Summary of 2006 U.S. Motorcycle Sales and Statistics

March 28, 2007 -  The final numbers for 2006 are in and they show a modest increase in overall motorcycle sales, which totaled 1,022,332 (Including scooter, street, dual sport and off-road types).  This compares to 1,009,588 in 2005 for an increase of 1.3%.

Here's the breakdown:

The big surprise is the drop in scooter sales, which have been predicted to rise, based on the increased fuel prices in the U.S.  The dual sport category is also interesting, with another big increase in 2006.  If ATV sales (747,581, a decrease of 4.2% from 2005) are factored in, total sales dropped for the first time in 14 years of consecutive growth (18 brands included).

However, the growth in street bike sales does continue the 14 year trend.  Other statistics reported by the Motorcycle Industry Council include an estimate of 8,802,000 motorcycles in use in the U.S. in 2003, the latest year for which figures are available.  About 76% of these motorcycles are in the over 749cc category and 16% are 450 to 749cc's. 

The largest number of motorcycles are in California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York, with 33% of the total motorcycles in use in 2003.  You may think that the West Coast has the largest number of motorcycles, with 2,187,100, but the South beats this with 2,645,100 (although this is a somewhat meaningless number due to the arbitrary numbers of states in each region).

In 2004, approximately 5.7 million motorcycles were registered for use on public roads in the U.S.A., which equals about 2.4% of all vehicle registrations.  Estimates of market share for 2005, the latest year for which numbers are available, show Honda in the lead with 24% of the market, followed by Harley-Davidson and Buell with 22.6%, Yamaha at 15.9%, Suzuki at 11.8%, Kawasaki at 9.1%, KTM at 1.7%, BMW with 1.2% and "Other" at 13.7%.  Why Triumph isn't broken out separately remains a mystery.

In 2005, the motorcycle industry generated an estimated $25.5 billion in consumer sales, services, state taxes and licensing, including $9.8 billion in motorcycle retail sales.  Also in 2005, there were 12,013 retail outlets selling motorcycles and related products, with 148,675 employees earning an annual estimated payroll of $4.0 billion.

There's been a dramatic change in the age of motorcycle owners since 1985.  For example, owners under 18 years old total only 3.7% of the percent of total ownership in 2003, compared to 14.9% in 1985, while the owners age 40 and over total 53%, compared to 21.3% in 1985.

Motorcycle injuries have been on a steady increase since 1996, from about 55,000 in 1996 to approximately 85,000 in 2005.  This comes as MSF trained riders increased from about 125,000 in 1996 to about 325,000 in 2005.  Fatalities have also risen dramatically, more than doubling from about 2,100 in 1996 to about 4,550 in 2005.

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2006 BMW Motorcycle Sales

January 13, 2007 -  BMW reports that worldwide BMW motorcycle sales for December were up 36.8 percent over the same period the previous year, while annual sales topped 100,000 units.  BMW Motorrad USA, also posted increases for December as well as annual sales.

The strong performance was claimed to be due to the introduction of new models as well as the continued performance of existing models.  At the head of the list was the top-selling model – the R 1200 RT – which was named “Best Touring Bike” in 2006 for the second year in a row by editors of Motorcyclist Magazine.

BMW’s R 1200 GS model – named “Best Adventure Bike” last year by Motorcyclist – accounted for the marque’s second highest volume.  The F 650 GS was BMW’s third best-selling bike.

BMW Motorrad USA will introduce several new motorcycles for 2007 – the G 650 series, the F 800 series, and the K 1200 R Sport models – all of which are expected to contribute to another strong year.

100,000 motorcycles were produced and sold for the first time, which now means that over 2 million motorcycles have been sold in the company's entire history.  Exactly 100,064 BMW motorcycles were sold worldwide - the highest number ever supplied by the company to customers in a single year.  Compared to the previous year (97,474 units) this means a sales increase of 2.7 per cent.

And the company can boast yet another proud statistic for 2006: in December the number of all BMW motorcycles produced since 1923 reached the two million mark.  By the end of the year a total of 2,061,977 motorcycles had been produced, 1,616,016 having come off the production lines of the motorcycle plant in Berlin-Spandau since 1969.

In keeping with the company’s roots, the 100,000th motorcycle was a flat twin “Boxer”, an unfaired R 1200 R in Night Black non-metallic fitted with Integral ABS.

