UK Motorcycle Sales Are Rising—So Why Are Electric Bikes Going Backwards?
Britain’s motorcycle market is showing encouraging signs of recovery. Registrations are rising, adventure bikes are booming and smaller petrol-powered machines are finding plenty of buyers.
Electric motorcycles, however, are travelling in the opposite direction.
Against that background, LiveWire has reduced the UK price of its flagship One to £12,990. That makes it considerably more tempting than it was at £22,990—but it raises an awkward question for every rider considering an electric motorcycle.
If the price of a new LiveWire can fall by £10,000, what has happened to the value of the ones already sold?
The motorcycle industry needs riders to embrace new technology. But before asking them to become early adopters, perhaps it also needs to explain why those early adopters should have confidence in the value of what they are buying.
UK Motorcycle Registrations Are Recovering
The latest Motorcycle Industry Association figures present an encouraging picture for the wider powered two-wheeler market.
A total of 10,644 new motorcycles and other L-category vehicles were registered during July 2026, compared with 9,057 in July 2025. That represents an increase of 17.5 per cent.
Across the first seven months of the year, registrations reportedly reached 67,565—up 15.6 per cent on the corresponding period in 2025.
Adventure-bike registrations increased by 41.8 per cent during July, while smaller-capacity petrol motorcycles also performed strongly. The two best-selling individual models were both 125s, suggesting affordability and accessibility remain major influences on buying decisions.
The recovery is not evenly spread. Registrations of machines above 1000cc declined, reinforcing the impression that riders are becoming more selective about expensive motorcycles.
Nevertheless, Britain has not suddenly stopped buying bikes.
That makes the continued weakness of electric registrations particularly significant.
Electric Motorcycle Registrations Are Falling
Electric motorcycle, scooter and moped registrations reportedly fell by 15.1 per cent in July and were 12.7 per cent lower year-to-date.
The earlier figures were equally sobering. According to analysis of MCIA data, only 517 new electric motorcycles, scooters and mopeds were registered during the first quarter of 2026. That was the lowest first-quarter figure since 2020. Bennetts’ analysis of the UK motorcycle market
We should be careful about reading too much into one month. Electric powered two-wheelers remain a relatively small market, so modest changes in unit numbers can produce dramatic percentages.
Even so, the direction is difficult to ignore. The overall motorcycle market is expanding while its electric section is contracting.
That suggests riders are not necessarily losing confidence in motorcycling. They may instead be lacking confidence in the price, practicality and future value of electric motorcycles.
LiveWire One Falls From £22,990 to £12,990
The LiveWire One demonstrates that uncertainty more dramatically than any registration table.
The original Harley-Davidson LiveWire arrived with a UK price close to £30,000. When the model appeared under the separate LiveWire brand, it was offered in Britain from approximately £22,990.
LiveWire now officially advertises the One from £12,990. LiveWire One UK specifications and current price
For that money, buyers get a technically impressive motorcycle. LiveWire claims 100hp, 0–60mph in approximately three seconds, a 15.4kWh battery and a city range of 146 miles. It also supports DC rapid charging.
At £12,990, it is no longer competing exclusively with premium or exotic motorcycles. It now costs less than many high-specification petrol adventure bikes and sports machines.
Looked at purely as a new purchase today, the LiveWire One has become much more interesting.
However, a £10,000 reduction is not simply a generous saving. It represents a substantial reset of what the manufacturer believes the motorcycle must cost to attract buyers.
That reset inevitably affects every used example.
What Is a Used LiveWire Really Worth Now?
Imagine buying a LiveWire One for £22,990 and discovering that an identical new motorcycle, complete with a full warranty, is now available for £12,990.
A used dealer cannot value your motorcycle in isolation from the new price. Regardless of its condition, mileage or previous list price, it must compete with a brand-new example costing £10,000 less than you originally paid.
How much would a dealer offer in part exchange? Would a private buyer pay £11,000 for a used bike when another £1,990 buys a new one? Could the used value fall below £10,000—or substantially lower—once a dealer allows for preparation, warranty and profit?
