Why are UK Motorcycle sales so different from EUROPE? + CHEAPER Insurance
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- #news #motorcycle #motorbike #biker #insurance #uk #europe #euro #2025 #2024 #ktm #sales #market #trending
As new data is released, why are the UK sales figures so different than Europe? Also, ARE INSURANCE COSTS COMING DOWN?
Let me know your thoughts
SOCIAL MEDIA
www.stormy22productions.co.uk
Instgram:
motorsforthemasses
Twitter:
@m4tmasses
Music:
Copyright Free Music by
Epidemic Sounds
through subscription by
Motors for the MassesWhy
The ridiculously complicated route to obtaining a full motorcycle licence compared to a car licence also plays a part is discouraging younger riders.
I think that’s the same for Europe, if so it’s not the reason. Talking to younger people, it’s seen as a thing for old men and an expensive toy. A car is a better and cheaper option in their eyes.
@@devonbikefilms minimum age to ride a moped is 14 in France and 15 in Spain plus in southern France and Spain the weather is more motorcycle friendly and they along with Italy have a much higher percentage of the population on two wheels from youngsters to the elderly, male and female. Motorcycles and especially scooters are far more mainstream forms of mobility.
The traditional route onto two wheels was a 50cc machine at 16, but that category has been obliterated by juiced-up ebikes. Why pay for a CBT, insurance and a helmet when you can just get an ebike? Also, today's Euro5 compliant 4-stroke 50cc models are underpowered and dangerous on many roads.
So, yes, anyone who resists the lure of an ebike and actually perseveres with biking is going to run up against the UK's over-complex and increasingly out of date licencing regime. I've had a few people notice my scooter and ask what it takes to get a licence for one, and are utterly incredulous when I describe the process. it kills any nascent interest stone dead immediately.
There is no universe where it makes sense for it to be harder to get a licence for a 125cc scooter than a three-ton Range Rover. And any small vehicle licensing system that requires five pages of flow charts to describe it (which is what the official DVSA guide consists of) is just completely unfit for purpose.
I think cost plays a big part too I passed my full test in October I did the DAS and CBT to Full licence was about £900
Agree and the cost, why would you bother, similar here in France but riders here start at 14 on a fifty, and a 125 at 16 so by the time they take their motorcycle test they know what they are doing, hence there being 3million active motorcyclist in France, and everybody is catered for, + used for daily transport not just a plaything at the weekends.
Around 45,000 motorcycle thefts in the UK annually.
20,000 in London alone.
Police not treating theft seriously enough.
Insurance goes up.
Who can afford it?!
easier to police tweets and fakebook messages to gain stats for year end reporting, real crime such as bike theft and burglary is not important to them - it's just not
Official police data supplied to MCN by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) has shown a 7.9% drop in bike thefts across the UK. The data shows year-to-date numbers by region to the end of August 2024 - with incidents dropping from 17,188 in 2023 to 15,832 in 2024.
@@michals1108 believing police stats is like believing gvt though
@@ogasi1798 yeah but 15k comparing to 40k ?? Common
Some info from MAG report from June 2022:
Motorcyclists were the victims of over
25% of all motor vehicle thefts in the UK
in 2021
Motorcycles were 11 times more likely
to be stolen than cars in the UK in 2021
For city dwellers, or people who just want something to ride to the railway station each day an electric bicycle represents a fraction of the cost of a small motor cycle or scooter.
Well yes and no. My ebike (Raleigh Motus) was quite a lot more expensive than a lot of 125cc motorcycles. However, as was said in the vid, I don't have to tax or insure it, nor wear a helmet. For short distances it is so easy to use, and I can park it much, much easier.
For new riders there are too many hoops to jump through. ( when I was 20 in 1968 I was a London Tube train driver with up to 1000 passengers on board) The state of road surfaces ( pot holes, lumps, bumps and stripped off tarmac ). The awful 2024 weather ( wet wet wet). Decreasing speed limits ( too many 60s down to 50 and 40) Government failing to appreciate the benefits of motorcycles over cars ( disproportionate road tax and lack of national availabilty of bus lanes.etc.) And lastly - after years of a failing economy and so many on minimum wages there just isn't the money out there to spend on motorcycles. Classic bike sales ( Triumph Bonnevilles and such ) are generated by wealthy pensioners ( like me) who have surplus cash but who only ride 3 to 4 thousand miles per year - if it's dry.
