No fan of motorcycles likes to think of bikes being scrapped, but it is a fact of mechanical reality that machines will eventually reach the end of their useful life.
In 2023, that happened to Yamaha motorcycles more often than the bikes of any other manufacturer. In total, the Iwata marque’s bikes made up 16 per cent of the total number of scrapped motorcycles in 2023.
The data comes from Scrap Car Comparison, which does not give a figure for the total number of motorcycles scrapped in 2023. Visordown contacted Scrap Car Comparison to try to obtain the figure for the total number of motorcycles scrapped in 2023. In response, Scrap Car Comparison said that “Unfortunately, we're unable to share the total number of scrapped motorcycles, as this is commercially sensitive information for Scrap Car Comparison. “
Scrap Car Comparison also reports that Yamaha models such as the “FZS600, YZF-R125 and YBR125 featured among the most frequently scrapped models of 2023.”
Behind Yamaha, Honda took second place on the scrapped motorcycle list for 2023, with 14 per cent of the total, which Scrap Car Comparison puts down to the age of the popular CBF range, which debuted in 2004.
Lexmoto (13 per cent), Suzuki (nine per cent), and Piaggio (seven per cent) made up the top five; while Kawasaki (five per cent), Triumph (four per cent), Sym (four per cent), Peugeot (three per cent), and Keeway (three per cent) completed the top 10.
David Kottuan, Operations Manager of Scrap Car Comparison, said: “We’ve taken a look into the most scrapped car makes and models for many years, so it was interesting to take a closer look at the motorcycles that we saw pass through our scrap yards this year too. It was interesting to see Yamaha top the table, closely followed by Honda in second place.
“Generally speaking, motorcycles don’t have as long a lifespan as cars but still suffer from the same sort of issues, such as rust, which must be managed to prolong their time on the roads.
“After being broken down and crushed, every single one of these top-scrapped motorcycles will be put to good use in a number of different ways, while ensuring that the absolute minimum of each vehicle goes to waste.
“No matter the age of your motorcycle, it’s always worth trying to get as much life out of the vehicle as possible, but if you feel like yours is nearing the end of its life, it could be time to consider scrapping it.”
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