ClassicMC.no

Mc sales January-August 2025

  • Photo: Borgvald Moen

Autumn is in the air, the motorcycle season is in its final phase, and soon the two-wheelers will be gone from the traffic scene. So how have motorcycle sales been so far in 2025?

The figures for the period January-August speak volumes about who has been the winner of the season so far, and who has to roll up their sleeves and hope for better times. It is still warm outside, and several of the retailers are now running autumn campaigns with price cuts on this year's models.

  • BMW's alibi in the retro segment, the R12S, has its DNA from the classic R90Sport

Yamaha tops the statistics once again, and the MT series has been a success. It is also clear that motorcycles in the "Adventure" category sell well, and KTM 's model 390 Adventure is among the winners. The Street class is also very popular, and the MT07 from Yamaha is right behind the KTM. BMW 's GS series has also claimed the top spot for many years, and the GS1300 Adventure takes 3rd place among the model winners.

New sale heavy motorbike, January-August 2025:

  • 1. Yamaha . 826 pcs
  • 2. Honda . 823 pcs.
  • 3. BMW . 813 pcs.
  • 4. KTM . 734 pcs.
  • 5. Triumph . 498 pcs.
  • 6. Kawasaki . 299 pcs.
  • 7. Ducati . 152 pcs.
  • 7. Husqvarna . 152 pcs.
  • 9. Suzuki . 138 pcs.
  • 10. Scale. 124 pcs.
  • 11. Royal Enfield . 92 pcs.
  • 12. CFMoto. 91 pcs.
  • 13. Indian . 73 pcs-
  • 14. Harley-Davidson . 72 pcs.
  • Yamaha's retro racer XSR900GP. Photo: Borgvald Moen

Expensive store design

What about the custom class? Here it is worth noting that Indian has managed the feat of selling more new bikes than Harley-Davidson . It is the 101 Scout model in particular that is pulling the brand up. Even though there is currently only 1 bike ahead of HD, this is worth noting. There are many explanations for Harley-Davidson struggles, and one of these is dissatisfaction among dealers who are required to follow tough requirements for how their stores should be furnished. This has cost more than it tastes, we believe, which many dealers at home and abroad have expressed.

  • Rune Kristiansen runs MCGARAGE in Strømmen where he sells used Harleys.

Buyer's market

Rune Kristiansen, who runs MCGARAGE in Strømmen, has been selling used Harleys for a number of years and knows the market well. "It's a buyer's market now, and prices are low compared to what they used to be," says Rune. He notices the decline, and explains this by saying that the entry price for Harleys has become very high, while fewer and fewer people are building custom bikes. "We who build bikes are well into our years, and growth from below is lacking," he adds.

  • Fredrik Sandbo from Fetsund knows how to custom, and belongs to the "self-builders"

A generational phenomenon

I sense exactly what Rune is saying, and in recent years I have experienced that especially younger motorcycle riders are often attracted to inexpensive bikes from Japan that they convert into cafe racers. The entrance fee for a used Japanese bike is peanuts compared to a new Harley-Davidson .

  • The price of used Harleys is going down, and the average age of owners is going up.

Post-war baby boom

Looking back at Harley-Davidson's sales figures over time, demographic facts can be interesting to delve into. From 1945 until well into the 1960s, birth rates were high, the economy for most people strengthened, and motorcycles were a typical youth phenomenon. The post-war generation liked motorcycles, and it was the Japanese brands that were particularly popular. When Harley-Davidson emerged from the crisis at the beginning of the 1980s, their sales increased, and Softail , which came out in 1984, is perhaps one of the brand's most important models. The following year, in 1985, the average age of Harley owners was around 27 years old. Production was around 150,000 machines, and sales figures rose steadily. So did the average age of those who rode Harleys, and as we approached 2010 the average age was close to 50. Sales were now well over 300,000 machines annually, but then sales began to level off, and gradually the downturn came. Today the average age of Harley owners is believed to be over 60 years old, and sales have plummeted. Many of the older ones have either stopped riding motorcycles, or they have converted to adventure models, where BMW and Triumph among others, have made their mark with popular models such as the GS and Scrambler, respectively.

  • Kawasaki offers i.a. Z900RS iretro class

It remains to be seen whether the autumn campaigns of the various retailers will boost motorcycle sales. Perhaps you can score a bargain now at the end of the season.

Sources:

  • The Road Traffic Information Council
  • Statistics Norway
  • The Norwegian Public Roads Administration