There was a debate about us using all Bus Lanes at all times and it was rejected so our safety is not a big priority
40 years old, 2 years no claims and never claimed before. I was quoted £7k to insure a £13k bike parked in a private parking space on a private road in front of my house in a very low crime area, 0.5 miles inside the m25. As far as the insurers are concerned im parking it on the streets of Hackney with no locks. Its a giant monopolistic con. Maximum thresholds for insurance should be set, we shouldn't be punished for the government's failure to tackle bike crime.
I live in Portugal … Bikes here are almost double the cost of the U.K.
Insurance is also double (it’s very challenging to get fully comp)
On the bright side there are 300 sunny days a year and you could leave your bike anywhere and it won’t be touched.
Are they cashing in on the good weather?
You've probably got better roads considering the better weather as well.
Having lived in my home country, England, 20 years in Germany and 20 years in France, I can tell you the differences. In Europe people buy bikes that suit their riding style and that they can use. The British buy a bike that they can impress their mates with while riding around town.
Biggest seller for years is the UK is the nmax 125, not sure if my mates would be impressed if I turned up on that 🤣. In Germany wasn't it the 1250gs 👊
2:24 Very simple,no spare cash to buy them,the money is being taken out of the pay packet in direct taxation, but this is only just the beginning!
Most were purchased on the Drip,and many are being repossessed at a alarming rate.
I live in a big city and use my 125 scooter to commute to the centre for work every day. At the moment there is free parking for motorcycles…however this year the council is looking to pedestrianise the centre and do away with all vehicle parking. If this happens I’ll have no choice but to sell my 125 and either buy an e-bike or take the bus. No consideration is made for scooters/motorcycles, we’re just lumped in with cars when it comes to traffic restrictions.
Ah! It's that man with his Aprilia from North of the Border.
Got my first bike, GS500, in Nov 2013, aged 22 (having never ridden a motorbike in my life - they’re just so bloody cool, fell in love with the idea one morning out of nowhere), when I also passed my A2. Fast forward to April 2016 and I was one of few lads in my mid-20’s with a full licence - which meant more tuition, and 2 more tests to graduate to an A licence. I reckon I spent about £4000 in tuition, licensing and insurances in those 2.5 years, whilst also trying to afford driving (thankfully my parents helped massively with me getting my car licence at 17 in 2009). I reckon that that £4000 I spent is probably double, maybe even triple that now. I also got my GS500 for £1100, you’d struggle to even get a scooter for that money now. I feel as though my age bracket was the last where things were close to being affordable - it’s a stretch to even call it that.
All the components you mention affect sales. Don't ignore the ageing process - a fair amount of riders are now realising that bikes are just far too heavy, that their joints are no longer as elastic as thay were and so downsize. In my circle of 20+ over 60s, 14 have downsized in the last 2 years snd 2 have found their perfect answer in 350 scooters. As younger riders we would never contemplate such 'degredation' but keen to stay on 2 wheels its adapt or give up.
Big bikes are now just too expensive, basically on a par with quite a good car, that is insane, how can it be justified?! Just a comparison with the materials in each, average car weighs around 1500kg, big bike around 250kg, and thats without considering complexity both in the respective vehicles and their manufacturing, just doesn't add up!! Then, the elephant in the room, servicing!! Bikes are now as complex as cars, with diagnostic equipment being essential to do anything, so many, if not most, owners are now at the mercy of dealers for servicing and repairs, and the cost of that is as much as a car. I bought a Triumph Speed 400 last June, and discovered two things that really pi55 me off. The first service is £200, for basically an inspection, oil change and software update!!!! On a 400cc bike!!!! Second, you cannot buy a workshop service manual, it is only available on monthly subscription from Triumph!!!! So really hoping that Haynes bring out a manual, because after the first service I won't be going back to a dealer. I've serviced, maintained and repaired my own bikes from when I started riding, back in the 70s, so I'm sure as hell not going to be bent over by a dealer now! So, imho, these and other cost issues, like insurance, riding gear, tyres, which are a stupid price, ved etc, are the things deterring new riders. I'm going to sound like aom (angry old man) now, but just on insurance, back in the 70s and 80s, I had a Norwich Union rider policy, covered all and any amount of your bikes, upto an agreed capacity limit, and it cost around £40!!! Now it costs almost that to make a policy amendment! Now you have to really want to ride bikes to justify the expense. I'm very fortunate that I've managed to collect around 20 machines of many type, from 50cc tó 1000cc, from classic to modern, so I'll ride until I'm physically incapable, but for new riders it's a big commitment and very difficult. One piece of advice, with the way the state behaves towards bikers, with increasingly aggregious legislation, join MAG, or the BMF, and a motorcycle club, because they are active in preventing restrictive, anti bike legislation. If you want to continue to ride bikes, do this.
