December 2013 new registration figures

[Rogerborg]

December closed out the year relatively well - what happened to that end of the world winter?

Peds took a huge beating this year, being fully 20% down on 2012. Your guess is as good as mine: is the market glutted with used ones, or are 16 year olds just not bothering with motorised transport?

Similarly in the "motorycle" sector, scooters were down significantly, along with sports/tour and superspots. Naked, custom, trail/enduro and adventure sport were all winners this year. Bad backs and dodgy hips taking a toll?

What about engine sizes?

Well, peds are down ~20%. A surprise is that 51-125ccs are also down, by 3.5%, and 651-1000 by 3.8% even though that includes bikes like the NC700 and S1000RR. Over-litre bikes (e.g. R1200GS) are up 6%, and 125-650 jumped 16.1%, hopping ahead of the litre-plus class.

The best selling bikes are mostly the usual suspects: R1200GS, CBF125, PCX125, ER6F, a few Harleys bagging the prize in the low-selling categories. One eye opener was the Ducati 899 Panigale shifting 128 units in December, taking the lead in both the supersport and 651-1000cc slots and punting Ducati up to 6th brand - 2/3rd of the bikes they sold in December were 899 Panigales.

Honda and Yamaha have their usual solid lock on #1 and #2 positions on the back of their top quality 125s, with the other usual suspects pushing profit over volume.

Suzuki are doing neither, being once again no-shows, behind even that titan of the motorcycle marques, Pulse. Looks like time for more BOGOF and cut-me-own-throat bargains.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[daemonoid]

The increased market share of the premium sectors over other moths seems to show a definite toys for Christmas type feel of the market.

The big increase from 2012->2013 in those same segments is a good indicator that people are not really feeling the recession as bad as they were.
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current: ducati monster 750
past: hyosung gt250r, bajaj pulsar 180, hyosung gt 125 comet
@thomasgarrard | www.straitjkt.com | www.racingseven.com

[wr6133]

I'd agree with you about used peds glutting the market. All the dealers near me have masses of the things most less than 3 years old and priced down to shift.

I think most those 883 sportsters sold can be found near me too ridden by posh tw@ts in their 50's who seem to have a worrying obsession with cruising past the local secondary school come turn out time!

Surprised at the number of Electra glides sold too that ain't a cheap bike and it's hardly been the weather for long tours.

[Aff]

Yay, no YZFRR125RRZR topping as a "supersport" this month.
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Current Bikes:Honda 929RR Fireblade, Honda CD200 Benly (Project), Stomp Z2 140
Electric Bike Project

[Az]

I'm surprised at how popular the Panigale was, I would of thought its £12,495 price tag would of turned people away.

[Az]

double post

[TheCatSatOnTh...]

[c-m]

Who the hell wants a Panigale for Christmas? Most of the people with this type of bike will avoid wet and cold weather. Still i guess it gives them plenty of time to add their carbon tat before summer comes

The 125-650cc is probably doing so well due to the licence laws limiting power, but also due to the glut of new-ish bikes in that market and others realising they that a 180mph missile isn't as fun as it used to be on the miserable potholed UK roads . CB500x, Ninja300, Duke 400,F650GS, Sertao etc..

Are Suzuki UK going to end up in administration like Suzuki USA? They really need to sort themselves out. They need a cheap, fuel efficient 47bhp engine to stick in a new learner "A2" friendly bike.

They could also do with lightening the Vstrom by 50KG and producing it in a road spec and an adventure spec.

[Rogerborg]

[mentalboy]

[c-m]

Interestingly I just saw Suzuki advertising the V-strom 1000 ABS on Eurosport.

[Rogerborg]

Yup, it's their big hope.

I sort of like, but if I wanted to pay that much for an upright litre touring bike with some silly offroad visual styling, I could be on a Tiger 1050 right now, actually for a little less. Or if I had any delusions about getting mucky, KTM could satisfy my needs.

Is there really a lot of pent up demand just waiting for the perfect bike in that class to appear?
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[map]

[c-m]

Bike magazine in their multiple page spread on the V-Strom 1000 called it light. It's still 228kg wet.

For a litre bike in that class I'd say under 200kg wet is light. Anything else is just too much of a handful unless on dry hard packed dirt and gravel.