German market growth

Growth continues in German market

Following a modest but positive trend in 2013, data released by the IVM (the German motorcycle association) shows that the German market has started this year with strong growth compared to January 2013. Total PTW sales for January this year in Germany were 3,947 units, up 34.34 percent on January 2013.

Within that figure, motorcycle sales were up 41.13 percent at 2,728 units, meaning that the larger displacement end of the market took 69.12 percent of unit volume in Germany in January.

Industry observers are of course pointing to the weather as being likely to be as much of a driving factor as economic considerations, positive though they are in Germany at this time. While January has been wet, it has been relatively mild without the extreme cold and snow seen in 2013.

Reinforcing the trend towards larger displacement models, top-end scooters were up by 30.25 percent, with smaller displacement motorcycles and scooters up by 23.20 and 11.61 percent respectively.


 

As reported in MotoWeek recently, data released in January by ACEM, the Brussels based motorcycle industry association, shows Germany to have been Europe’s second largest PTW market in terms of the total number of machines in use at the end of 2012 (Italy having the largest ‘bike park’ in Europe). ACEM’s estimate puts the market as being worth some 5.75 million units – a figure that has stayed remarkably stable (despite the downturn, since at least 2005).

Last year Germany was Europe’s third largest market in annual new PTW registration terms, with IVM data putting the market up by 1.31 percent at 129, 357 units, 87,423 were motorcycles (+2.65 percent). In terms of the last decade, ACEM data shows the German market to have peaked in 2006, at some 275,000 total units registered - meaning that, if sustained throughout 2014, the market stabilisation and modest growth being seen currently may be about to end a cycle of decline that has seen the German market lose 38 percent by volume in new registration terms in the last 7 years.

As with elsewhere in Europe, it would appear that the trends being seen in Germany mean that there is an ageing ‘bike park’, which should have positive implications on a moving forward basis for new unit sales, pre-owned motorcycle values and demand, and the demand for workshop activity, parts and accessories.

Czech Rebublic shows

Czech Republic - two shows, same weekend

 

Said to be the largest motorcycle expo in central and Eastern Europe, MOTOSALON will be staged by BVV Trade Fairs on behalf of Czech trade association AIA (Automotive Industry Association) at Brno, Czech Republic, March 6 to 9, 2014.

Described by the organisers as an "international fair for motorcycles, ATVs, accessories and clothing", the event is said to have attracted some 40,000 visitors and feature 95 exhibitors and 15,000 sqm of exhibition space when it was staged in Prague in 2013.

 

The show alternates each year between Prague and Brno, which is the second largest city in the Czech Republic. Well known as home to the Czech MotoGP since the 1930s, Brno, in Moravia, East of Prague, is near the Austrian and Slovakian borders - 130 km from Vienna and Bratislava, 320 km from Budapest and 550km from Warsaw.
The same weekend sees a second motorcycle show being staged in the Czech Republic, one that is held in Prague every year, and that, according to the organisers (INCHEBA PRAHA spol. s r.o.) regularly attracts around 50,000 visitors.

Motocykl 2014, at the Incheba Expo facility in Prague, is an independently operated annual event - that is to say that it is independent of the Czech motorcycle industry trade association. This year sees its 18th annual show, and among other attractions it features what will be the 10th annual Bohemia Custom Bike Show.

According to data released by Brussels based motorcycle industry association ACEM, the Czech Republic saw sales of some (9,317 PTWs in 2012, nearly 7,000 of which were classed as motorcycles.

The market there has suffered the same effects of the downturn seen elsewhere in Europe, declining from a 2007 peak of 16,106 PTW registrations, after several years of steady growth.

ACEM data puts the total 'Bike Park' in the Czech Republic at 976,911 units, split pretty much equally between motorcycles and smaller cc units - a figure that has continued to grow steadily throughout the downturn from the 793,934 reported for 2007.

The total population of the country is some 10.5 m people, some 8m of which are believed to be of riding age - meaning that an estimated 12 percent of those who can ride legally own or have access to a PTW of some kind.

