Italy Q1 motorcycle registrations +2.93%
The latest available data from the Italian motorcycle industry association (ANCMA) show new motorcycle registrations for the first quarter of 2024 up by +2.93% at 40,067 units YTD, having been +17.61% in February (13,254 units) but -1.20% in January (9,370 units) and -4.02% in March (17,443 units).
That meant the Italian market recorded another post 2023 Q1 record. Total PTW registrations were +3.29% YTD at 81,396 units - also a post 2023 Q1 record.
The top-selling motorcycle YTD was the Benelli TRK 702/X (1,892 units sold in Q1). This was followed by the BMW 1300 GS with 1,571 units sold. Unusually, this placed the leading two bikes in 6th and 7th spot respectively in terms of all PTW sales, including scooters. Indeed, the Honda Africa Twin was in 9th spot with 1,462 units sold YTD.
Honda's SH 125, 150 and 350 were the top-sellers, followed by the Honda X-ADV 750 and the KYMCO Agility 125 R16 in fourth and fifth spots. The Yamaha Tracer 9 (915 units sold YTD) was the only other motorcycle in the list of the Top 20 best sellers YTD in Italy. Maxi and ADV style scooters started the year as strong sellers again (Honda's ADV 350 and the Yamaha XMAX 300 and TMAX).
For the record - 2023 motorcycle sales were 145,405 units in 2023 (+14.88%), with all months in positive territory - the best Italian market numbers since before the 2007/2008 financial crisis and the resulting great recession. May was the strongest month in Italy last year with 18,119 motorcycles flying out of showrooms - some +11.39% up over May 2022. Nearly 57% of Italy's annual 145,405 motorcycle registrations in 2023 were registered in the five months between March and July (83,804 units). In total PTW terms, the Italian market was +17.94% in 2023 with a massive 318,948 units registered, by far the largest annual market performance in Italy since before the 2007/2008 financial crisis. Scooters were up by +20.64% at 173,543 units. The top selling motorcycle was the Benelli TRK 502/X (4,075 units), followed by the Honda Africa Twin (3,880) in a market where Maxi Scooters and ADV/Enduro style machines continue to gain share. Italy's PTW units number means that, on its own, it is not far off being 60% the size of the total United States combined Scooter, On-Highway, ADV ('Dual Sport') and Off-Highway motorcycle/PTW market (551,342 units sold in USA in FY2023/+2.6%).
