Market reports – The motorcycle market is off to a good start in 2011 – Good start to the year … to be confirmed!

The motorcycle market is off to a good start in 2011

Market reports - The motorcycle market is off to a good start in 2011 - Good start to the year ... to be confirmed!

January 2011 can bring a smile back: once the snow had melted, French bikers were able to spend their New Year’s gifts in motorcycle and scooter dealerships. The market shows an encouraging + 9.4%, to be confirmed in February… Complete review.

Good start to the year … to be confirmed !

Statistics, as we know, must be handled with care, especially when they cover short periods. But let’s not sulk this little pleasure: the French motorcycle market is starting the new year with enthusiasm, since the 9,535 registrations for the month of January 2011 represent an increase of 9.4% compared to January 2010. It was then registered 8716 units, i.e. -22.3% compared to January 2009 (read).

The first 2011 assessment is all the more acceptable as January had one less working day than last year (20 against 21). The most picky will nevertheless have counted that, at the same time, the number of "concession opening days" – from Tuesday to Saturday – was higher in January 2011 (21 against 20 in 2010) … It is therefore difficult to rule on the real effects of the calendar.

Other factors may however explain this fine increase in volume. If a sudden revival of French interest in motorcycles is undoubtedly to be ruled out – the compulsory 7-hour training course for holders of the B license should not boost sales of 125 and equivalent vehicles, on the contrary! -, we can mention in priority the meteorological factor.

With its heavy snowfall, the month of December forced many bikers and scooter riders to postpone their purchase. We can thus see that the disappointments of the end of 2010 (-4.5% in November and -11.2% in December) were absorbed by the increase in January.

We can also invoke some slowdowns – or even traffic jams – at the very end of the year in the prefectures, to which are added the blows of wading – it is necessary to water the end of the year – more or less well managed in concessions or at importers…

Encouraging among large cubes (+ 6.3%), January 2011 turned out to be even better in the more versatile 125 cc sector (+ 14.9%). Yamaha wins on both counts, but Honda and Peugeot are even stronger than the French number one when it comes to 125 cc.

On the large-displacement side, Japanese manufacturers are experiencing very diverse fortunes, while BMW is holding up and other Europeans – and Americans! – achieve the best scores again. Excellent results that will have to be confirmed in the coming months … thanks to the 2011 novelties ?! Complete reports and analyzes on the following pages.

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