JAPANESE EXPORTS
Motorcycle shipments to Europe from the Japanese factories were -44.66% for August (4,033 units) and -37.79% (7,334 units) for September. For the YTD (to September 2020), motorcycle shipments of Japanese made motorcycles to Europe were -20.79% at 90,863 units (over 65,000 of which were in the first three months), adding to the widespread inventory concerns already being reported by Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki dealers. In total PTW terms, shipments to Europe were -19.55% for the year to September at 100,849 units in total. Japanese made motorcycle exports to USA were -19.34% in September (3,836 units) and -36.53% YTD (26,857 units).
POLAND
New motorcycle registrations in Poland were +26.33% in October (1,113 units) and +24.84% (1,528 units) in September. They were +2.30% for the January to October period (18,154 units). New moped registrations are
-20.76% YTD (14,192 units), with the total PTW number at 32,346 units
(-9.28%) YTD. Poland is a large market for pre-owned machines imported from other markets and getting their first domestic registration. That amounted to 54,664 additional motorcycles YTD (-9.36%) and took the total Polish motorcycle market (new and pre-owned imports) to 72,818 units YTD (-6.71%), with total PTW registrations (new and pre-owned combined) at 95,352 units YTD (-8.96%).
SWEDEN
New motorcycle registrations for the year to October 2020 in Sweden are still running at a record high for recent years, with the market at +7.79% (12,239 units); there is some sign of softening though with October at
-6.94% (496 units). The Swedish moped market was +40.67% in October (1,266 units) and +16.31% (14,897 units) for the January to October period. Total new PTW registrations were +22.96% in October (1,762 units) and were +12.31% YTD at 27,136 units in total - the best market performance in Sweden at least since before the financial crisis in 2008.
SWITZERLAND
Swiss new motorcycle registrations were +25.62% for October at 1,216 units (+61.93%/2,280 units for September) and are running at +20.03% for the YTD (27,978 units). In total PTW terms, the Swiss market was +50.45% in September and +22.12% in October and is running at +16.58% for the YTD at 46,009 units. In motorcycle sales terms, Yamaha is market share leader with 5,022 units sold YTD; followed by Kawasaki (3,954 units), BMW (3,403), Honda (3,101) and KTM (2,025). The top seller has been Yamaha's MT-07 (1,269 units), followed by the Kawasaki Z 650, then the Z900, BMW R 1250 GS, the Ténéré 700 and the KTM 390 Duke, MT-09, Honda CB 500F, CMX 500 A Rebel and Suzuki GSX-S 750.
AUSTRIA
Motorcycle registrations (+125 cc) in Austria for the third quarter of 2020 (July, August and September) were +34.88% at 4,706 units and were running essentially flat for the YTD at -0.42% (13,333 units). Total PTW registrations were +19.38% for the quarter at 16,204 units and were +1.67% (39,046 units in total) for the January to September period - the best Q3 market performance in Austria since before 2010 and the best nine month YTD since 2013. KTM is market share leader in its home market with 3,150 units sold in the nine months for a 24% market share. BMW is second with 1,683 units sold for a 13% share, followed by Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Husqvarna.
AUSTRALIA
A total of 79,623 PTWs were sold in Australia during the period January to September 2020 - up strongly against the same period for 2019 at +26.4%. Off-road motorcycles were the largest sector (nearly 40% of all sales) at 31,776 units and +39.9% for the nine months. Road bikes were up by +8.3% at 25,556 units. Off Highway vehicles (powersports vehicles such as ATV and UTV/SxS) units showed the strongest growth YTD at +44.4% (18,930 units) followed by scooters, the only market sector that was down, at 3,361 units (-4.5%). The market was down by - 6.1% in 2019, with total sales for the full calendar year of 89,199.