Big bikes were always more expensive than small cars. In 1971 a Mini 850 would only cost you £641 but a Honda CB750 would cost £761. Back then we had to buy a used bike to get started. Insurance was expensive for new riders. We could only afford third party coverage. Same as now. I don't understand why people want big bikes today. A modern 650 has the same acceleration as the first Kawasaki Z1 900 superbike from 1972.
Why would a 16 year old take a test when they can get fast electric pedal cycles?
No test cost no insurance no helmets etc etc.
Need to get youngster's interested in mopeds the motorcycles.
Make it a more straightforward test system!!!
65. I have 4 bikes - 1 electric scooter 125 equivalent, RE 350 Meteor, 450 Guerrilla and a CF Moto 450MT all on one policy which was around £360 to £380 (I can’t remember the exact amount).
i have 2 bikes and want to put them on one policy, would you mind telling me who you used to do this - thanks.
@ I’m currently insured with Bikesure, hope that helps.
@@bobbyaxelrod5016 "Footman James Insurance", try them, they insure my R1 and GPZ600R on one policy for £236. They are really good, their philosophy is that, "you can only ride one at once".
Done my CBT twice over the last 4 years, which is annoying when you see an untested, uninsured, unregistered, no tax required & no helmet E Bike overtake you - I've been driving cars for 30 years - can't be bothered doing my big bike test because i have to do the theory of which the nearest test center is 30 miles away - ridiculous, am i NOT classed as experienced!!??- but i would do the rider test as required if i could go straight to it. - it's got to be improved the problem is that the people governing it have absolutely no clue about RIDING MOTORBIKES i suspect.
If you are getting overtaken by an e-bike it’s illegal or he is pedalling under his own leg power
@@Dadzone2000 - And - Your point is?
@@bobbyaxelrod5016 multiple things. 1 the only legal to ride e-bikes without helmets,license etc are pedalecs limited to 15.5mph pedal assistance. So the things your are talking about passing you are being ridden illegally. They are electric motorcycles and subject to the same rules you are on a cbt. Doing your cbt twice doesn’t make you an experienced rider, it makes you a guy on a moped with the legally required minimum training. Cbt was designed as an introduction while you complete further training. I would argue you have no clue about riding a motorcycle having only completed a cbt……. Twice
@@Dadzone2000 I'm glad you know that about me without ever seeing me ride - 1 hell of a crystal ball that is you've got there, what if i told you the instructor has told me on a number of occasion i would pass my test easily, i'm too good not to do it. stop getting too involved and trying to be a smart alec off a simple comment which you failed to grasp the nettle on, which was 2 wheeled electric bikes of whatever description passing me when i'm doing 30mph on a 30mph road with no governance or penalty or any other requirement through bad legislation is irritating and actually makes you wonder why you bother, NOW stay on topic and stop thinking that you are wiser and better than anybody else, it's a shitty post on the internet, no ones arsed buddy, if you want to educate or criticize people become a copper or a school teacher. until then have a beer relax and get on with your day (fume reply of some smart arsed manner incoming) GO!
@@bobbyaxelrod5016 just because you don’t understand the laws around electric motorcycles doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Anything above a 15.5mph pedal assist requires a minimum of a cbt, type approval insurance etc just like you on your moped.
I honestly think the MOD 1 should be scrapped. If you can pass your CBT safely and satisfactorily, then you really only need to prove your road craft. I also think "Gig" riders shouldn't be allowed to ride on a CBT without Passing the Theory you can bet none of them check the commercial box when buying insurance.
I agree, the MOD1 should be scrapped. As long as they state compulsory training, the instructor will be able to judge if you are safe in the training pad and then the road, then the test should be just 1 test.
