Germany - 2020 motorcycle registrations +16.89% (theoretically)
Having been +50.71% in September at 10,429 units, +33.45% (6,630 units) in October, and a staggering +116.75% in November (5,850 units), the latest rather surreal new motorcycle registration statistics from the IVM, the motorcycle industry trade association in Germany, shows new motorcycle registrations were up by a ridiculous +328.56% (8,297 units) in December as the European motorcycle industry again disappears down the rabbit hole of regulation-busting pre-registrations.
As seen elsewhere in Europe, 2020 ended with a rush to pre-register unsold Euro 4 units that do not meet the strict timescale criteria set by the EU for the end of series derogation approved in advance of Euro 5 final implementation. This has no doubt distorted the statistics in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom and most of Europe's markets - majors and otherwise.
Total motorcycle registrations for 2020 in Germany are put at +16.89% for the year at 132,126 units. However, preliminary research by IDN suggests that between 8,000 and 10,000 of those are still sitting unsold in dealership and importer storage.
In total PTW terms, the inflation of the registration statistics is even more pronounced with the full year said to have been +32.34% at 218,778 units (+365.38%/13,538 units in December; +135.04%/10,290 units in November).
In the context of 2020, the motorcycle registration statistics in Germany for 2020 have been remarkable - it has been a good year in Germany despite everything. The market demonstrated the same promising start to 2020 that was seen elsewhere in Europe, and after the decline in March and April it started to recover strongly in May - suggesting that demand hadn't gone away, with consumers buying when they judged the moment right to do so.
However, the official statistics in the final quarter of the year cannot be regarded as being accurately reflective of real levels of consumer demand.
In motorcycle market share terms, BMW remained leader with a modestly reduced market share (20.22%) but higher unit sales at 26,712 units - BMW had five models in the top twenty best sellers. KTM is in second spot in market share terms, with an improved market share at 12.46% (16,464 units), followed by Honda (11.64% share, 15,379 units), Kawasaki (11.23% share, 14,838) and Yamaha in 5th spot (9.65% share, 12,748 units sold).
The top selling model was BMW's R 1250 GS (9,228 units), followed by the Kawasaki Z900 (Z650 in fourth), Yamaha MT-07 third (Ténéré 700 in 7th), KTM 690 SMC, 790 Duke and 390 Duke in 5th, 6th and 8th spots, Suzuki GSX-S 750 in 9th and Honda CMX 500 Rebel in 10th, one spot ahead of the CRF 1100 Africa Twin.
2019 saw the German motorcycle market grow by +4.38% to 113,039 units, with PTW sales growing by +6.53% to 165,311 units.
