Naked bikes on the rise

Big naked bikes have become the new must-have, with the wealth of new machines launched recently making the category one of the only growth areas in new bike sales.

Cold weather in February saw total sales fall by 9 percent compared to last year but sales of naked bikes like the Triumph Speed Triple and KTM SuperDuke have risen by a massive 30 percent.

Check out our huge six-page naked bike shoot-out in this week’s MCN, out now.

According to the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) sales of Adventure bikes like the R1200GS have continued to grow but slightly slower than last year, with a 16 percent year-to-date rise on 2004.

50cc machines are not fairing as well, with an 11 percent drop in February, but it seems that there might be an increased number of new riders coming in to the equation with 100-125cc machines making up eight out the top ten best selling machines.

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Honda’s CBR125R topped the chart again with 215 sold in February. The only sports bikes that made it in to the top ten were the Honda Fireblade at seven, with 142 sold in February, and the Suzuki GSX-R600 at 10, with 134 sold.