New Bike Sales: A Flicker of Life, But We're Not Out of the Woods Yet
If you’ve been wondering whether the UK’s new motorcycle market is finally kicking back into gear — well, sort of. May gave us a small glimmer of hope, but let’s not rev up the celebrations just yet.
According to the latest figures from the MCIA, bike registrations in May were down 12.3% compared to May 2024. That might sound rough, but believe it or not, it’s actually an improvement over April 2025’s performance. Yep, we’re grading on a curve here.
Still, year-to-date we’re sitting at a painful -20.4%. Not exactly numbers to pop a champagne cork over.
A Slow Climb and Some Frayed Nerves
Symon Cook from the National Motorcycle Dealers Association summed it up well: “It’s a lift, sure, but still disappointing.” Couldn’t agree more. The industry's crawling back from the abyss, but it’s a slow grind. Think third gear on a steep hill with a headwind.
Dealers are trying to stay upbeat, but five months of lacklustre sales does take the shine off things. And while we’d all love a bit of policy support to help out, we’re still waiting on that long-promised rider licensing review. The Government’s been talking about it forever — now would be a brilliant time to stop faffing about and actually deliver.
Tony Campbell Pulls No Punches
MCIA’s head honcho Tony Campbell didn’t sugarcoat it either. He called the market “still disappointing” and pointed straight at the usual suspects: global conflicts, trade barriers, economic uncertainty — take your pick. It’s a perfect storm of reasons why Joe Public is hanging onto their wallet.
And as for the Government? Campbell basically said they’re flip-flopping more than a holidaymaker in cheap sandals. One week it’s this, the next week it’s that — not exactly helpful when the industry needs direction and support.
E-bikes, E-scooters, and a Generation We Might Lose
Here’s the real kicker: while the Government’s throwing cash at cycle lanes and public transport, a lot of would-be bikers are quietly slipping away. E-bikes and e-scooters — cheap, simple, and largely unregulated — are becoming the go-to for younger riders who can’t be bothered with red tape and rising costs.
That’s a worry. If the motorcycling industry doesn’t get some proper backing soon, we risk losing an entire generation to battery-powered pushbikes.
Bottom line? We’ve got a faint heartbeat in the market — but if the Government doesn’t stop dragging its feet and start backing Britain’s bikers, we might just find ourselves wheezing into the hard shoulder.