Motorcycle registrations fall across Europe: UK dealers call for help
After a strong start to 2025, motorcycle sales across Europe are cooling off — and the UK industry says it’s being left out in the cold.
The UK motorcycle market is stumbling its way toward winter, and while there are small signs of recovery, the overall picture remains murky. Registrations for October were down 12.1 per cent compared to the same month last year, though that’s a slight improvement on the year-to-date drop of 14.6 per cent. The total for the month was down 9 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA).
Still, the tone from within the industry is one of cautious optimism — if you squint hard enough.
“It is positive that the market is steadily improving year to date,” said Symon Cook, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA). “However, ahead of the Budget on 26 November, the motorcycle industry has received little clarity or support.”
The frustration in this quote is hard to miss. With government attention elsewhere and talk of tax rises in the upcoming Budget, many in the sector are wondering whether motorcycles have simply been forgotten altogether. “More needs to be done by the Government to help the sector, lest we risk being forgotten,” he added. “With talks of tax increases, they could seriously affect the new motorcycle market.”
It’s a fair point. In a cost-of-living crisis, with insurance premiums climbing and running costs rising, another tax hike could be the last thing dealers and riders need. Yet, despite these headwinds, Cook remains pragmatic: “Dealers should remain positive that the year-to-date performance is steadily improving compared to the lacklustre start to 2025.”
A Europe-Wide Cool-Down
The UK’s struggles aren’t isolated, either. Across Europe, motorcycle sales have hit the brakes after several years of post-pandemic growth. According to the latest data from ACEM — the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers — registrations in the five biggest markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK) fell by just over 7 per cent between January and September 2025 compared to the same period last year.
That equates to 823,786 new bikes sold so far this year, down from 887,451 in 2024. Spain is the only major market bucking the trend, with sales up a healthy 11.1 per cent (183,014 units). Everywhere else, though, the red arrows are pointing down: Italy is off by 1.1 per cent, France by 12.4 per cent, the UK by 4 per cent, and Germany by a hefty 24.4 per cent.
Mopeds haven’t escaped the slide either. Across six key countries — Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain — registrations are down 16.4 per cent, with only Germany showing a flicker of growth (up 1.3 per cent).
Antonio Perlot, ACEM’s Secretary General, says this cooling-off was inevitable. “The figures for the first nine months of 2025 confirm that the surge in registrations driven by the Euro 5+ transition earlier this year is being progressively absorbed,” he said. In other words, the bumper sales of early 2025 were always going to fade as dealers and manufacturers cleared out old stock ahead of tighter emissions regulations.
A Market in Flux
This all points to an industry in a kind of holding pattern. The rush to register Euro 5-compliant bikes earlier this year inflated the early figures, but now that the dust has settled, the true state of the market is becoming clear. And it’s not exactly roaring.
In the UK, a combination of economic uncertainty, high inflation, and political distraction has left motorcycles off the agenda. There’s been no significant movement on things like parking reform, EV incentives for two-wheelers, or even a consistent stance on motorcycle access in low-emission zones. And don’t even get me started on bus lane use…
Cars, on the other hand, continue to dominate the conversation around sustainable transport, while motorcycles remain the quiet, efficient alternative option that policymakers don’t even seem to know exists.
Meanwhile, European manufacturers are dealing with their own headaches. The cost of compliance with Euro 5+ regulations has increased prices across the board, and although Spain’s market is thriving, it’s an outlier in a region where the average rider is buying less and holding on to bikes for longer.
The NMDA and MCIA both seem to be calling for the same thing: recognition. Not special treatment, and not massive subsidies - although they would probably be welcomed. They want just a bit of attention from policymakers who seem content to ignore a sector that contributes billions to the UK economy and provides tens of thousands of jobs right here in the UK.
If the upcoming Budget on 26 November comes and goes without a mention of motorcycling, it will send a clear signal that the government doesn’t see the sector as a priority. That’s worrying for dealers already navigating a challenging retail environment and for manufacturers hoping the post-Euro 5+ lull won’t turn into something worse.
Still, there’s some resilience in the numbers. The fact that the year-to-date decline is easing slightly is a positive sign — but only if it continues into 2026. Otherwise, the risk is that the UK market joins much of Europe in a slow, steady decline, while Spain speeds off ahead and into the distance.
Until then, dealers and riders alike will be keeping one eye on Westminster, hoping that when the Chancellor steps up to the dispatch box later this month, motorcycles might just get a mention.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
