Italy: motorcycles +4.56% to August
The new year started strongly in Italy, with motorcycle registrations +23.31%, +27.81% and +16.18% for January, February and March respectively. However, despite an uptick in August, the overall market uncertainty that IDN reported seeing from April onwards has continued.
According to the latest available data from ANCMA - the motorcycle industry trade association in Italy - motorcycle registrations were up in August at 6,870 units (+13.50%). Despite that being the best August since before 2014, it is historically the first of the five months that define the slower "second half" of the market in Italy - some 75% of annual new registrations happen in the first seven months.
Although the YTD market performance to August is up slightly following several months of decline, at +4.56% (99,226 units), it looks like the phenomenal growth that defined the first quarter in Italy will likely play out as a "broadly flat" annual market come the year end.
Indeed, the total PTW registrations data for Italy for the period to end of August shows an overall market that is already in negative territory at -3.69% (206,247 units). However, though down on 2021 so far, it is still the second-best first eight months for the Italian PTW market since 2011.
Of the units registered YTD, ANCMA is classifying 107,021 as scooters, which is -10.26% compared to the first eight months of 2021.
The Benelli TRK 502/X was again the top-selling motorcycle YTD at 5,712 units, which also makes it the third best seller overall behind the Honda SH 125 in first spot and KYMCO Agility 125 R16 in second. The BMW R 1250 GS is the second bestselling motorcycle (3,132 units YTD), followed by the Ténéré 700, Multistrada V4/S and the Keeway RKF 125 (recorded as the top-selling 'naked' style motorcycle YTD with 1,982 units registered).
For the record - Italy was again the largest market in Europe in 2021, with motorcycle registrations +26.49% (119,079 units) compared to 2020 - the best for more than a decade. Total PTWs were +23.58% for the 2021 full year with a massive 270,232 total units sold - also the best for a decade (218,677 units in 2020, 231,985 in 2019). The bestselling motorcycle in Italy in 2021 was the Benelli TRK 502/X (6,543 units).