The foundation for increased production was laid by investments made in past years.  Some 117 million euros was spent on developing motorcycle production in the Berlin plant between 2001 and 2003. Today it is regarded as one of the most state-of-the-art motorcycle plants in the world.

The markets in Western Europe accounted for the lion’s share of the impressive sales results.  In Germany, a total of 23,617 units had been supplied as of December, making BMW Motorrad the market leader in its home territory.

The second strongest market for the company was Italy with 13,651 units, followed by the US (12,825 units) and Spain (10,002 units).

The R 1200 GS – along with its sibling model Adventure - achieved phenomenal sales success with 31,138 units.  Not only is it the market leader by far among the large-volume enduro motorcycles, it is probably one of the best-selling motorcycle models worldwide in the category over 500 cc.

Ranking in second place in terms of popularity of BMW motorcycles is the touring bike R1200 RT with 13,384 units. The single-cylinder model F 650 GS and the model variation Dakar was sold 12,511 times.

Within a decade, BMW Motorrad has become the biggest and most successful manufacturer of large-volume motorcycles in Europe.  But for Dr. Herbert Diess, the managing director of BMW Motorrad, volume increase is not the ultimate objective: “Our company strategy is long-term and oriented towards the permanent profitability of all products; it is not simply geared towards volume.  Rankings in registration statistics are not the main focus of our interest. We invest carefully in innovations and technologies for new models, consolidating and extending our segments and market positions.  This secures a strong position within the market for us and our dealers.”

Looking ahead to 2007, BMW Motorrad starts out with five new models.  The new single-cylinder series with the models G 650 Xchallenge, Xcountry and Xmoto, and the K 1200 R Sport will all be available from dealerships in Germany from March 10, 2007 and the HP2 Megamoto follows in late spring.

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2006 Motorcycle Sales

November 2, 2006 - Motorcycle sales in New Zealand are reported to have been on the rise, up about 25% from 2005 to 2006, from 9,000 bikes in 2005 to 11,000 so far in 2006.  The cause is thought to be high fuel prices.

October 21, 2006 - It's interesting to note that on/off road motorcycle sales continue to rise, with a 23% year-to-date increase in the first three quarters of 2006 as compared to 2005.  This may be due to sales of motorcycles like the BMW R1200GS, Triumph Tiger and others, although the definition of "dual use" is not clear to us.

Meanwhile, street bike sales are running 6.6% ahead of last year, while scooter sales are, surprisingly, down 1.5% for the year.

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New EPA Guidance on Streetbike Emissions Rules

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced that a review of an Environmental Protection Agency "Letter of Guidance" on the subject of motorcycle-emissions regulations has been completed.

The AMA had been seeking clarification of EPA regulations for "kit" and "custom" motorcycles.

Kit bikes are motorcycles typically built by individuals using off-the-shelf components, while custom bikes are generally show bikes built by a business and sold to a customer.

Under the regulations, a person is allowed only one kit motorcycle in their lifetime that is exempt from meeting EPA emissions requirements. For custom motorcycles, a builder may create and sell up to 24 bikes a year that don't meet EPA emissions requirements, but those machines must be labeled as exempt and are show bikes that only rarely may be ridden.

The AMA's review of the recent Letter of Guidance confirmed that by using an EPA-certified engine, an individual will, in fact, be permitted to build a kit motorcycle without invoking the "one per lifetime" rule, subject to restrictions on exhaust systems, carburetors, fuel injection, and certain other components. From the EPA Letter of Guidance:

"New highway motorcycles certified in this manner may be operated or re-sold without restriction, as long as all requirements of this procedure are met and the anti-tampering requirements of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S. C. sec. 203(a)) are met."

Before the EPA adopted these rules in 2004, it was illegal for anyone to ride a street motorcycle built in 1980 or later if it didn't meet EPA emissions requirements.

The EPA rules adopted in 2004 require new road motorcycles sold nationwide beginning with the 2006 model year to meet strict emissions standards adopted earlier by California. The first phase of the California standards went into effect with model year 2004, with a second tier scheduled to go into effect with model year 2008.

The EPA adopted the same standards but with a two-year delay, meaning the first phase took effect with the 2006 model year, and the second phase will take effect in model year 2010.

