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Petrol Bike Sales Keep Climbing: UK Registrations Up 16.7 Percent in 2026
New UK data shows combustion motorcycle registrations up 16.7 percent year to date in 2026, led by small and mid-capacity bikes. What is driving the growth.
KickTheStand Team2 min read
For all the talk of an electric future, the numbers tell a more old-fashioned story. Fresh UK industry data shows new petrol motorcycle registrations up 16.7 percent year to date in 2026, with every combustion category in positive territory. Far from fading away, the internal combustion bike is selling better than it has in years.
The headline numbers
Through the end of May 2026, there were 44,073 combustion-engined motorcycle registrations, up from 37,764 over the same stretch of 2025. That is not a rounding-error wobble; it is a clear, broad-based climb across the market.
| Period (Jan to May) | Combustion registrations |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 37,764 |
| 2026 | 44,073 |
| Change | +16.7 percent |
Small and mid-size bikes lead the way
The growth is not coming from superbikes. The strongest gains are in the categories people actually commute and learn on:
- 51-125cc: up 29.9 percent
- 126-500cc: up 21.1 percent
- 501-750cc: up 20.8 percent
That pattern matters. The 125 class is where new riders and city commuters start, and the 126-500cc band is the natural A2-licence territory for riders stepping up. When those segments lead, it usually signals new blood entering motorcycling rather than existing owners simply trading up.
When the entry and mid-capacity classes grow fastest, it is a sign the sport is recruiting, not just churning.
Why it is happening
Several forces are pulling in the same direction. Running costs and congestion are pushing commuters toward small, cheap-to-run bikes and scooters. The A2 licence path has made stepping up more structured, and manufacturers have flooded the 300-500cc space with capable, affordable machines. Meanwhile electric two-wheelers, for all their progress, still struggle on price and range for the buyers who need a bike to simply work every day.
The takeaway is straightforward. The combustion motorcycle is not in retreat, and the part of the market that is growing fastest is the accessible end, the bikes that bring new people through the door. For an industry that frets about its ageing customer base, that is the most encouraging detail in the whole dataset.
If you are one of those new riders weighing a first bike, our motorcycle rankings break down the small and mid-capacity machines worth your money.