This is said to reflect a long standing passion for two wheels that goes back many decades - indeed at its peak in the late 1920s there are believed to have been some 40 plus different motorcycle manufacturers and brands being produced in what was then Czechoslovakia; today only Jawa, CZ and Blata remain.

www.bvv.cz/en/motosalon
www.autosap.cz
www.motocykl-praha.cz
www.incheba.cz

UK market growth

UK Motorcycle Market grew in 2013

According to data release by British trade association the MCIA, while the total PTW market in the UK remained down in 2013 (-1.88 percent compared to 2012) motorcycle registrations were up at +1.16 percent (81,180 units), making the UK the 5th largest PTW market in Europe in 2013.
 

However, as has been seen elsewhere in Europe, the year ended well, with total PTW sales in the UK up by 11.27 percent compared to December 2012 (at 4,116 units) and motorcycle sales for the month up by 16.75 percent at 3,548 units.

Commenting in January on the results achieved in the UK last year, MCIA CEO Steve Kenward said that "the motorcycle market in the UK has taken longer to pick up than the car market. The majority of our sales are to leisure customers, and so upgrading the bike regularly became a casualty of reduced disposable income. That seems to be changing from what our members are reporting with regard to intention to buy in 2014.

"Though the UK motorcycle market has fared better than mainland Europe, it's been a tough few years, and those areas where there has been growth tended to be from new customers looking for more economical ways to commute".

Though small at 2,728 units for 2013 the Touring market in the UK was the fastest growing (+27.4 percent), and with Trail/Enduro models (+8.4 percent, 4,551 units), Adventure Sport models (+7.2 percent, 12,600 units), Customs (+6.5 percent, 7,296 units) and 'Naked' streetbikes (+4.3 percent, 17,941 units) all up.

The traditionally strong Sport Tourer (-7.9 percent, 4,037 units) and Supersport markets
(-5.2 percent, 11,716 units) continued to be soft, suggesting a shift in riding habits in the UK; though down by -4.4 percent at 20,099, scooters were the largest single PTW sector in the UK in 2013.

The MCIA said that the motorcycle industry contributes £7.2 Bn (approx €8.64 Bn) to the UK economy each year and directly employs some 60,000 people in more that 6,350 businesses.

Exhibitors reported strong positive interest at the MCIA's annual 'Motorcycle Live' consumer expo in November last year with over 106,000 show visitors; this year's show will be staged from November 22nd to 30th.

The GB Trade Expo (also at the UK's NEC/National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham) reported improved attendance up 20% over 2013 (more than 3,000 visitors representing over 1,500 businesses) at its 19th annual show in January.

Brussels based motorcycle industry association ACEM reports that the UK market's total
'Bike Park' was worth 1,224,849 total PTWs in ownership (making it Europe's 8th largest total market), declining from a recent peak of 1,432,092 in 2008.

Piaggio sales results

Colaninno views Piaggio results as “positive” despite decline

 

The Piaggio Group announced consolidated net sales of €955 million for the nine months to September 30th 2013, down from €1,112,3 million for the first nine months of 2012.

The company has successfully defended its margins but saw net profit decline to €27.8 million from €44.4 million in the first nine months of 2012, but says that had it not been for exchange rate effects, sales would have been higher, and states that it has maintained leadership of the European two-wheeler market with an overall PTW share of 17.5 percent (26.3 percent share in scooters).

The company says that global shipments of Vespa models were up 21.3 percent in the first
9 months of 2013, with sales of more than 146,600, and that Moto Guzzi is bucking the trend in Western motorcycle markets with 9.8 percent growth.

Group chairman Roberto Colaninno is quoted as saying that Piaggio’s performance for the period was “positive, and particularly significant when considered in relation to the macro economic scenario in the first nine months of 2013”.

In the first nine months of 2013, the two-wheeler segment of Piaggio’s domestic European market continued to show the sharpest decline recorded since 2007, with aggregate volumes now 55 percent lower than those of five years ago – in line with the overall European trend reported by ACEM.

From January to September 2013 Piaggio saw a downturn of 13.1 percent overall (-17.8 percent for scooters and -5.5 for motorcycles), with what it describes as “an unprecedented drop in demand on the Italian market”.