New motorcycles sold in California beginning with the 2004 model year, and nationwide beginning with the 2006 model year, may not emit more than 1.4 grams per kilometer of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, and 12 grams per kilometer of carbon monoxide.

The California standard gets tougher in model year 2008, with a limit of
0.8 grams per kilometer of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides and 12 grams per kilometer of carbon monoxide. The federal standard that goes in effect in model year 2010 is the same.

When the EPA issued its final rules, the provisions related to kit and custom bikes were new, which the AMA notes also has led to the confusion surrounding them.

All major motorcycle manufacturers' street bikes meet federal model year
2006 emissions standards, and several manufacturers' products already meet the model year 2010 standards.

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European Motorcycle Production

Dec. 10, 2005 - I was looking through a recent report from ACEM (Association des Constructeurs Européens de Motocycles), an organization similar to the Motorcycle Industry Council in the U.S.A.

The document is filled with various statistics on motorcycle and moped (under 50cc scooters) use in Europe.  Europe has been a leader in motorcycle manufacturing since this form of transportation was first invented, but it's interesting to note that some of the Asian motorcycle manufacturers are setting up shop in Europe to take advantage of the Aprilia (Italy), Derbi (Spain), Ducati (Italy) and KTM (Austria) niche market expertise.  Conversely, European manufacturers are developing infrastructure in Asia.

Here's an interesting chart showing European motorcycle and moped production from 1998 to 2004, broken out by various countries; below it is a graph illustrating the same figures.  Note the continuous decrease in the number of new units; ACEM says that part of this may be due to the higher quality of modern motorcycles, which has extended the replacement cycle:

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UK Motorcycle Sales Update

Some statistics on the UK motorcycle market: the Suzuki GSXR 1000 remains the top selling bike in the UK, with 2356 units sold as of September 2005.  The Honda CBR125R is next at 2219; Honda CBR1000RR at 1901; Kawasaki ZX6R at 1848; BMW R1200GS at 1667; Yamaha YZF R1 at 1666; Honda SCV 100 Lead (scooter) at 1487; Honda CBR600RR at 1427; Yamaha YZF R6 at 1420 and Suzuki SV650S at 1365. 

The BMW R1200RT is the top touring bike, followed by the Honda Pan European and Deauville.  Harley Davidson and the Triumph Rocket share spots in the top 5 custom (i.e., cruiser) segment.  Unfaired (naked) bikes are up 26%, while trail and enduro models are up 22%.  Scooter sales have dropped 10% from September of 2004 and are down 11% for the year.

Avon Street Tires for Adventure-Touring Bikes

Avon announced that it will add a 110/80R19 59V AV45 to its Azaro-ST sport touring tire range, meaning owners of bigger Adventure-Touring bikes will be able to specify pure road-going tires for their machines.

Bikes such as the BMWR1150GS, Suzuki V-Strom and Triumph Tiger are typically fitted with on/off style tires to match the looks of the bikes, but many owners never use their machines off road.  The new front can be matched with Avon’s existing 150/70R17 69W AV46 Azaro-ST to give provide a totally road-oriented tire pairing.

Avon says that "the acclaimed Azaro-ST has long been a firm favorite of sports touring riders.  Having one of the deepest treads on the market, the Azaro-ST offers excellent wear combined with sharp handling.  The tire is also covered by Avon’s own Road Hazard Warranty, which provides a free replacement if the new tire is damaged during the early part of its life."

Made in the UK, Avon’s Azaro-ST range employs some of the most up to date casing design technology.  Every Azaro ST AV46 features Avon’s unique A-VBD (Advanced Variable Belt Density Technology).  This is a jointless belt of ultra-strong Aramid fibers running around the tire’s circumference.  At the center of the tread the strands of Aramid are closely packed for maximum stability and high wear resistance.  The closer you get to the edge of the tread, the further apart the strands are spaced.  This broadens the tire’s footprint when cornering.  The A-VBD system also makes the tyre less susceptible to ‘squaring off’.

The new tires will also benefit from ‘high dispersibility’ silica compounds to give rapid warm-up times and maximum grip in the wet and the dry.  We had a set of Azaro AV46's on our Triumph Thunderbird Sport and I thought they were great tires.