Yes you are essentially doing mod 1 controls on your mod 2 anyway its just a cash cow
The unnecessary long winded and convoluted bike license is putting many off.
Electric motorcycles: I noticed at Motorcycle Live that the winsome lady sales reps on large stand with electric motorcycles had no punters to talk to when all the petrol-powered stands were busy. It just emphasised how electric bikes are still a big 'Nope!'.
Great Dr Who collection behind you 👍
All motorcycle magazines for decades have promoted the average bike as 900cc and above, but why.
Due to the amount of power from todays motorcycles, I feel that 600cc is adequate on todays roads.
I have just purchased a 2011 Street triple as I have admired this bike since it first appeared, at 64 I finally treated myself, this will probably last me for the next five years, then I will return to the classic market from which I had before the Street Triple. As the VED is how much.........
Insurance £85.00 Fully Comp with 12 + years protected NCD.
Same price as my classic bike insurance for a previous V50 Moto Guzzi 1979.
Great channel keep vloggingggggg.
I agree 100 %. 600 cm³ is more than adequate for most of us. I've ridden motorcycles since 1973. My SV650 has better acceleration than the 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900.
I went to Florence Italy recently, 100's of motorbikes and only 1 percent locked as theft is so low
Most teenagers living in German cities don’t even need to buy any type of powered two-wheeler because, with an app they just rent for the journey needed and bang goes those moped and lightweight bike sales in certain regions.
I think Triumphs increase is the great entry they have into the brand with introduction of the 400s. KTM deserve to be 100% down with how they treat the owners and staff. Glad to see Kawasaki constant but what about Suzuki? I would like to see Suzuki back but may be I am dreaming..
@THECONTROVERSIALCYCLIST Yes, I think those 400's were a superb move for Triumph.
The licening process in the UK is insane.
The government does not really care about cleaner air and fuel usageor they would be envouraging motorcycles for transportation.
I have been riding for more than 50 years but had I been in the UK with there licening requirements I may have never started.
I left the US and retired in SE Asia and a motorcycle is my only means of getting around and I suspect I will be riding until the day I die whether it is here or back in the US.
I had a 2005 SV650, 9 years NCD With 1 claim - £156 fully comp, not garaged
Now got a 23 Triumph street 765R, same info -£1109
Some insurers wouldnt cover me
@paulladbrook6121 Wow, that is crazy. Perhaps the power and nickability puts it in such a higher insurance group. Sad indeed.
@motorsforthemasses As 1 insurers said "highly desirable bike, no garage game over" Actual words
Mark great video, you can see why lexmoto are doing well, have you seen the new rx1 same as the sinnis terrain n mutt stravaig you reviewed but higher spec n £400 cheaper.
We have a testing system that actually is designed not to encourage people to pass their test, then we have expensive bikes and expensive insurance. Then we have inclement poor rainy weather which means everyone needs layers and layers of clothing. We may well have less motorcycle deaths than other countries but we should have more 50-110cc bikes with little or no testing.
The motorcycle fatality in the UK rate is more than twice the fatality rate in the EU. It is 26 deaths per 100,000 registered motorcycles in the UK and 11 in the EU. The fatality rate in the UK is the same as in India and Thailand.
Im 44 i pay 20.23 x10 or £202.3 fully comp covers 2 bikes. Nc700 and a Yamaha r6. 4k annual millage on the r6 and 12k allowance on the nc7. Includes pillion and ride other bikes with bikesure. I was quoted slightly less with carol nash but ive been with bikesure for 6 years and the resulting no claims bonus.
Paradoxically, I thing good times and bad times (economically) can spur sales, just different ends of the spectrum.
I think Europe had a fairly mild winter and that could assist sales a bit.
You also have to consider the geographic coverage of dealers no Honda dealer within 30 miles no Yamaha same KTM easier to list ones we have Suzuki Triumpgh Piaggio very thin on the ground.
48 years old full clean licence full no claims and now paying £629 for a 22 plate tiger 900rp and 22 plate cb500x and I had to talk them down to get that price I never use to pay that much when I had fireblades and R1s in my early 30s I'm now thinking of changing to a 1200rp but not bothering simply because of the insurance costs.
60yo, 17 plate Tracer 7, fully comp, garaged and full no claims £85
92 750 GSXR sub £100.TPFT though. I'm 56
I passed my test in 2021 at 58. 19 plate Traced 700 cost £150 to insure which I thought was ok. After 2 years I bought a Tracer 9gt which cost £450. Just renewed for first time and it's down to £250.
