The British motorcycle market is struggling badly. In the first half of 2025, sales fell to their lowest point in the last 20 years, with only 51,186 registrations, down 17.1%. Honda remains the market leader, followed by Triumph, which has overtaken Yamaha.
Economic outlook:
Hopes for a surge in the British economy in 2025 have been dampened by a sluggish end to last year and the looming risk of a global trade war. The external sector remains the biggest drag, with a 3% drop in exports holding back growth in the latter half of 2024.
Beneath the surface, the domestic economy has actually been doing quite well. Consumer spending rose by around 0.6% in the latter half of last year, and with government spending on the rise too, growth is likely to get a nice boost as the year goes on.
Headline inflation climbed to 3% in January and is expected to reach around 3.5% by midyear, partly due to measures from the 2024 Autumn Budget, like adding VAT to private school fees. Still, much of this year’s inflation will come from one-off factors or higher energy costs, while underlying domestic inflation will remain much weaker than the headline figures imply.
Motorcycle industry trend and perspectives:
In this challenging environment, the motorcycle market has been struggling, and after a moderate decline over the past two years, 2024 showed only a slight uptick. This was mainly due to a surge in registrations in December (+116% year-over-year), driven by dealers rushing to register vehicles with older emission standards.
Total two-wheeler sales in 2024 reached 116,421 units, up 2.6%, showing a steady market. The electrification process hasn’t really begun yet, with EVs making up less than 3% of the total.
As expected, the beginning of 2025 was tough for the market, with first quarter sales at 20.742, dropping sharply by 25.1%. In the second quarter, the decline eased but still stayed in double digits at -10.5%.
As a result, sales in the first half of 2025 fell to their lowest point in the last 20 years, with only 51,186 registrations, a decrease of 17.1%.
Sales dropped more sharply in the scooter segment (-19.7%) compared to motorcycles (-16.2%), while the EV segment is seeing strong double-digit growth (+33.2%).
Market leaders and performance:
Looking at the top manufacturers’ performance, Honda maintains its lead, though sales have dipped slightly by 6.6%.
Despite a steep drop, the local favourite Triumph climbed to second place, with sales falling by 26.5%.
In third place, Yamaha reported a steep 20.9% loss.
BMW, with sales down 17.2%, is ahead of Kawasaki (-28.4%), Lexmoto (-19.1%), KTM (-38.3%), Royal Enfield (-28.2%), and Suzuki (-29.2%).
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