Motorcycle sales are recording high growth rates in Europe as well in Serbia.

The Serbian market for new motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters in 2023 was very dynamic. According to data from the Cube Team agency, there was a strong increase in motorcycle sales, and this trend has continued into this year.

Motorcycles recorded a respectable growth of 26.8% in 2023. A total of 2,171 motorcycles were sold in our market, which is 459 more than in 2022 when 1,712 of these two-wheelers were delivered. On the other hand, scooter sales saw a decline of about 25.9%. In 2023, 825 fewer scooters were sold, totaling 2,356.

In the first four months, a total of 1,714 motorcycles were sold (compared to 1,029 in the same period last year), an increase of 685 motorcycles, or about 66.5% growth.

Sales growth, similar to Serbia, was record-breaking in 2023 with a staggering figure of 2,560,000 newly registered motorcycles and scooters. The growth compared to 2022 was a significant 24.2%! The Japanese giant "Honda" increased its sales in 2023 by 40.9%, Yamaha by 12.8%, BMW by 4.5%, Piaggio by 1.2%, and the lesser-known brand Kuba by an incredible 154.1%. The largest sales increase in 2023 by country was in Turkey, where the number of newly registered motorcycles increased by 119.3%! Thanks to this growth, Turkey had the highest motorcycle sales in Europe in 2023 with 698,857 units.

In Germany, 57,158 motorcycles were sold in the first quarter of this year, a 1.9% decrease compared to the same period last year. However, in April, sales increased by a respectable 15.6% compared to the same month last year, with 29,015 motorcycles sold, resulting in a sales growth of 3.7% for the first four months of this year. Honda leads in sales in Germany, followed by BMW and Piaggio.

In Spain, 2023 saw record sales and the largest motorcycle and scooter market growth in the last 15 years. A total of 217,456 motorcycles were sold, with a 12.4% increase compared to the previous year. In the first quarter of 2024, sales of these vehicles reached 48,080, representing a 4.2% increase compared to January-March 2023. April, like in Germany, boosted sales by an incredible 20.6% compared to April 2023. In total, 68,435 motorcycles and scooters were sold in Spain in the first four months. The annual growth for the January-April period this year is 8.4% higher than last year. Notably, the months with traditionally the highest sales are yet to come. The most purchased vehicles during this period in Spain were Hondas, Yamahas, Kymco scooters, and BMWs in fourth place. Spaniards also reported that the largest growth was in motorcycles from 751-1100 cc, by 16%, and scooter sales also increased by 3.0%.

In Italy, the largest EU market for motorcycles and scooters, sales of these two-wheelers increased by 15% in 2023, reaching a record 340,742 two-wheelers. In Italy, like in Spain, this was the most successful year for motorcycle and scooter sales in the last 15 years. This trend continued in the first quarter of this year with a 2.9% increase, and April brought joy to sellers and buyers alike, with a 20.5% increase in registered motorcycles and scooters. The total figure for the first four months is 125,839 new motorcycles and scooters, with an annual growth of 8.1% for this period. Honda, Piaggio, and Yamaha hold the top three spots for sales in Italy in the first four months of this year.

Namely, the Turkish economy, which is the 19th largest in the world and continues to grow, has naturally led to an increase in the purchasing power of the population. However, the extent to which motorcycle (and car) sales have exceeded all "expected limits" in the last three years is unprecedented. While economic analysts are still debating and trying to explain this phenomenon, let’s look at the facts regarding motorcycles and scooters. Sales growth in Turkey began in 2020, but the percentages were not as staggering as in 2023, when annual growth showed an incredible 119.3%! The figure of 698,857 motorcycles and scooters sold surprised all market experts not only in Europe. The start of 2024 has "blown away" all expert and analyst predictions that "growth would be evident but on a much more modest scale". In the first three months of this year, 242,586 motorcycles and scooters were sold in Turkey, setting a new absolute record for the first quarter of the year. This is a 111.4% increase compared to the first three months of 2023, which, as we mentioned, surprised everyone with its sales boom. Turks have not yet compiled the April sales results, but no one doubts that both this and the upcoming months will see salespeople tipping their hats...

It is clear that Europeans are increasingly using this type of vehicle not only for excursions and holiday cruises as in previous years, but two-wheelers are becoming more indispensable in the daily lives of big city residents as a solution to growing traffic congestion.