New Bike Market Shows Signs of Life, But Worries Linger
UK bike sales dipped again in May, with industry insiders saying recovery is sluggish, consumer confidence shot, and a dithering government isn’t helping.
The new motorcycle market in the UK is showing signs of recovery, but the overall picture is still far from rosy, according to the latest registration data from the MCIA.
Figures for May show a slight improvement, with registrations down 12.3 per cent compared to the same month in 2024, although up on April’s 2025 numbers. While that shift suggests the market is slowly heading in the right direction, the year-to-date figures remain grim reading at -20.4 per cent.
Symon Cook, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), said: “It’s a lift, sure, but still disappointing to see volumes continuing to lag behind 2024. The recovery, such as it is, has been expected and isn’t exactly a surprise.”
The NMDA has spent much of this year urging the Government to provide clarity on its long-promised rider licensing review, which many in the industry see as a barrier to growth. With economic uncertainty continuing to put pressure on consumer confidence and spending, the association is trying to keep dealers optimistic.
Cook added that dealers should try to stay positive, but with five months of lacklustre results in the rearview mirror, there’s still a long road ahead.
Tony Campbell, CEO of MCIA, didn’t mince his words, either, saying, “The market is still disappointing. It confirms how difficult trading conditions are right now, and there’s clear nervousness among consumers. Whether it’s ongoing global conflicts, trade and tariff issues, or general economic uncertainty, none of it helps confidence or spending.”
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Campbell also took aim at the UK Government, accusing it of flip-flopping on policy and dragging its heels on long-promised reforms. “This now ‘not so new’ Government continues to be undecided, changing their policies from one week to the next. That kind of approach does little to help,” he said. “We’re still pushing for support and for the rider licence review the sector has been calling for since the last Government.”
With the government seemingly pushing people onto bicycles (see the vast amounts of cash being used for cycle lanes) and public transport, many would-be bikers are taking the less expensive and complex route of buying an e-bike or e-scooter. While that situation persists, it could turn a generation of people away from motorcycles and point them towards less heavily regulated two-wheelers.
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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!
