Motorbike sales continue to race ahead in Malaga

Malaga continues to dominate the motorcycle market in Andalucía in the south of Spain. If dealers ended 2024 as one of the best years ever for the sector, all forecasts point to 2025 living up to similar expectations, although a slight decline in sales was noted in the first few months of this year, driven by various factors such as the abundant spring rains in the province and also the changes in European emissions regulations.

Even so, the figures are crystal clear: so far in 2025, 4,377 new, two-wheeled vehicles have been registered in Malaga province, representing a 1.5% decrease compared to the same period last year. These figures place Malaga in fourth place of the list of provinces in Spain with the highest sales volumes, behind only Barcelona (11,947 registrations), Madrid (8,846 registrations) and Valencia (5,724).

This is according to data from Anesdor, a Spanish trade association for the motorbike sector, which provides a breakdown by type of vehicle that clearly demonstrates the resounding success of motorcycles. Of the total number of registrations so far this year, 4,034 were motorbikes, followed way behind by mopeds (179 sold). Even so, it is important to note that moped sales have increased by 7.19% compared to the same time last year.

Sales of electric motorbikes have also been on the rise, with 17.19% more registered than last year. "Due to the climate, tourism and the characteristics of the area itself, Malaga is the most important market for motorcycles in Andalucía, and the fourth most important in Spain," said José María Riaño, secretary-general of Anesdor.

Riaño explained that, in 2025, "the market will remain more or less stable", with a minimal decline, considering the impact of the European Euro5+ emissions regulations, which implied a "change in the euro zone that led to large-scale sell-offs in 2024, leading to the forecast that the start of 2025 would have some negative figures."

The most positive aspect, in the opinion of this trade association, is the growth in the electric market. "There is no doubt that motorcycles and light vehicles will continue to gain importance because they respond to the challenges of transforming mobility, they contribute to improving the environment and they are the most economical means of motorised transport," said Riaño.

If a ranking of the best-selling motorcycles to date in 2025 were to be drawn up, then the Honda SH 125 Scoopy would be in the top spot, followed by the Yamaha NMAX125 and the Honda PCX 125. Next would be the Zontes 368G, Honda ADV 350, Honda X-ADV, Honda Forza 125, Kymco Agility City 125, Sym Symphony 125 and Voge 900 DSX.

Turning to the electric market, Anesdor's data shows the best-selling model to be the Velca Vortex, followed by the Silence S01 and the Next Mojito.

Loli Navarro is one of the managers with motorcycle company Navarro Hermanos, which has been trading in the sector for over 60 years. For them, this year's sales are above average, with a 15% growth compared to the same time last year. For the most successful models they even have more demand than stock. "We cannot make immediate delivery on some models, we're just taking reservations on stock now."

She went on to explain that the customer profile varies, with each profile looking for a specific model of vehicle. For instance, there are those who have a licence but have never owned a motorbike before and are getting started with a 125cc scooter. There are also younger people who prefer a 50cc scooter because they do not yet have the licence for a more powerful bike. Finally another customer type, also young, "who are looking for used, two-stroke motorcycles."

The Navarro manager mentions another important fact that they have been noticing for some time: that there is a waiting list to obtain a motorbike licence because there is a bottleneck in traffic regulations that, as with car licences, considerably slows down the process, so this also affects dealers specialising in two-wheelers.

Even so, Loli Navarro acknowledges that Malaga is one of the most important cities in the country for motorbike sales. "It is an ideal city for motorcycles, you can use it 365 days a year, it's easy to park and has minimal fuel consumption and costs, so it ends up being a saving."

"The traffic and parking situation in Malaga has led to an increase in motorcycle use, which is evident when it does rain as many decide to take the car instead of the bike and the city comes to a standstill," she said.

Like the vast majority of dealers, Navarro Hermanos has an after-sales service. "Our bikes have a three-year factory warranty that you can extend with specific cover plans and we have a repair workshop, which is also very busy", said Loli Navarro. She was keen to draw attention to the need for professionally-qualified mechanics. "Somehow we should encourage training, we need more mechanics, it's not easy to find professionals."

The Royal Enfield dealership confirms the upward trend in sales, although they admit that this year they have started a little later due to the rains. "We're seeing more and more sales, Malaga is a city that encourages you to travel by motorbike. We work with both those who buy a motorcycle out of necessity and those who buy it for pleasure, to enjoy travelling with it", explained the dealership.

Miguel Carrasco is one of the salesmen at Triumph Malaga and says that May has been a month "bursting" with sales. "Spring, which is our best sales season, is strong this year, just as it was last year."