Sales of new motorcycles in the Netherlands kept growing in the first half of this year. Dealers registered 14,062 new motorcycles, more than 15 percent above the same period last year. June also showed a strong increase, according to trade associations RAI Vereniging, BOVAG, and RDC.
Last month, registrations reached 2,622 motorcycles, nearly 19 percent more than in June last year. The associations say the motorcycle “remains undiminished in popularity in the Netherlands”. They point to rising sales and a growing number of licence holders. At the start of 2021, nearly 1.5 million Dutch people held a motorcycle licence; at the start of this year, that number was close to 1.6 million.
The used market is stabilising at last year’s record level. In the first half of the year, buyers purchased 82,407 used motorcycles. That is slightly fewer than in the same period last year, but still the second‑highest number ever recorded.
Tom Crooijmans, chair of the motorcycle division at RAI Vereniging, says more Dutch people now see the motorcycle as both enjoyable and affordable. He says many riders choose it as a practical option for commuting as well as recreation.
The BMW R 1300 GS/Adventure was the best‑selling model in the first half of the year. The Kawasaki Z 900 and Yamaha Tracer followed.
@ANP | News Brainport
