International Dealer News IDN 117 Feb/Mar 2014 | Page 18

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The European 'Bke Park ' - PTWs in use
DATA released by ACEM at their recent
10th annual conference gives an
interesting insight into the 'Bike Park' in
Europe - the total number of Powered
Two Wheelers on the road.
The most recent available full-year
data is to the end of 2012 and it shows
that while the number of bikes on the
road has dipped, at 35,566,991
(25,738,753 of which are motorcycles)
it has not collapsed in the downturn in
anything like the way that sales of new
units have done.
In 2011 the number was
37,738,799, and had actually grown
annually each year to then from the
31,839,152 reported for 2005
(19,433,214 of which are reported as
motorcycles).
Not surprisingly Italy has the largest
PTW population at 8,582,796, of which
6,482,796 are motorcycles - which
means that up to some 20 percent of the
riding age population has a PTW of
some kind.

The total 'Bike Park' figure in Italy has
remained consistent at over 8m total
PTW units ever since 2005, with the
number of those being described in the
data as motorcycles climbing steadily
from just under 5m ever since then meaning that the profile of the PTW
market in Italy has shifted decisively
towards larger displacement machines,
by some 30 percent of the total since
2005.
The second largest PTW 'Bike Park'
in Europe is in Germany, where the
most recently available complete data
(to end of 2011) puts the total of PTW's
in use at 5,814,195, of which some
two-thirds are motorcycles (3,908,072
in 2011).
The German market has remained
consistently over 5m units, and with
approximately the same proportion of
motorcycles to mopeds ever since 2005.
Spain boasts Europe's third largest
'Bike Park', at 5,021,965 units in 2012
of which more than half (2,852,297) are

motorcycles.
Although the split between
motorcycles and lower cc 'mopeds' is
much nearer 50/50 in Spain, the growth
in motorcycle ownership as a
proportion is clearly seen in ACEM's
data, with growth from 1,805,827 (in a
4,066,267 total) resulting in the
number of larger displacement
machines overtaking 'mopeds' for the
first time in 2008 and appearing to
continue to grow in proportion and
absolute number terms right up to
2012.
Fourth largest is France with
3,089,125 total PTWs (1,674,147 of
which are motorcycles); down from
peak PTW ownership of 3,857,000 in
2008.
Europe's 'Top Five' PTW 'Bike Parks'
is completed by Turkey, at 2,657,722
units in 2012 (the available data from
Turkey does not differentiate between
motorcycles and 'mopeds'.
Poland is sixth at 2,207,556 total

PTWs (1,107260 motorcycles); Greece
is seventh at 1,776,435 total PTWs (a
surprisingly high 1,556,435 of which
are descibed as being motorcycles).
The UK and Dutch markets are pretty
much of equal size in 'Bike Park' terms,
with the United Kingdom
(1,362,849) only slightly ahead of The
Netherlands (1,210,729); though the
displacement profiles of the two
markets are very different - in the UK
motorcycles are by far in the majority,
whereas Dutch motorcycles are only
some 100,000 or so more than
'mopeds'.
The tenth largest PTW 'Bike Park' in
Europe is in the Czech Republic
(976,911 total), where the market is
split 50/50 between 'mopeds' and
motorcycles.
In order, the next 10 'Bike Parks' in
Europe are Switzerland, Austria,
Belgium, Finland, Portugal, Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, Croatia and
Hungary.

OptiMate programme to be exclusively
distributed in USA by Parts Unlimited and
Drag Specialties
TECMATE North America, the designer
and manufacturer of the
internationally acclaimed OptiMate
programme of battery maintenance
and diagnostics products, have
announced an exclusive United States
distribution agreement with LeMans
Corporation.
Recommended by many leading
motorcycle manufacturers, the
OptiMate programme includes unique
precision tools, OptiMate advanced
battery saving chargers and various
OptiMate cable and powered
accessories.
Noted for many new technology
innovations, including the first

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desulfating charger that automatically
saves and prolongs the life of a leadacid battery, Tecmate also developed
continuous battery testing and offers
the market leading charger/
tester/maintainer for Lithium (LiFePo4)
starter batteries.
CEO Martin Human said of the
LeMans deal that “this new
distribution agreement means
enhanced levels of service and product
training for our American dealers,
excellent dealer margins, and confirms
our commitment to the powersport
industry dealer community.
“We believe dealers are essential
for the continued existence and future

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - FEB/MAR 2014

growth of the motorcycle
market and as part of that
support no TecMate
product will ever be
made available through
big box stores such as
Walmart”.
www.tecmate.com
TecMate have just introduced an updated 'OptiMate
3' battery maintenance tool to the range - full report
in the next edition of IDN and an upcoming edition of
our MotoWeek industry information service