Top 10 best-selling bikes so far in 2016

BIKE journos like to wax lyrical about which motorcycles are best but you're the only judges that really matter - and you verdicts for the first part of 2016 are in. 

So is it looking like another rout for BMW's R1200GS? Well, no, at least if you count the R1200GS Adventure model separately. After years of dominance, the big BM seems to have finally met its equal. You'll have to read on to find out what it is. 

And no, it's not the MT-09 Tracer pictured above. Think we'd be that obvious?

The top 10 run-down is based on Department for Transport registration figures for the first quarter of 2016. 

10: BMW S1000XR – 258 registered

Some might have questioned just how far the ‘adventure’ theme can be stretched when BMW revealed the S1000XR. After all, dressing up a derivative of the S1000RR superbike as a beaky high-rider might be seen as a step too far. It clearly isn’t though, as it’s outsold the vast majority of its rivals and every other S1000RR derivative so far this year. It’s worth noting that despite the seeming obsession with crazy-powerful, 200hp superbikes and super nakeds, the S1000XR (160hp) is also the most powerful machine on this top 10 list. Equally surprisingly, even at £12,450 it’s not the most expensive bike in the top 10 best sellers either.

9: Triumph Bonneville Street Twin – 295 registered

Triumph’s Bonneville has been a best-seller for ages, and the entry-level Street Twin shows that the new water-cooled version isn’t about to change that. Given that few bikes sell more than 1,000 per year in the UK, the fact that the Street Twin is on track to do just that is a suggestion that Triumph has got another hit on its hands. With many more Bonneville derivatives coming soon, the firm is going from strength to strength as long as the retro boom continues.

8: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer ABS – 304 registered

Yamaha really hasn’t made too many missteps with its MT-09 range, even if it’s now decided to drop that ‘MT’ moniker from the Tracer (which becomes the Tracer 900). During the first three months of 2016, it was still the MT-09 Tracer, though, and it’s an easy top 10 seller, outperforming the naked MT-09 by nearly three-to-one.

7: BMW R1200GS – 330 registered

You knew it would be here, didn’t you? Of course it is. BMW’s R1200GS seems able to do no wrong, and while it’s only seventh best seller overall, that’s not including the sales of the more expensive R1200GS Adventure version. Combine the two and it’s back to its customary number one spot.

6: BMW R1200GS Adventure – 332 registered

It’s perhaps a good indication of how well BMW has judged the price and specification split between the £12,185 R1200GS and 13,050 Adventure that the two have sold in almost identical numbers. The Adventure is just pipping its cheaper sibling, but if we were to combine the sales the resulting 662 would put the BMW ahead of any other bike or scooter currently on sale in the UK in terms of showroom success.

5: Yamaha MT-07 ABS – 346 registered

You can’t really go wrong with a competitively-priced, capable middleweight, and Yamaha is reaping the rewards of positioning the MT-07 just right. The first quarter sales figures don’t include the more recently-revealed Tracer 700 derivative, but it could well outsell its naked sibling for the latter part of the year. And when the Tenere 700 reaches showrooms next year, Yamaha could be on to take the number sales one spot.

4: Honda CB125F – 407 registered

The CB125F isn’t likely to get your pulse racing but as a perennial favourite for learners and training schools its position as a best-seller is virtually guaranteed. The chinese-built CB125F joined the Indian-built CBF125 in Honda's range last year. Find out which one we recommend in our review.

3: Honda Vision – 418 registered

The Honda NSC110 Vision may not be the most glamorous machine on this list but it's perfect for a pizza-deliverer, city commuter or twist-and-go granny. The trusted Honda badge and affordable price (£1,999) make it a sure-fire hit.  

2: Honda CRF1000 Africa Twin – 446 registered

Whoa! An adventure bike that’s outselling at least one flavour of R1200GS! Honda seems to have hit the spot with the Africa Twin. It’s worth mentioning that the ‘A-G’ model here is the manual version, and Honda has also sold an additional 157 ‘D-G’ models with the automatic DCT twin-clutch gearbox. The combined total would be enough for an outright number one position in the charts if Honda chose to list the bikes together. It even comes within spitting distance of the combined 662 sales of the R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure. Is it simply a result of the Africa Twin being hyped and brand new, or can it make a long-standing challenge to the BMW? Time will tell. However we look at it, it’s a Honda in the sales top 10 that’s not a scooter, and that didn’t happen last year at all.

1: Honda PCX125 - 472

The PCX125 remains the best-selling powered-two-wheeler in the country, unmoved by the NMAX 125, an undisguised attempt by Yamaha to take its crown. If it's not your cup of tea, look at this way: the more of these things Honda sells, the more money the firm has to plough into a new Fireblade.