VFR1200 boosts Feb bike sales

Honda’s VFR1200 boosted the February new motorcycle sales total, with a healthy 97 units snapped up, reports Alastair Walker. The MCIA recently released last month’s sales statistics and Honda’s impressive performance from Feb 13th onwards, when the bike was launched, helped bump up the sports-tourer segment by 59%. Elsewhere the market continued its relentlessly downward spiral.  Custom bikes dropped by 6%, whilst touring and trail machines fell by 12%, relatively modest reductions considering the weather, rising unemployment and the end of the 15% VAT rate in 2010. But other sectors like adventure touring were off 20%, mopeds dropped 28%, naked bikes fell 35% and supersports fell by an alarming 45%. Total two-wheeler registrations last month were 3197, down 23% and the one positive note is that figure is smaller than the huge drop in January, which saw many dealerships deserted as snowfalls affected daily life. One interesting figure is that the VFR1200 notched up 97 sales in two weeks, whilst BMW’s new sportbike the S1000RR could only manage 30 sales in the entire month. This despite rave reviews in the motorcycle press for the new BMW and lukewarm reports on the new Honda. Could it be that today’s sportbikes are almost all too uncomfortable for today’s 50-something motorcycle buyer, or is the depreciation suffered by sportbikes the main factor? Perhaps the most worrying trend in the new machine registration figures is the lack of sales for mopeds and scooters. The recessions of the 70s and 80s both saw large increases in small motorcycle and scooter sales, but the younger generation, and commuters, seemed to have more or less abandoned the idea of motorcycling. Those are arguably two social trends which will see motorcycling in the UK become a pastime for pensioners within a decade. Unless something is done, and soon. Read article

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