Motorcycle sales grow by 13%, BMW loses market leadership after 13 years

We may not have had the best motorcycle weather last year – in fact, 2023 has gone down as the wettest year since the first measurements – but that has not had a negative impact on motorcycle sales, which once again showed significant growth of more than 13 % was achieved. A total of 17,501 motorcycles were sold last year, compared to 15,472 in 2022, the best figure since 2008.

The largest growth was achieved by Honda, which achieved an increase of no less than 41.63% and thus immediately climbed back to second place in the ranking, behind Yamaha, which sold almost 500 motorcycles, motor scooters and three-wheelers in the past year. man managed to bring.

In contrast to Yamaha and Honda, BMW Motorrad did not manage to end the year in the black, recording a small contraction of 3 units compared to 2022 and therefore falling back to third place after 13 years of being the market leader in the Netherlands. , thanks to the annual December final sprint that dropped Kawasaki back to fourth place, which achieved a growth of 19.71% compared to 2022.

BMW was not the only brand that did not benefit from the strongly increased market last year, also Harley-Davidson (-7.19%), Triumph (-6.40%), Royal Enfield (_3.51%), Piaggio ( -5.59%) and Zero Motorcycles (-16.50%) ended the year in the red. The decline at Zero shows that Dutch motorcyclists are still not warm to electric, in contrast to cars where a share of more than 30% was recorded last year.

Sales figures 2023:

Figures exclude 125cc, scooters and 3-wheelers

Yamaha also remains the market leader in the Netherlands in the sales figures of motorcycles above 125 cc (and therefore eliminate three-wheelers, motorcycles up to and including 125 cc and motor scooters), although the difference is now much smaller with Kawasaki, whose only remaining scooter is the J125. had taken off the market in 2021.

Best-selling models

The best-selling bicycle is and remains the BMW GS. Of the R 1250 GS and R 1250 GS Adventure, the 1 millionth of which rolled off the production line last year, 793 units were sold last year, which is less than the 841 units of 2022, but that picture has been distorted by the arrival of the R 1300 GS, of which 103 have already been sold in the short time it has been on the market.

Best of the rest was again the Kawasaki Z900, which has been the best-selling Naked on the market since its launch. With three models, Yamaha is best represented in the top 5, most remarkable is the enormous growth of the Tracer 900, which recorded a plus of more than 95% and rose to fifth place.

In addition, the Z650 (P6, +77.51%), the BMW F 900 R (P18, +75.25%) and the Honda X-ADV (P19, +72.55%) also experienced significant growth. However, the best growth figures were achieved by the Honda NC750X with an increase of 110% to now 336 units, making it easily the best-selling mid-range “Allroad”.

It is also striking that at Suzuki the arrival of the new 800 platform has certainly not been at the expense of the 650. The GSX-8R and the V-Strom 800 have been very positively received, but are outnumbered by the SV650 and V-Strom 650, despite the fact that these models have not been updated for several years. The reduction in numbers was around 10% for both models, which shows that the new 800 platform is truly an addition to the Suzuki line-up.