European motorcycle manufacturers set sales records in 2021

Through the rise and fall of COVID waves, interest in motorcycling hasn’t waned, especially in the off-road and ADV markets. Let’s see how the major players fared.

BMW Motorrad

BMW Motorrad broke its all-time sales record with 194,261 motorcycles delivered last year. 

"The fact that we still managed to finish 2021 with this fantastic result for BMW Motorrad not only makes me happy, but also incredibly proud,” said Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad. “It’s precisely in times of crisis where you can see how well a team sticks together.” Sales were up in Europe and Asia and increased 32 percent in the United States. Unsurprisingly, boxer models like the R 1250 GS and GS Adventure were the major “driving force” once again.

Pierer Mobility: KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas

Pierer Mobility, the parent company of KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas, reported an astonishing 332,881 motorcycle sales in 2021, marking the 11th consecutive year of sales records. European and North American buyers accounted for the majority of the uptick. Another factor driving this performance was the explosion in demand for off-road and dual-sport motorcycles during the pandemic, which Pierer’s three motorcycle brands were more than happy to supply. More details on Pierer Mobility’s performance will be released in early February, but there’s no doubt that 2021 was their biggest sales year so far.

Ducati

Ducati also broke its global sales record in 2021 with a final count of 59,447 motorcycles delivered. For reference, Ducati sold 48,042 motorcycles in 2020, and 53,183 in 2019.

“2021 was a magical year for Ducati,” said CEO Claudio Domenicali in a press release. “We delivered over 59,000 motorcycles, a number never achieved before in 95 years of the company’s history. We also won the title of MotoGP Constructors’ World Champion for the second consecutive year, and we started the electric era of our company with the V21L prototype, which foresees the bike that will race in the MotoE championship from 2023.”

Unsurprisingly, the United States led global sales with some 9,000 units, followed closely by Ducati’s home market of Italy. Ducati claims the Multistrada V4 was their best-seller. Global sales were additionally boosted by the release of an all-new Monster and an updated Panigale V4. The recently announced DesertX adventure motorcycle arrived late in the year, so it will be interesting to see if it can boost numbers further in 2022.

Piaggio Group: Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilia, and Moto Guzzi

Piaggio hasn’t released 2021 performance figures yet, although a report on the first nine months of the year indicates 430,600 vehicles shipped worldwide, up by 21.7 percent from the same nine-month period in 2020. Aprilia's new 660 twins and Moto Guzzi's V85TT contributed to this success.

Triumph

2021 was a milestone year for Triumph. Hinckley recently trotted out a special Tiger 900 Rally Pro to celebrate their one millionth motorcycle built since Triumph’s revival in 1990. This comes at the end of “the most successful year in the brand’s entire 120-year history,” according to CEO Nick Bloor. Over 75,000 Triumph motorcycles were registered in 2021.

‘’Furthermore, we are committed to taking the brand to even greater heights, and with the forthcoming launch of our brand new Tiger 1200, new competition MX and Enduro motorcycles, plus our strategic partnership with Bajaj to create smaller capacity bikes, I am delighted to say that the future for Triumph and its fans across the world will be just as exciting and rich as the last 30 years has been,” Bloor added.

Premium was prosperous in 2021

How did European motorcycle manufacturers set new records in such a tumultuous year? Remember that in 2020 many of these brands temporarily closed their doors, lost dealers, experienced shipping and supply issues, and ultimately took losses. 

Several factors are likely fueling this aggressive rebound. Interest in motorcycling remains elevated as the pandemic churns on, and riders are apparently willing to pony up for a more premium motorcycling experience right now. Also consider that some of these brands, particularly Triumph and Aprilia, have recently introduced appealing entry-level models that further boosted sales. Meanwhile, KTM and BMW relied on their traditional strong suits for success as interest in dirt and ADV riding stays strong.

Finally, there’s the elephant in the room that Lemmy explored in his article last week: Motorcycling is an increasingly expensive activity. That doesn’t seem to bother customers of high-end Eurobikes who want the performance, features, and quality that these motorcycles provide. In fact, well heeled customers may find themselves in an even better position to buy such motorcycles after the dramatic economic shifts of the last two years.

Ducati North America CEO Jason Chinnock recently gave his thoughts on the three driving forces behind the company’s success over the last year: A general “resurgence” in motorcycling, the steady expansion of their dealer network, and the arrival of compelling new models that excite their customers. (Multistrada V4 models were Ducati’s most popular last year, followed by Scrambler and Monster products.)

Upcoming year-end performance data from other regions will reveal more about the health of the global motorcycle industry. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki are already reporting the highest domestic sales in 23 years, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. In the United States, investors and motorcyclists will soon hear annual performance figures from Harley-Davidson and Indian. The success of premium manufacturers in Europe could foreshadow encouraging news for those two brands in particular, or it might just show the gains made by their competitors in a challenging year.