Garaged in a very low crime area.
I've just had my renewal quote from Carol Nash for my 2012 Royal Enfield 500 Bullet EFI and my 2000 Ducati 996, i'm 55 and paid £300 last year fully comp, this year £770. Absolutely ridiculous!! I'm taking my 996 off the road anyway this year so i am only insuring the Enfield this year so can't wait to find out how ridiculous i get quoted on that!!
Give Howdens (old A-plan) a call. I'm not sure if they do this but if you say you were recommended by Mark Whittington-Buckley, they may give a further discount...
@@motorsforthemasses I will speak to Howdens without a doubt, good call, cheers.
Great video, THanks, Would be interesting to see how the sales of 2nd hand motorcycles are doing. Looking around flea bay, it appears you can get a lot of bang for your buck.
Looking to learn to ride this year, and will be doing DAS to get my full license (I'm nearly 49). Never learned to drive so it will be my main mode of transport. I've been looking at various different makes and models for something that fits what I'd want, but insurance is absolutely nuts. I do appreciate that I'd be a new rider, but it's not like I'm young, dumb and full of... desire to ride like an idiot. Most of the quotes I'm getting are around or above a grand for third party, fire and theft. The cheapest I've found is strangely enough (at least to me) for a Honda Shadow Aero 750/VT750 which was 600. Comprehensive quotes tend to just make me laugh out loud. If I were in a position to start on something lower cc that would probably help, but my financial situation means I have to try and buy with some room for growth as a rider, or just something that I'd be likely to have for a few years without getting bored, like the Shadow 750. The experience is very 😮💨
Full comp is not what it used to be…historically it covered EVERYTHING from kit to personal injury etc etc…nowerdays they want more£££ as additions…read small print……good luck…👍
Starting out on a 750 would be downright silly.
You would never grow out of a Honda SuperCub.
What I say here has nothing to do with EU/UK sales differences, just wanted to note that these percentual sales figures are telling almost nothing. In Latvia, that is where I live, we still joke about amazing sales increase in 2007. for LADA. They sold 144 cars in 2007 while only 24 cars in 2006. Imagine, 500% increase, that is unheard of! More correct metric would be market share increase and even then, only segmented by narrow bike type. By "segmented by narrow bike type" I mean "heavyweight cruisers" for example. Because if HD sells less bikes, it does not necessarily mean they suck, it could mean that cruisers are going out of fashion, people now may prefer big ADV bikes. But if numbers show that HD sells less bikes while there are more GoldWings and Vulcans sold compared to last year, then yes, HD is doing something wrong, hence loosing their market share in particular segment. Triumph sales increase could be attributed to Speed 400, Kuba is a new brand, of course they sell more than not selling at all, hence huge percentual increase etc.
Cost is getting a big issue these days, especially for the younger riders!!
Because there is no backing or interest from governments to get or keep people young and old to have a motorcycle, everything is against owning and running one, they don’t advertise motorcycles or motorcycle gear, insurance is ridiculous yet roads are at a standstill everywhere, so it would make sense to get people on motorcycles instead of putting people off them.
Hadnt even thought about how you just dont get ads for motorbikes like you do cars, interesting
2008 KLR650, €86 per year, liability, theft and roadside assistance. Same for a XTZ750. 50+ years age bracket.
I’m not sure that the percentage rises and falls tell the whole story. For the past 38 years I have lived in Germany and France. When I watch TH-cam videos about U.K. bikes touring Europe or I pass through an area where British bikers go I’m always surprised by how new all the U.K. registered bikes seem to be. That’s just not the case with bikes in Germany and France, yes, there are new bikes on the road but there doesn’t seem to the need or desire to change your bike every two or three years. It’s hard to compare different countries but to make sense if your data we need to know the volume of sales, the percentage falls in France and Germany might seem to be a similar pattern to the fall in the U.K. but in volume terms the loss of trade in the U.K. might have two or three times the value of the other countries. 3% of 100,000 is a lot more than 3% of 25,000. Percentage gains and falls don’t give an accurate picture.