Piaggio have reported an overall drop of -5.5 percent in motorcycle sales for the first nine months of 2013, but Moto Guzzi is bucking the trend in Western motorcycle markets with 9.8 percent growth

The California 1400s and the limited edition MG V7s have been driving Moto Guzzi’s growth in major Western markets

MV Agusta wins at World Supersport series

MV Agusta back on the podium after 38 years
 

Jules Cluzel gave MV Agusta their first World Championship win in the first round of this year’s World Supersport Series at Phillip Island

38 years since Giacomo Agostini gave MV Agusta their last World Championship podium (Nuerburgring, 1976), MV Agusta returned to top spot on a World Championship podium at the Phillip Island circuit near Melbourne, Australia, last weekend.

Jules Cluzel (Yakhnich Motorsport) took the win in the first round of this year’s Supersport World Championship on his F3 675 Reparto Corse – having started from 14th place on the grid. 

Giovanni Castiglioni, President of MV Agusta, stated: “A marvellous win, an indescribable thrill. I want to dedicate this first victory to my father, whose faith in MV and the possibility of a successful return to racing was always unshakeable, and the late father of Brian Gillen, our Reparto Corse manager”.

In the first round of the WSBK series, Claudio Corti scored a 13th and 18th in the two races on the F4 RR.

Moto Park Show, Russia 2014

Moto Park Show, Feb 28 to March 2, 2014

 

Staged at Moscow’s IEC “Crocus-Expo” Centre, by RTE Exhibitions, Russia’s leading annual motorcycle expo (Moto Park) will be staged in Moscow starting February 28th.

This will be the 11th annual Moto Park, and it will again be co-joined with the Moscow Custom and Tuning Show 2014, which features an AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building affiliate custom bike show – the winners of which will be seen in competition at the AMD World Championship when it makes its INTERMOT debut in Hall 10 at Koelnmesse in October this year.

Moto Park regularly sees some 100 exhibitors and close to 80,000 visitors. Many of the leading manufacturers are represented at Moto Park, and these have included Harley-Davidson, Polaris (Victory and Indian), Honda, Yamaha, BMW, Triumph and Peugeot.

Russian market research specialist AutoStat (www.autostat.ru) reports that at the end of 2012 there were some 2.5 million motorcycles in ownership/use (the bike park) in Russia – five percent of the 47.9 million total vehicles in use there; the total population of Russia is around 144 million, of which 110 million are thought to be of riding age.

This means that an estimated 2 percent of Russia’s riding age population have a motorcycle of some kind, whereas in the EU the figure runs at something closer to 10 percent (35 million PTWs and a riding age population of approximately 380 million).

www.motoparkshow.ru

American Report 27th February 2014

To mark its 110th anniversary last year, Harley-Davidson held a rally last summer in Rome, at which it presented two Big Twins, one a 2013 Dyna Super Glide, to the Pope. Not known as a weekend warrior, Pope Francis signed the gas tank “Francesco” (perhaps his Harley chapter name?) and sent it to be auctioned, with the proceeds going to Caritas, a Rome-based charity. Sold at Bonhams’ Paris auction (to a European bidder) in early February, the bike far exceeded pre-sale estimates, raising €210,000, making it the sixth most expensive motorbike ever auctioned. 

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Triumph Motorcycles America Ltd has announced a recall of certain 2013 Trophy SE models on which a design flaw may result in the left-hand centre stand mount being subject to fracture. The company is also recalling 2,800 Tigers and Trophys for an ECU fix.

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BMW has announced a recall of more than 50,000 motorcycles in the United States (affecting 18 different model types/ 7 model years) for a potential fuel pump leak. A similar recall in Canada affects more than 6,000 bikes. 

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A year after being bought from BMW by KTM majority owner Stefan Pierer, Husqvarna has opened a new 15,000 square foot facility at Murrieta, California. Having radically
re-engineered the plans that BMW had for the Marque back to a complete motocross line-up, the company completed relocation of manufacturing from Italy last year and unveiled an all-new Mattighofen, Austria built Husqvarna line-up at an opening weekend bash that included some 300 US Husqvarna and several legendary former Husqvarna riders such as Dick Burleson, Malcolm Smith and Mark Blackwell – nowadays a senior executive heading up Polaris Industries’ motorcycle manufacturing activities (Victory and Indian) and recently elected chairman of the MIC.

