European Motorcycle Sales Continue Upward Trend In May 2021

The worldwide motorcycle market rebounded with record sales figures after 2020’s COVID-related struggles. That surge extended into Q1 2021, with brands like Ducati, Polaris, and Royal Enfield enjoying double-digit increases over Q1 2020 sales.

With vaccines rolling out and more businesses opening, some feared that the sales boom would cool off just as quickly as it heated up. Fortunately, Europe hasn’t seen numbers fall off just yet, with both Italy and the U.K. continue to report positive figures in May, 2021.

As most motorcyclists prepare for the 2021 riding season, customers are still flocking to the dealership. Italy recorded 16,087 motorcycles and 20,526 scooter sales in the fifth month of the year. Compared to 2020 statistics, the motorcycle market improved by 44 percent while the scooter segment was close behind with a 41 percent increase.

While the increase over 2020 sales is very impressive, comparing today’s data to May, 2019, is a more representative snapshot of the industry. Luckily, the figures still report an optimistic outlook, with a 26 percent increase over May, 2019. That isn’t the case with electric models, on the other hand.

In Italy, electric motorcycles accounted for 894 vehicles sold in May, 2021. That’s six percent down from the same period in 2020. However, the yearly total still eclipses 2020 figures by 13 percent, with 3,694 units sold in 2021.

Across the English Channel, the U.K. motorcycle market is enjoying similar fortunes. British customers purchased 13,998 units in May, 2021, which accounts for an astounding 149-percent uptick over the same month in 2020. Nearly halfway through the year, the U.K. has reported 43,242 units sold, outpacing its 2020 total by 40 percent.

Unlike Italy, the British are taking to electric motorcycles at an accelerated rate. Over the first five months of 2021, electric two-wheelers (including scooters) are up by 223 percent over the same period in 2020. With the 2021 riding season in full swing, we hope the upward sales trend only continues into the second half of the year.