60 yrs old, L plate, 42 years a car driver, 125 Lex ZSB, Inner city back garden location, £500 PA
In much of Europe you can automatically ride a 125 on a car licence. So, it's a very easy and cheap option, plus the weather is often much better. Simple
My renewal quote arrived for my cfmoto 700cl-x adventure arrived a couple of weeks ago. I'm 67, with over 9 years no claims. They wanted £580 fully comp. I obviously said no. After shopping around, the best price I could get was £340. As I'm now on state pension, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to afford to keep running a bike 😔
Your spot on with the electric peddle bikes there just more cost effective for the commute
Motorbiking is not the same as when as wen I'm sure many here started, including me, for many of us it was the most practical transport we could afford and I doubt many of us had new bikes straight out, but its now more a leisure pursuit, something to do when you've got a bit older and have some expendable income and the test figures seem to back this up.
The amount of tests carried out and passed hasn't changed much from 2010, can't find figures for earlier, in fact its slightly higher as is the pass rate. with between 50,000 to 60,000 Mod 2 tests each year.
but the age groups taking them has changed, in 2010, 1,896 17 years old took their Mod 2 1,177 passed it. the age group taking most tests were 21 year olds with 2,419 taking a test and 1,740 passing.
In 2024, 236, 17 year olds took a Mod with 144 passing, the age group taking the most test were 24 year olds with 2,908 taking it, but the big increase over that time has been those over 61 taking a bike test with 2,114 taking it, although the pass rate is lower, with only 1,290 passing.
Did not know that Turkey were or are in Europe.
Well parts of it are in Europe, parts in Asia.
Part o& Turkey is and always has been geographically in Europe.
Howdens i went there bricks and mortar office so thought i may pay bit more than online. Nope just over 60 years old 125 suzi address no claims on insurance for decade plus...£300 full comp with 200 access. So thanks but no thanks got third party f and t for £79 on line.
It's got to be the Triumph 400 for their 25% sales increase 👍
Interesting analysis
The sales increase in predominantly better weather countries and without silly hoops to jump through for your licence. Triumph sales increase is down to their successful 400 range. Only people of a certain age and surplus cash by BMWs. You are totally correct that motorcycles are pretty much a toy to most people. Hence, they wouldn't buy an over 1 litre bike for the extra cost of the bike, tax,insurance etc. Plus, the crappy roads and a zillion cameras with reduced speed limits are making drivers drive constantly panicking and not actually looking out for road users.. rant over. For reference, I have a multi bike policy for my Honda NC750x and Enfield classic. I'm 48 with 9 years plus no claims and it's £200 so has actually gone down by 4 quid...
Just insured my new Honda nt1100 £145. Based on living in Scotland my age is 62 9 years no claims
I definitely think insurance has a lot to do with it..
When I bought my zzr1400, brand new..it was £800, then it went down to £600, a neighbour let me use his garage and the cost was £200 . My neighbour moved, and with Bennets, it went up to 2k, as I went back to storing my bike in my backyard..
A year later , my insurance went up to 5k. Most wouldn't insure me.
I had to devalue my bike to get any insurance offered. £650
I have 9 years of no claims (13yrs in reality)
57 yrs young..
Wow! Who was that with?
@motorsforthemasses Go-skippy 👍👍👍
Bikesure is supposed to be good. They did refuse to insure me, and they insured my friends Busa...
Parents are keen to keep their children safe and help out with driving lessons for cars, they do not generally want to see their children at risk on a motorbike..
Triumph - I reckon their 400s have boosted the numbers greatly as city am were reporting revenue had hardly changed even tho the numbers went up a lot
I'd love to own a new Triumph but my neatest dealer has s just closed down. The nearest one now is over 40 miles away.
I'm over 50 and I can't agree with the insurance decrease as I've been quoted an average between 500 to a grand unbelievable as a returning biker been absent for almost 18 years that's for something around 450 cc absolutely disgusting I think what's going on
I am 68, full no claims, insurance on a 21 plate Yamaha Nmax125 went from 190 to 450 last year. sold it, how can a wind up toy cost more to insure than a new Ford Puma?.
That is mad.
i Have both , electric and petrol the petrol is alot cheaper on insurance £250 , electric
wait for it £660 for third party/fire/theft.
electric = Horwin cr6 / Cost for bike 4,999 : Mash 125cc (petrol): 1600+ .
Aged :60
The weather this last year could be a factor?