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Following news last week that Yamaha have confirmed that they will again exhibit at AIMExpo (Orlando, October 16-19, 2014), Tucker Rocky, one of North America’s largest parts and accessory distributors, has also confirmed its confidence in the future of the exhibition by announcing an expanded presence this year. Now slated as a 4-day joint industry/consumer event, Tucker Rocky VP Marketing Hank Desjardins said that “AIMExpo addressed a void in this industry that was long overdue”. The organisers say that they already have 200 exhibitors committed to this year’s second annual event.

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Kawasaki has announced a 10,000 Thailand-manufactured dirt bike recall in the United States because of a potential fuel leak between the tank and the fuel tap. Affected models are 2010 KLX110CAF/DAF, 2011 KLX110CBF/DBF and 2012 KLX110 CCF/DCF recreational off -highway motorcycles.

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Suzuki’s financial data for the first three quarters (9 months) of its 2013-14 fiscal year reveal that despite a reported 13.1 percent decrease in motorcycle sales volumes worldwide, North American sales are holding up relatively well. At about 32,000 units, they are only slightly below the level achieved in the comparable year-ago period, and thanks to favourable exchange rate changes, their North American motorcycle sales revenue was actually up at 28.2 billion Yen ($275.7 million) from the 23.9 billion Yen reported for the first nine months of 2012-13.

Ilmberger Moto Gp sponsorship

Moto GP sponsorship and BMW parts from Ilmberger

 

ILMBERGER Carbon Parts has announced that it has signed on as a sponsor of German Moto GP rider Stefan Bradl.
“I cannot currently think of a better environment to represent the quality, innovative and technical standards of our carbon fibre parts as in Moto GP,” said Julius Ilmberger, founder of ICP Ilmberger Carbon Parts. “As a German company, and moreover with the best German rider, to be represented there, is simply the best.”
While Bradl will be riding a Honda in the 2014 Championship, Ilmberger has continued to develop parts for a wide variety of motorcycles, including the latest liquid-cooled BMW R1200GS.

From the ‘beak’ to the wind flaps, engine guards and covers, up to replacement covers for the complete tank, almost all of the standard plastic parts on the R 1200 GS can now be replaced with Ilmberger carbon parts. In addition, there are numerous accessories available too, including a rear hugger, hand protectors, and carbon covers are available to protect sensitive GS components.
All of the Ilmberger carbon parts for the R 1200 GS are manufactured from prepregs by autoclaving to ensure extreme strength. A clear plastic coat is then applied to offer scratch and UV resistance. All parts come with fitting instructions and type approval documentation.

ILMBERGER Carbon Parts
Oberhaching, GERMANY
Tel: +49(0)8961 33893
info@ilmberger-carbon.com
www.ilmberger-carbon.com

Spanish Motorcycle market

Spanish market returning to growth?

After a bad start to 2013, motorcycle registrations in Spain recovered in the final four months of 2013 – they were up 16.2 percent for September to December 2013 compared to September to December 2012. 

Jose Maria Riana, ANESDOR Secretary General

However, the market was down by 6 percent for the year as a whole with 92,185 new units registered. Jose Maria Riana, Secretary General of Spanish motorcycle industry association ANESDOR, commented that “while the overall market performance here in Spain in 2013 saw a further reduction in PTW sales, the decline was the smallest in percentage terms for several years, and the market saw a return to growth in the final quarter of 2013.”

Further good news for the motorcycle industry in Spain came in the form of the pre-owned PTW market, which, at 245,195 units sold saw a 12.5 percent increase in purchases in 2013 compared to 2012. 

ANESDOR has repeated its call for a support scheme similar to the one seen in Spain for cars (PIVE), which provides incentives for replacement of old vehicles.

Official data from the Spanish government is said to reflect a progressive ageing of PTWs in use in Spain, where the average age has increased in recent years to 14.
   
As reported in the last edition of MotoWeek, data released by ACEM shows 5,021,965 total PTWs in use in Spain at the end of 2012. The data confirms ANESDOR’s reports and concerns about the ageing of the ‘bike fleet’ in Spain, because despite the dramatic decline in new sales throughout the downturn, that figure has remained remarkably steady throughout the past 7 years (at least).

Indeed from just over 4 million PTWs in use in 2005, the market in Spain has actually continued to grow steadily in terms of total number of machines in use, peaking at 5,027,461 in 2011. Spain is Europe’s third largest market in total ‘bike park’ terms after Italy and Germany.

