17,753 vehicles registered in the month just ended show a 1.4% improvement
AFTER A YEAR LONG CRISIS, FEBRUARY FINALLY BRINGS A POSITIVE RESULT FOR POWERED 2-WHEEL VEHICLES
Despite escalating insurance and fuel prices, and falling income levels, a reversal in trend attests the vitality of the sector.

February sales figures show a slight improvement, marking a reversal in trend over the recent past, when sales had dropped for 12 months on end. A comparison with the previous year is more revealing, notwithstanding the possible presence of vehicles profiting from the 2009 incentive program that set a March 2010 registration deadline.

Vehicles registered came to 17,765 showing a 1.4% improvement over February 2010. This is the best result in 12 months. In particular, scooters achieved a total of 11,085 units (+3%), whilst motorcycle sales came to 6,680, with a drop of 1.2%. The month of February accounts for slightly more than 5% the annual total. Even moped sales were less discouraging, with 3,751 units registered (-5.7%).

“This is the first sign of a reversal in trend, of decisive importance compared to the dramatic drop in sales recorded last year – points out Corrado Capelli, Chairman of Confindustria ANCMA (National Association for the Bicycle, Motorcycle and Accessory Industry) - “But for long-term growth to get underway, two more conditions have to be met: favourable credit terms for consumers and controlled insurance costs. Unfortunately, insurance costs for 2-wheel vehicles seem to be rising even faster than for cars. Our hope – Capelli goes on to say – is that at least users with an accident-free driving record will be protected against price rises that, to be frank, seem rather unwarranted. In some regions of southern Italy, insurance costs have become prohibitive and come close the purchase price of the most affordable vehicles. In this situation, potential buyers are put off by operating costs that are out of control. And there are even some areas where fake insurance cards are used. I hope tighter control can also foster more balanced costs for powered 2-wheel vehicles. Directly associated with insurance costs – concludes the Chairman – is the issue of traffic safety; in this connection, the situation of infrastructures is a major cause for concern, a contributing factor in about one fourth of all vehicle accidents.”

An analysis of the scooter market by engine size reveals that the January-February two-month period saw signs of recovery for 300-500cc scooters, which were the top-selling segment with 7,311 units (-7.6%). For smaller sized segments, such as 125cc, 150-200cc and 250cc scooters – with 6,063 units, down 21.3%, 3,845 units, -40.9%, and 1,634 units, -33.1%, respectively – the picture remained grim.

Motorcycle sales indicate that models >1000cc kept growing (with 3,821 units and a 5.7% increase) and so did motorcycles in the 300cc - 500cc engine range, which, albeit with fewer units (1,138), went up 9.4% over the corresponding period last year. Sales of 800-1000cc motorbikes were stable: 2,899 units, (-0.8%). Still declining were vehicles with the following engine sizes: 600cc (880 units, -34%), 650-750cc (1,954 units, -21.7%), and 125cc (847 units, -19.7%).

As for the evolution of motorcycle segments we find that first place by volume continues to be a prerogative of road-going enduro bikes, with 3,889 units (0.6%), followed by naked models, with 3,375 units sold (-14.5%) and sport bikes with 1,323 units (-36.4%); custom bikes went up 14.2% with 1,285 units (+14,2%) and touring motorcycles achieved a significant increment (+37.7%) with 1,008 vehicles; whereas supermotards declined, with 805 units (-23.8%).

Sales of mopeds over the first two months of the year totalled 7,312 (-9,8%).

If we consider the totality of powered 2-wheel vehicles (registered + 50cc) we get 38,488 vehicles, down 16.4% over the same two-month period last year.