I believe bike sales goes in paraler with general picture of how people are doing financially, all countries mentioned with sales up have positive growth, uk is hitting rock bottom year after year, hence spare income for avarage biker is less and less, add taxes, insurance cost (that is being driven by theft) on top and here you go,
by avarage british biker is simply poorer than almost anywhere els these days...
Less young people are interested in entering the motorcycle world and do not have the means to get into higher categories.
I found it quite expensive even using the direct entry route as lessons were 3 hour blocks and the first part of the test is easy to fail so for me I estimated as an experienced motorist I spent around £1k but as I have the resource not too bad but younger folk it's a big expense.
Then insurance they can barely stretch to get th bike they want then the insurance is painful.
Percentages are irrelevant.......number of sales are the real data. Example, the BEM/C L1 category fell by 21%, but how many did they sell.? Lets say they sold 100 L1 units and sales dropped by 21%, therefore 100-21%=79 units sold, (21 sales lost). Now lets say 675 category A units were sold but their sales only dropped by 3%, therefore 675-3%= 654 units sold, (21 sales lost). They both lost 21 sales but 21% is a real scary number compared to 3%. Percentages are a nonsense, they are an accountants way of fudging the real figures, its like comparing apples to oranges, sales figures are what matter.
What do we think Labour is going to do to the Motorcycle licence?
MAKE IT EASIER TO RIDE LEGALLY. JOB DONE !!
my insurance for My 125 last year as a new learner rider age 50+ Is 800. But car insurance is only 250
I am 64 years old and the Cheapest Insurance i was quoted for a 125cc Scooter Third Party only was £800
Even Dick Turpin wore a Mask when he Robbed you , and i live in a Quite Seaside Town , not London
35 years old, 8 years NCB, paid £781 for a 2018 Suzuki GSX-S 750 for a 5kish bike its pretty questionable prices all things considering? never claimed and I live in London, I have always been under the assumption your premiums will get lower as you age?? Even checked quotes for mid-size scooters and prices were through the roof
We used to visit London on a regular basis in the seventies, eighties and early nineties. We mostly went for the fantastic West End theaters. We stopped after being robbed on two trips in a row. We haven't visited the UK since. I'm not surprised about the prices of motorcycle insurances in London.
@fuglbird as much as I love riding, I do think with where I live and everything that goes with it, theft, extortionate insurance etc maybe it's best I sell and move on maybe one day if I leave London completely also it's quite difficult to enjoy riding nowadays unless you plan to escape the city for the day..
I do think the big bike have got to expensive for allot of people to want to Cheney for the newer model, as a young rider you really need to want to jump through all the hoops to have to do it again at 19. Demographic is getting older and now starting to downsize from the big heavy bikes, and the battle with insurance each year, if you only ride 2 to 3k a year it’s getting very expensive overall.
Are there any figures on USED bike sales?
56 year old bmwf800st 350 pound fully comp, in Sweden
Triumph 400cc best seller is why Triumph have done so well
i'm 48 and ride a ktm excf500 , 265 this year , same the last 2 years give or take a few quid
high purchase price high insurance cost, crime and ridiculously low speed limits
Too expensive too get the licence, too expensive to obtain insurance, mot and VED road tax, too expensive to maintain for the horrible UK roads, too expensive to afford another bike when inevitably yours gets nicked by the local feral gangs and no chance of help from the police who are more interested in hurty words on the internet.
The roads are diabolical
Specific.
Triumph up? I'd say that's the 400s.
Howden is the new name for A-Plan.
You and some in the comment section have many motorcycles, some of them expensive. It seems common in the UK. It's not that common here in the EU. Also on average the number of motorcycles per inhabitant is significantly lower in the UK than in the EU. In conclusion the UK has very few motorcycles in total and these bikes are owned by very few people. That will make motorcycle sales very different from sales in the EU.
Im 40 had my license 10years i have 0 no claims because i stopped riding for 5 years and lost them . I have a k3 gsxr1000 on 3ed party and pay 500 a year and i recently just got myself a 2012 bmws1000rr that i pay 1600 fullcomp. I don't understand why the bmw is 1100pounds more .
Because is a 200 mph super bike and you’ve got little no claims. Just a thought😂
@devonbikefilms the gsxr will do 186mph the bmw will do 194mph . Not really much in it mate and the gsxt would do 190+ if it wasn't limited to 186
Third only against fully comp, massive difference in terms of insurance risk.
