Italian Motorcycle Industry Sees Lackluster Performance In May 2022

Internal-combustion two-wheelers saw lackluster figures, while electric motorcycles enjoyed double-digit growth.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jun 13, 2022 at 8:00am ET

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The motorcycle industry, just like all other industries, relies heavily on both external and internal factors in order to keep running. While demand for motorbikes, particularly in Italy, has returned to pre-pandemic figures, the same cannot be said for the industry itself, which is still reeling from supply issues brought about by a multitude of scenarios in recent years.

The global pandemic, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and even the blockage of the Suez Canal in 2021, continue to have lasting effects across multiple industries. The motorcycle industry is no different. As such, instead of flaunting impressive growth figures in the midst of rising interest in the sport, motorcycle sales in Italy for May 2022 remained virtually the same as that of the previous year—a time when pandemic restrictions were much more heavily implemented. In May 2022, a total of 38,338 two-wheelers were sold in Italy, translating to a 0.7-percent decline versus May 2021.

Despite a drop in sales, scooters are still the most popular form of motorized two-wheeled transport.

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Diving into a little more detail, smaller two-wheelers, mopeds in particular, saw decent growth, with 6.3 percentage points. A total of 2,067 small-displacement mopeds were sold in May, 2022. Standard motorcycles saw a modest increase, too, with 1.3 percentage points. A total of 16,336 brand new motorcycles hit the road in May 2022. Lastly, scooters fared the poorest, with a decline of 3 percentage points. In May, 2022, 19,935 scooters were sold, and while this is a decline versus the same period last year, scooters are still the most popular category of two-wheeler in Italy.

What’s even more interesting, amidst the steady demand for mopeds, motorcycles, and scooters, is the skyrocketing popularity of electric motorcycles. Yes, we know that electric two-wheelers are fast becoming mainstream means of mobility, and the numbers truly show this. In Italy, electric two-wheeler sales saw a 39.1 percent leap in May 2022, with 1,261 electric two-wheelers sold in that month alone. It’s certainly an interesting trend, as this hints at new, first-time riders starting out on electric two-wheelers.