OptiMate 3 battery charger

OptiMate 3

TECMATE’S latest battery charger is the OptiMate 3; an all-in-one tool for use with 12V batteries. Like the company’s other chargers, the OptiMate 3 is easy to use and fully automatic. However, it is also now microprocessor-controlled, lighter, more efficient, and comes with global input (100-240V).

TecMate says the OptiMate 3 is 33 percent more powerful than the unit it replaces and is capable of recovering a battery from deep discharge and optimally recharging it. It can also check that the charge delivered is the best possible before then checking how well the battery can retain the charge, and display the battery’s status.
The OptiMate 3 is available in dual and quad-bank formats as well as the single option, with the two and four outputs being independent, meaning they can handle up to four different batteries completely independently.
All versions of the OptiMate 3 have all been listed by the California Energy Commission as approved for sale in California, verifying that they meet strict energy use requirements, especially when the charger is idling (no battery connected) and during long-term maintenance charging.

www.tecmate.com

Eurasia Moto Bike Expo

Eurasia Moto Bike Expo, Istanbul
February 28th to March 3rd

 

The Istanbul Expo Centre will host the sixth edition of the Eurasia Moto Bike Expo for four days, starting February 28th.

Supported by Turkish motorcycle industry trade association MOTED (www.moted.net) and many major OEs and their importers/distributors, last year saw over 80,000 consumers visit the three exhibition halls filled by the show.

Those OEs included Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM, BMW, Ducati and Honda alongside domestic parts and accessory manufacturers and importers.

Turkey is Europe’s fifth largest motorcycle market, with 1,441,066 total PTWs in circulation at the end of 2012.

Data captured by Brussels based motorcycle industry association ACEM suggests that the market there has remained stable throughout the downturn, having grown by some 1.2 million additional PTWs in use since 2005.

Indeed in 2013 Turkey was the fourth largest market in terms of new PTW registrations at 164,132 units, the market having peaked at 193,606 in 2011.

www.motobike.com.tr

American Report - 20th February

Yamaha has become the first OE to confirm its participation in this year's AIMExpo at Orlando, Florida, October 16-19 2014. Yamaha were the first motorcycle manufacturer to
sign up for last year's inaugural AIMExpo, and the brand "is looking to expand its presence at the 2014 event", according to the organisers. Now slated for four days, AIMExpo is a joint trade and consumer expo with over 200 exhibitors already confirmed for this year.

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Data released in the United States by the MIC (Motorcycle Industry Council) – which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year – reveal that motorcycle sales ended 2013 with a 1.4 percent overall increase compared to 2012. Dual sport was up by 7.8 percent at 32,979 units; street motorcycles were up by 2 percent at 324,691 units; off-highway motorcycle sales were up 5.7 percent at 73,371 units. Scooter sales were down 15.5 percent, but the sector only represents 7.4 percent of overall US sales. 

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British brake specialist DP Brakes has announced ATV sponsorships in the United States that will see the company continuing to support “outstanding riders who appreciate the high performance products that DP Brakes offers”, said Larry Mills, President of DP Brakes North America. “Many of our sponsored riders have chosen to use DP Brakes products year after year and provide us with the feedback needed to maintain our performance leadership in brakes and clutches.” The company has also announced brake pad upgrades for Can-Am Spyders, which Mills has described as delivering “fade-free performance under all conditions”.

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EPM Performance Imports of Englishtown, New Jersey, is the exclusive US importer of Dutch made Hyperpro suspension products, and has announced that it is offering Hyperpro’s new BMW Telelever Street Box Suspension Kit to its US dealers. An all-in-one boxed set of Hyperpro’s advanced emulsion-type front and rear shocks, the kit was introduced at EICMA in November 2013 and is said to “have everything needed to replace the worn out parts of high-mileage shocks”.

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BMW Motorrad USA reported that its dealer network delivered an increase of 19.9 percent in December 2013, with the company finishing the year with 14,179 units sold, up 17.6 percent over 2012. With 5 new models to hit the US market in 2014, the company says it is already looking forward to an all-time record this year.

