motorcycles also sees its sales increase: + 28.2% at the end of the first three months, the American now represents 4.16% of French PDM. A value that is also approaching Triumph (3.77%) which saw its registrations climb by 45.8% last month.

The Tiger 1050 (87 sales) effectively supports the Speed ​​Triple (116) and the Sprint ST (68) and the three English cars allow the Hinckley factory to remain beyond the reach of Ducati, whose sales are slightly slowing. (-9% in March). The 1098 remained in March the best seller (59) of the Italians, far ahead of the M695 (38) and the S2R (37), proving once again that Superbikes are popular in France !

For his part, the Italian Piaggio is doing well: + 23.3% in March and an increase of 55.9% over the first three months. Thus the principle of MP3 has also seduced the holders of the A license since 90 copies of the MP3 250cc were delivered last month !

The good form of "Western" manufacturers therefore reduced the share of "small manufacturers": -6.9% in March. For your information, Gas Gas sold 134 vehicles over 125cc, Aprilia 98, Moto Guzzi 96, Beta 82, Buell 72, Sherco 48, Peugeot 46, HM and Husqvarna 45 each, MV 32, Benelli and Voxan 7, Morini 3 and Enfield 2.

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