The latest data from the IVM, the motorcycle industry trade association in Germany, shows motorcycle registrations down by -2.76 percent in April (16,788 units), having been +8.35 percent in March (20,394 units). Although April was a shorter month in selling day terms compared to 2018, it was still the third best April seen there since before 2009.
For the year to date the German motorcycle market was +11.61 percent (50,059 units in total) - the best German motorcycle market performance since before 2009.
In total PTW terms, April was +1.45 percent (23,728 units), having been +13.18 percent in March (44,227 units), making the YTD +14.64 percent at 67,995 new PTW units registered in total.
The top selling model YTD remains the BMW R 1250 GS (5,113 units), way ahead of the Yamaha MT-07, which is now in second place (1,284 units), followed by the Kawasaki Z900 (1,273), Z650 (1,165), and the Honda 'Africa Twin' down to fifth place from second (964 units), with the KTM 790 Duke in sixth place (892 units YTD).
With seven models among the top 30 best sellers, it is no surprise that BMW has stretched its German market dominance still further, having sold 12,939 units in total YTD for a commanding 25.85 percent market share (up by +22.22 percent compared to the first two months of 2018).
Kawasaski was second with 5,847 units sold for a 11.68 percent market share; KTM was third (5,685 units sold, 11.36 percent share); Honda fourth with 5,509 units sold YTD for a 11.01 percent market share, Yamaha fifth (4,260 sold, 9.23 percent share) and Harley-Davidson sixth (4,162 units, 8.31 percent share).
Total motorcycle registrations for the full year 2018 in Germany were said to be +7.35 percent (108,296 units), with total PTW registrations +10.98 percent (155,184 units – however, as with other of Europe’s markets, while the unit numbers made good reading, some caution needs to be used when judging the apparent year-on-year 2017/2018 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, but not recorded in the figures for that year.
