With 2022 well and truly behind us, we can look back at the year that was, while looking forward to the year that is. The global motorcycle industry ended generally on a high note, with a lot of manufacturers raking in substantial sales. The European market is particularly interesting, as the selection of motorcycles in the region is vastly different from the bikes we have stateside.
In France, specifically, the sales figures are in, and the most popular motorcycles of 2022 have been determined. An article by French motorcycling publication Moto-Station highlights the best performers of the year. Let's take a closer look at the top 10 best performing bikes in terms of sales in the French market.
The needs of motorcyclists in a country like France will undoubtedly be vastly different from those of riders in Asia and the U.S. As such, the fact that the Honda Forza 125 is the most popular bike for 2022 isn't all too surprising. A total f 7,183 of these scooters were sold, with its affordability, practicality, and beginner-friendly approachability being among its selling points. Up next, the Yamaha TMAX, yet another scooter, but this time upping performance and tech, is at second place with 5,621 units sold. In third place, Yamaha takes the win once again with its mid-displacement naked sportbike, the MT-07, with 4,363 units sold.
It goes without saying that scooters continue to enjoy popularity across Europe. Sitting in fourth place for 2022 is the Honda PCX 125, with 3,320 units sold in France. Not far behind is Yamaha's XMAX at 3,149, while the tables take an interesting turn with the BMW R 1250 GSA sitting in sixth place, with 3,110 units sold. It's interesting that the GSA outperformed the regular GS in terms of sales, with the latter sitting in seventh with 3,026 bikes sold in 2022 in France alone.
Of course, the market for bigger, performane-focused machines continues to trundle along. In eighth place, the sharp naked streetfighter from Kawasaki—the Z900—managed to rake in 2,594 sales. Yamaha's extremely capable adventure-enduro, the Ténéré 700, followed closely behind with 2,545 units sold. Lastly, the BMW R 1250 RT sold a decent 2,444 units, too.
Even though it didn't make it to the top 10, it's certainly interesting that an electric scooter like the BMW CE-04 would perform as well as it did. Sitting in 11th place overall, 2,429 CE-04s left the BMW Motorrad showrooms in France alone, indicating a surprisingly strong demand for this futuristic electric scooter.