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Xinhua, China based Taotao Group, which is said to be China’s biggest ATV producer, is reported as saying it wants to expand its product variety and upgrade technology management by buying American powersports businesses. The US is said to account for 70 percent of Taotao Group’s export volume, with the group’s products accounting for 70 percent of China’s total ATV exports to the United States, put at 120,000 ATVs and motorcycles last year for a 30 percent market share.

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Erik Buell Racing (EBR) has announced its first 60 domestic dealers, giving the company a network that will cover the top motorcycle markets and metropolitan areas in 26 states. There will be 9 EBR dealers in Florida, which is one of America’s sport bike heartlands, with 6 in Texas, 5 in Pennsylvania and 4 in California and New Jersey.

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Harley-Davidson reported 2013 fourth quarter sales up 6.3 percent in the United States and up 4.7 percent internationally (up 5.5 percent in Europe, Middle East and Africa). For the full year, the company sold 260,839 new Harley-Davidson motorcycle worldwide (compared to 249,849 in 2012) – up 4.4 percent in the US, but down by 1 percent in EMEA. The company’s total revenue from motorcycles and related products was $5.258 billion (up from $4.942 billion in 2012).

EU regulations

Implementing acts – the next stage of the new PTW regulations

 

The delegated regulation on vehicle functional safety requirements, and a delegated regulation on vehicle construction and general requirements for the approval of 2- and
3- wheel vehicles (and quadricycles) have been published in the Official Journal of the EU.

The two pieces of legislation supplement the provisions of Regulation 168/2013 on the “approval and market surveillance” of PTWs.

While “certainly not the last step in the implementation of the [new] PTW regulation”, according to Brussels based motorcycle industry association ACEM, they do nonetheless represent the necessary next stage in formal adoption of the PTW regulations as guided through the European Parliament’s Internal Markets Committee (IMCO) by motorcycle affairs Rapporteur Wim van de Camp in November 2012.

In essence, these “implementing acts” represent the blank-filling “devilish detail” that populates the framework regulations with the necessary technical elements.

A delegated regulation on environmental and propulsion performance requirements (delegated act) is also expected to be published in the coming weeks.

www.acem.eu

Wunderlich screen deflector

3-D screen deflector

WUNDERLICH has been offering its adjustable screen deflector, the Vario-ERGO+, for many years, and the company has worked hard to create an advanced and three-dimensional adjustable version.
The new version of the wind deflector has been designed to be used on bikes with extremely curved screens, such as those on the new R 1200 GS (2013) and the F 800 GS Adventure.

The new Vario-ERGO 3-D is said to be infinitely adjustable and fits on nearly every windscreen. Due to the rotatable centre piece, the screen deflector can also be adjusted closer to the driver to ensure optimum relief from wind blast around the rider’s helmet and upper body. In addition its aerodynamic shape also reduces turbulences and road noise.
Both versions of the screen deflector are made in Germany and available in clear with silver anodized fixings or in smoked grey with a titanium anodized mounting.
All deflectors have ABE approval and cover nearly all models from Aprilia to Yamaha.

WUNDERLICH
Sinzig, GERMANY
Tel: +49 (0) 2642 9798 0
info@wunderlich.de
www.wunderlich.de

Amphibious SOFTSEAT

SOFTSEAT seat cushion

NEW from Italian company Amphibious is the SOFTSEAT cushion, designed to ensure high levels of comfort when travelling long distances.Universal and self-inflating, it fits most maxi scooters and motorcycles and is available for riders or pillion passengers.

SOFTSEAT's pressure can be adjusted thanks to the soft material and deflation valve.
These features enable the cushion to be adapted to the height of the rider and also make touring easier. SOFTSEAT is also said to be anti-slip, extremely stable and very quick to fit. The mesh holder, supplied as standard, combined with the deflation valve, allows SOFTSEAT to be stored away neatly when not in use.
The cushion measures 38 x 36 x 4 cm (SOFTSEAT L) and 18-26 x 28 x 3 cm (SOFTSEAT S) and weighs 180/100g.
Colour is black only. The SOFTSEAT S is an alternative version more suitable for pillion passengers or for motorcycles with smaller seats like Naked or Enduro.

AMPHIBIOUS Srl
Lesmo (MB), ITALY
Tel. +39 039 6065879
info@amphibious.it
www.amphibious.it