There is currently insufficient published UK transaction data to provide a definitive residual value for the LiveWire One. Asking prices also do not tell us what motorcycles actually sell for.
That uncertainty is itself part of the story.
Residual values are built upon market confidence. Buyers, dealers and finance providers need a reasonable idea of what a motorcycle will be worth after two, three or four years. When the manufacturer dramatically reduces the new price, those calculations are overturned.
A price cut may make the LiveWire easier to sell today, but it could also make riders wonder whether another reduction is coming tomorrow.
Have LiveWire’s Early Adopters Been Punished?
Early adopters accept a certain amount of risk. The first version of any technology is likely to be expensive, and newer models will eventually offer better performance.
But there is a difference between normal depreciation and a manufacturer removing £10,000 from the cost of a new motorcycle.
LiveWire needed pioneering customers prepared to spend serious money on an unfamiliar form of motorcycling. Those owners helped put bikes on the road, provided real-world experience and proved that electric motorcycles could deliver exciting performance.
If they now face exceptionally heavy depreciation, they may understandably feel that their support has been rewarded with a financial kick in the charging socket.
That matters beyond the owners directly affected. Other riders will watch what happened and factor it into their own decisions.
A customer may like the LiveWire, enjoy the test ride and believe electric motorcycles have a future—but still decide not to buy because the financial risk feels too great.
Is the Price Cut Working for LiveWire?
There is an important counterargument: lower prices and incentives appear to be moving motorcycles.
LiveWire reported sales of 267 electric motorcycles worldwide during the second quarter of 2026, compared with 55 in the same quarter of 2025. That was a 386 per cent increase, albeit from a very low starting point.
Electric-motorcycle revenue increased from $0.8 million to $3.6 million, while the division still recorded an operating loss of approximately $18 million for the quarter. LiveWire’s official second-quarter financial results
Therefore, it would be wrong to say the LiveWire price reduction proves that nobody wants electric motorcycles. More people appear to be buying them when the price becomes sufficiently attractive.
The more revealing question is whether LiveWire has finally discovered what riders believe an electric motorcycle is worth.
If sales rise at £12,990 when they struggled at £22,990, the motorcycle itself may not have been the problem. The original price—and the risk attached to it—may have been.
Why Riders Remain Cautious About Electric Motorcycles
Performance is rarely the greatest objection. Riders who have tested powerful electric motorcycles often praise their acceleration, smooth delivery and effortless low-speed control.
The doubts tend to emerge when the conversation moves from riding to owning.
Motorcyclists want to know how real-world range changes on fast roads, in cold weather or as the battery ages. They want confidence that replacement parts, software support and trained technicians will remain available.
They also wonder whether today’s battery technology will look outdated within a few years. A petrol motorcycle does not suddenly become unusable because a new fuel tank offers greater range, but a significant improvement in battery capacity or charging speed could quickly make an older electric model less desirable.
Most importantly, riders need some confidence in depreciation. Motorcycles are emotional purchases, but £12,990 remains serious money. Few owners can afford to disregard what their bike might be worth when they eventually change it.
Electric Motorcycles Have a Confidence Problem
The present evidence does not prove that British riders have rejected electric motorcycles permanently.
It does suggest that manufacturers have yet to build sufficient confidence around price, practicality and long-term ownership.
The LiveWire One at £12,990 might be one of the most tempting electric motorcycles yet offered in Britain. It could also become an excellent used purchase if values settle at an affordable level and long-term support proves dependable.
But its dramatic price reduction creates a warning for the entire electric-bike industry.
Manufacturers cannot expect riders to embrace new technology if those who buy first are left carrying the cost whenever prices are reset. Longer warranties, guaranteed future values, battery-health certification and manufacturer-supported used-bike schemes could all reduce that uncertainty.
Britain’s riders are still buying motorcycles. They are simply proving cautious about which motorcycles deserve their money.
Perhaps the problem is not that electric bikes lack performance, excitement or potential. It is that riders do not yet know whether buying one represents a step into the future—or a very expensive lesson in depreciation.