The latest data released by the motorcycle trade association in Germany (IVM) shows new motorcycle registrations for 2016 up by +15.01 percent at 117,587 units – the best annual market performance in Germany since before 2008.
As elsewhere, the December data is affected by OEs and their dealers pre-registering existing Euro 3 compliant inventory in advance of the new Euro 4 regulations becoming mandatory for all newly registered motorcycles in January 1st 2017 – something that has been seen in the data throughout Europe in the final weeks of 2016.
In total Powered Two-Wheeler terms (PTW) the German market was +14.81 percent for 2016 at 172,846 units – also the best German market performance since before 2008.
The top-selling motorcycle in Germany in 2016 was BMW’s all conquering R 1200 GS, with 6,932 units sold. Yamaha’s MT-07 was second (3,398 units), followed by the Kawasaki ER-6n (2,629 units), BMW’s R nineT (2,563 units), and Honda’s CRF 1000 ‘Africa Twin’ was the fifth most popular new motorcycle in Germany in 2016 (2,295).
 |
| BMW’s R 1200 GS was the top-selling motorcycle in Germany in 2016, with 6,932 units sold, helping power the Munich based company to leadership of their home motorcycle market |
 |
| Yamaha’s MT-07 was the second best-selling bike in Germany in 2016 (3,398 units sold) as Yamaha took overall total PTW sales market leadership (14.06 percent share, 24,303 units sold) |
With seven models in the list of the top-20 best sellers, it is no surprise that BMW is motorcycle market leader with 23,399 units sold there in 2016 for a 19.90 percent market share – although that is a tad down (in a growing market in Germany) from the 23.17 percent market share that sales of 23,690 units scored for them in 2015.
Yamaha is second with a 12.09 percent market share (14,217 units sold), but the really interesting news, especially where confirmation of the widespread and ongoing trend towards premium price larger displacement machines is concerned, is that Harley-Davidson have taken 3rd spot in the German motorcycle market with their sales of 13,096 units, earning an 11.14 percent market share – ahead of (in order) Honda, KTM, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Ducati and Triumph.
Harley’s success no doubt goes a long way to explaining why the ‘Chopper’ sector was Germany’s fastest growing motorcycle market sector by style of machine, being +29.36 percent over its 2015 importance to the market there with 16,175 units sold, in total accounting for 13.76 percent of the German market in 2016.
 |
| Harley-Davidson took third spot in Germany in motorcycle market share terms in 2016, with 13,096 units sold, scooping them an 11.14 percent share; their top seller was their Softail Slim (1,643 units sold) |
The largest market sector in Germany by machine style in 2016 were sportsbikes, 28.67 percent of the market (33,717 units), followed by Enduro bikes, 24.45 percent of the market (28,750 units), and so-called “Classical” bikes (traditional/naked) accounting for 21.40 percent of the German motorcycle market in 2016 (25,163 units).
In total market share terms (sales including all PTWs such as scooters and mopeds as well as motorcycles) Yamaha was “Top Dog” in Germany in 2016 taking a massively improved 14.06 percent market share (24,303 units sold), with BMW second (13.88 percent overall market share, 23,987 units sold) and Honda 3rd (11.64 percent, 20,113 units sold), followed by (in order) KTM, Harley-Davidson, Piaggio, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Ducati and Triumph.
