Germany - motorcycles +4.09% to April, but trend is down
While most of Europe's 'Big Five' major markets (Italy, France, Spain, UK) showed motorcycle and PTW registration growth in 2021, Germany was the exception at -11.90% for motorcycles and -9.71% for total PTWs.
The motorcycle registration figures in Germany for January 2022 were a statistical anomaly (+57.65%/3,503 units), with decline setting in since then - February was +12.01% (8,731 units); March was +4.40% (18,732 units), but April was -8.86% at 13,127 units. Although up on April 2020, this is the lowest April motorcycle registration figure since 2012 for what is usually one of the strongest months in Germany.
The motorcycle market in Germany was still in positive territory in YTD terms at +4.09% for the January to April period (44,093 units), but the trend is clearly down. For a pre-pandemic comparison, 50,059 motorcycles were registered in the same period in 2019.
In total PTW terms March was +7.66% (29,897 units) with April -1.41% (23,004 units); YTD total new PTW registrations in Germany were +10.68% at 71,443 units.
The top selling motorcycle in Germany YTD was the BMW R 1250 GS (4,217 units sold) - way ahead of the Kawasaki Z900 in second (1,419 units); followed by the Yamaha MT-07, Honda CB 650 R Neo Sports Café (950) and the Kawasaki Z 650 in fifth (949) then the Tenere 700, CRF 100 Africa Twin, CMX 500 Rebel, S 1000 R and CBR 650 R.
With five models in the top 20 best sellers (and eight in the top 30), it is no surprise that BMW is (again) the runaway market leader in its home market with 25.24% share (11,131 total units sold). Honda is a distant second with a 13.11% share (5,779 units), followed by Kawasaki (11.66%/5,141 units), Yanaha (7.71%/3,398 units and KTM fifth (7.53%/3,319 units). The top ten sees Triumph in sixth place, followed by Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Suzuki and Royal Enfield 10th (2.54% share/1,120 units).
For the record - motorcycle registrations for the 2021 full year in Germany were -11.09% (116,407 units) with total PTWs at -9.71%/197,540 units (against 218,778 units in 2020 and 165,311 units in 2019). In 2020 the German motorcycle market grew by +16.89% (132,126 compared to a Euro 4/5 transition distorted 113,039 in 2019).