Third party on the bmw was more expensive than fullcomp believe it or not
@thecarbikechannel5896 say whaaaaat? That's mad! Bike insurance makes no sense in this country. 🤯
It will continue to happen because we let it happen
Just do not renew your insurance and tell them why
One week later they are desperate for the business
There is no set tariff for insurance
You are dealing with salesmen on the phone and they need to sell to keep there jobs
No buy results in a better deal
Trust me I've been playing this game for years
poverty aging demographic's weather other road users state of roads which is why i would like an adventure bike to soak up the poor road conditions
Too many thefts in uk. Too many unnecessary parking restrictions and fascist wardens in uk compared to eu countries where you can park anywhere. Colder weather, too.
(outside of chinese brands) New Motorcycles are simply no longer an affordable form of travel. Electric bicycles and the small electric scooters are, although ironically the small electric scooters are banned from public use, out side the monopolised council ones. Lets face it peoples are being screwed every which way the government can. Newer motorcycles are overpriced/unaffordable, and electric motorcikes quite frankly are a joke, No matter what you say about Electric Motorcycles just tell me the price, and I rest my case.
Yes, I tried to avoid myself talking about the Government...I might not stop lol.
There would be many small decently priced motorcycles at the dealers if people would buy them. Small motorcycles are common in Asia but engines smaller than 900 cm³ are considered to be too small in the UK. Just read the reviews on TH-cam.
@ Problem is the west has bought into bigger faster meaner. Typically the youth buy into this outlook, and yes Powerful sports bikes are fun....on the track, on british roads a chore to ride legally, have to feather to clutch, and brakes etc anything else is illegal. I'd much rather have fun on a ZX4RR than a ZX1000/Gixxer/R1/Fireblade etc. Or have a lower CC Supermoto.
Even adventure bikes fall foul of this, all these monsterous sized Adventure bikes not really designed for off road, just big tourers, a smaller cc can do it. Hell just watch people like itchy boots literally travel the world on a 300 Rally / RE Himalayan. yet the advertising have everyone believe they need a BMW GS1200. yes im getting old... :P
FYI people -2% is recession.
I do worry about the coming dominance by China. It will fundamentally change the bike market, and not for the good. They are actively trying to undercut all the Western manufacturers forcing them out of business,KTM is just the start of the decline. Whether you are happy to accept that is personal choice. I’ve been riding for almost 50 yrs so have seen the best of biking.
@@697544 what is the alternative?
@@motorsforthemassesUnfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a viable answer considering the perfect storm we’re facing i.e aging demographic,excessive costs, anti-biking government policies etc. Maybe we’ll come to realise that China is anti-capitalist and a threat to the Western democracies, but by then our bike manufacturers will be long gone.
im 20 paying £1300 for a royal Enfield GT 650
Chinese made bikes might sell more but they are unlikely to have longevity.
You just spoke in percentages and not actual number which is odd . Sounds a bit like bbc or NHS.
Obviously, small bike sales will fall as to why you would bother when kids can get an E Scooter, no test insurance, etc. Let face it establishment would love to ban motorcycles harder to control self drive etc.
@keithwaller4545 offering numbers could just be too baffling after a while. Percentages are simpler for most to make sense of. I understand numbers say a lot but then I would get comments asking what percentage difference that was and saying both would probably make most people zone out too quickly.
Thanks Mark
Fascinating video.
Australia for insurance is a complete rip-off.
Vehicle registration is another rip-off.
Age 62
BMW R18
YAMAHA 1200 Super Tenere
VESPA gts300
£347 fully comp for all 3.
ONLY advantage of being an old git !
Absolutely!
Your Lucky my Friend , i was Quoted £800 for third party only for a 125cc Scooter and i'm 64
@@paulfensome1404 Good grief !!
Where do you live ? Any no claims?
Triumph Tiger 900- age 66, decades no claims, garaged. all quotes £525 + eventually found one at £265 but with 1000 excess, live in outer London
Because of all the fkin tests you have to do. Ca
Straight from the mouth of n.american ktm boss Joh Hinz (who are a different firm to the ktm ag that we know), he says that their 1st stage of administration has gone extremely well and is super positive - haters gonna love that but hey.