International Dealer News IDN 147 February/March 2019 | Page 8

STAT ZONE
Japanese made motorcycle
exports to Europe -4.64 in 2018
The latest data released by
JAMA (the automotive trade
association in Japan, which
includes representation of
motorcycle manufacturers
among its membership) shows
exports of Japanese made
motorcycles to Europe down by
-4.64 percent in 2018 (199,129
units), but with growth seen in
the final quarter.
Exports of Japanese made
motorcycles to USA for 2018
were +5.53 percent, despite the
total U.S. motorcycle market
being nearly -10 percent down
in 2018. Total Japanese factory
manufactured motorcycle
exports worldwide were -2.13
percent for the year at 354,839
units.
Total PTW exports to Europe
(motorcycles, scooters and
mopeds combined) were -3.20
percent for 2018 (217,575
units), +5.57 percent in the USA
for the year (118,678 units) and
worldwide were +1.37 percent
for the year (456,758 units).
The increasing number of units
being made by Japanese
manufacturers elsewhere in
Asia, the US and South/Central
America goes some way to
providing historical context for
the data, though the majority of
higher value larger
displacement Japanese brand
machines, especially those
being sold in Europe, are still
made in Japan.
Their overseas factories are
primarily engaged in making
and selling scooters and smaller
capacity units in 'emerging'
markets (where import tariffs
are high) and in making
ATV/UTV units, especially in the
United States where demand for
such machines is strongest.
Japanese made motorcycle and
moped (all PTW) exports fell off
a cliff in 2009 to 583,879 from
over 1m in 2008 and have
continued to decline most years
since then (463,123 units in
2017); they peaked at 1,641m
units in 2000.
Italy: motorcycles and scooters
+12.73% in 2018*
Italian registrations 2018
250,000
2017
+7.35%
2018
200,000
150,000
TOTAL
L PT
PTW
50,000
+12.73%
100,000
percent for 2018 (126,465 units),
with the top sellers being Honda’s SH
150/300/125 range selling 29,034
units between them YTD, followed by
Piaggio’s Beverly 300 ABS (8,291
units) and Liberty 125 ABS (5,966
units).
The top selling motorcycle in Italy
continues to be the BMW R 1200 GS,
followed by Honda’s ‘Africa Twin’
(3,223 YTD), the Yamaha ‘Tracer’ 900,
the R 1200 GS Adventure and the
Benelli TRK 502/X (2,101 units).
*As with other of Europe’s markets,
while the unit numbers make good
reading, some caution needs to be
used when judging the apparent
year-on-year percentage market
growth because of the several
thousands of pre-registered Euro 3
models registered in late 2016 that
were actually sold ‘as new’ by dealers
in early 2017 – meaning that the real
numbers for 2017 were higher than
officially recorded.
The latest data released by ANCMA,
the motorcycle industry trade
association in Italy, shows the Italian
motorcycle and scooter market
continuing to grow. New motorcycle
registrations are reported as being
+95.40 percent in December (!) at
3,613 units, having been +21.99
percent in November (3,806 units).
At +12.73 percent for the full year
2018 (92,991 units), this has been
the strongest annual market
performance in Italy for a decade.
In total PTW terms, the Italian market
is reported as having been +52.91
percent in December (7,289 units)
and +10.88 percent (9,344 units) in
November. On an annual basis the
Italian market is reported to be
running at +7.35 percent in total
PTW registration terms for 2018
(219,465 units) - the strongest
annual market performance in Italy
since 2011.
Scooter registrations were +7.35
MOTORCYCLE
Poland 2018: new motorcycles -3.38 percent
The latest data from the
motorcycle industry trade
association in Poland (PZPM)
shows new motorcycle
registration at -3.38 percent
(14,524 units) for 2018 with
some signs of the modest
growth seen in the summer
sustaining in the final quarter.
New moped sales are reported
heavily down at -44.51 percent
(16,447 units), with overall
8
total new PTW registrations at
-30.67 percent (30,971 units)
for the year.
However, new model
registrations are only ever part
of the story where the Polish
market is concerned. Poland is
an important market for pre-
owned vehicles (from
elsewhere in Europe) that are
receiving their first domestic
Polish registration; these
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
machines provide valuable
service, maintenance and PG&A
income for Poland’s franchised
and independent motorcycle
shops and the vendors they buy
from.
When the used motorcycles
receiving their first registration
in Poland are factored in, the
total number of new and used
motorcycles sold was +6.99
percent in 2018 (75,687 units) -
the market having seen growth
for 10 out of the 12 months of
2018.
New and used mopeds
combined were -34.10 percent
for the year (25,471 units),
with total overall new and
used PTW registrations at -7.53
percent for the year (101,158
units) retaining Poland’s
position as Europe’s 6th largest
market.
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