Good news! Huge rise in motorcycle sales across Europe (we’re also UP, but NOT as much as our neighbours)…

Figures from the European Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (ACEM) make for some nice reading over new motorcycle sales, showing huge increases appearing when compared to the same period last year.

The ACEM says that 244,991 new bikes were registered for the first time in the first three months of this year – that’s 19.2 percent more than in the same period of 2018.

Here’s how the European markets are broken down: Italy is still the largest European market with 54,826 new bikes registered from January to March (an increase of 18.7 percent), in second place is Germany with 44,450 new motorcycles (up by 23.3 percent). France managed 43,942 motorbikes (a plus of 20 percent), Spain 37,255 (20.5 percent up) and the UK 25,913 (that’s an increase of 10.3 percent over the first quarter of 2018).

New registrations of electric motorcycles increased by a whopping 71.2% but don’t go thinking that this means an emerging e-bike glut. A total of 14,251 electrically operated two-wheelers were newly registered. Of these, 11,258 are scooters and only 2,295 are motorcycles. 

The largest e-market is France with 4,407 electric two-wheelers (+ 105%). In Belgium, 2,627 e-bikes (+ 78.5%) have been registered, in the Netherlands 2,598 (+ 52,6%), in Spain 1,632 e-bikes (+ 28%) and in Italy 901 (+ 49,2%).

The market for 50cc bikes has also grown considerably. The ACEM says that 52,715 50cc vehicles have been registered which is an increase of 30.1%. The largest moped market is France with 17,997 vehicles, ahead of the Netherlands (13,040 vehicles), Belgium (4,683 vehicles), Spain (3,993 vehicles) and Italy (3,846 vehicles).