IT'S been a big year for naked bikes, with several new or updated high-performance models including BMW’s S1000R, KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R and Kawasaki's Z1000.
And it looks like they’re just what UK motorcycling needed. New figures show naked bikes are leading a big upturn in bike sales, with 37% more registered in the first half of this year than during the same period in 2013.
Big-capacity machines can’t take all the credit because the Motorcycle Industry Association, which compiles the data, also counts 125 commuters as naked bikes. But the rise of the super naked class is likely to have helped.
The surge in naked bike sales has helped push total motorcycle registrations up by 12.8% but it’s not the only category to see big growth.
Custom bikes are up by 10.3%, tourers by 21.6% and adventure sports by 6.8%. Even super sports – supposedly a category in decline – has seen a modest increase, of 2.1%.
Categories to see decline include mopeds, down by 4.7%. All powered-two-wheelers, including mopeds and scooters, are up 11%
Here are the top selling bikes in June in each category:
| Category | Most registered model, June 2014 | Number registered |
| Adventure sport | BMW R1200GS | 270 |
| Custom | Triumph Bonneville America 865 | 50 |
| Naked | Honda CBF125 | 333 |
| Scooter | Yamaha XC 115S | 157 |
| Sport/tour | Kawasaki Z1000SX | 122 |
| Supersport | Yamaha YZF-R125 | 252 |
| Touring | BMW F800GT | 78 |
| Trail/enduro | Honda CRF250L | 33 |