2005 BMW Motorcycle Sales Figures

November 10, 2005 - The BMW Group has reported that sales of motorcycles in October 2005 reached 5,697 vehicles, down 10.6% from October of 2004, when 6,371 bikes were sold.  The year-to-date figures for the number of BMW motorcycles delivered rose by 10.1% to 86,525 (previous year: 78,553).

2005 KTM Motorcycle Sales Figures

November 10, 2005 - KTM Power Sports AG has released figures from its fiscal year, which ended on August 31, 2005. To summarize, the company has changed its name to KTM Power Sports AG. Polaris Industries Inc., based in Minneapolis, USA, acquired 24.9% of the shares in the KTM Power Sports AG during the past business year. A number of joint-venture projects were defined at the operative level with the KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG and their implementation was begun.

Group Sales of the KTM Group GmbH, which is primarily responsible for motorcycles was € 451.2 MM, an increase of 12%. KTM reports that the rise in sales resulted from volume growth, an improved model mix (2-cylinder models) and strong growth in the related products segment (spare parts/accessories, WP products).

Group Sales (units) of the KTM group amounted to 80,356 motorcycles, up 5 %. This was supported by the successful expansion in the on-road motorcycle market, with the launch of the 990 Super Duke and 950 Supermoto.

KTM sees chances for growth in the 2005/06 business year as well, in which primarily new, attractive models and related products shall carry the future growth. First results are already anticipated in the 2005/06 business year from the cooperation agreement concluded with the Polaris Group, particularly regarding the expansion of the dealership network and the cooperation in purchasing. However, the spotlight of this cooperation shall be on the reduction of the EUR/USD risk through mutual product deliveries ("natural hedge").

KTM also reported employing 1,584 employees, an increase of one employee from last year's average.

Share price rose continuously over the course of the year, from € 30.4 on 1.9.2004 to € 48.3 on the balance sheet date 31.8.2005, which corresponds to an increase of 59% compared to the closing price for the 2003/04 business year.

2006 European Motorcycle News

October 6, 2005 - We've received some emails with various rumors and facts on new bikes for Europe; we'll probably never see these in the States:  The radical Yamaha MT-01 show bike has a baby brother, the MT-03, with the XT660's air-cooled single.  Looks as cool as the big guy.  Yamaha's FGR1300 sport-tourer gets a semi-automatic gearbox option; the gears are selected either by the traditional left foot lever or a switch on the left handlebar.  The Triumph Bonneville and Scrambler may need fuel injection next year to meet Euro 3 pollution control standards.  Meeting the Euro 3 standards is said to cost over £250, which may make small, cheap motorcycles a thing of the past. Suzuki will release a GSR600 naked bike to compete with the Honda Hornet and Yamaha Fazer.  Aprilia has a new off-road Pegaso.  Photos are floating around of a six-cylinder Suzuki show bike called the Stratosphere.  More as it arrives...

Italian Motorcycle Sales Decrease

May 4, 2004 - Registrations of new motorcycles and mopeds fell by 11.48% to 130,731 during the first 120 days of 2005, as compared to the same period in 2004.  Included in these numbers are moped registrations, which fell by 14.91% to 73,742 units while motorcycle registrations fell by 6.59% to 56,989 units. Honda had the highest number of registrations so far in 2005 at 16,368 (mopeds and motorcycles combined). Yamaha is second with 15,605 units and Piaggio third with 11,478.

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German Motorcycle Sales Fall

Motorcycle industry news reports indicate a motorcycle sales increase in the European market of nearly 13% in 2004.  Germany is the biggest market, with sales of 127,614 bikes sold in 2004, a decrease of about 8% from 2003.  Slow German motorcycle sales will probably affect the European market in 2005, which is still trying to recover from a dramatic scooter sales slump from 2003-2004.

MV Agusta reported a 54% increase, but 54% over a sales number of nil is still nil.  Buell also reported an increase, but again, we're talking small potatoes here.  It's interesting to note that Harley Davidson reported a 15% sales decrease. 

Honda bike sales were up a bit on the strength of 600 cc sales, and BMW had a slight drop to 25,270 motorcycles sold, a decrease of about 5%.  Although BMW still has a large market share of 20% of new bikes sold in Europe.  Ducati is in a worldwide sales slump, showing a 20% decrease in European sales.  (Note: Figures culled from various online and print sources).