Used Motorcycles in Italy: The Market Cooled in July, But Demand Is Still Strong — What the Latest ACI Data Really Shows

The July ACI bulletin: a slight cooldown

On August 7, 2026, the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) published its regular Auto Trend bulletin covering the used-vehicle market for July. For motorcycles, the signal is a mild slowdown: ownership transfers totaled 70,168, down from 71,645 in July 2025, a drop of 2.1 percent. De-registrations, meaning motorcycles struck off the Public Vehicle Register through scrapping or export, came to 12,619, down 3.7 percent from 13,104 a year earlier.

That figure needs to be read alongside the car data released in the same bulletin: car ownership transfers fell 2 percent (287,960 versus 293,900 in July 2025), while car de-registrations rose 2.2 percent, driven mainly by scrapping (up 7.8 percent) rather than exports, which fell 9.3 percent. The used-to-new ratio for cars still looks healthy: 213 used cars sold for every 100 new ones registered.

The bigger picture matters more than one month

A 2 percent dip in a single month does not make a trend, especially set against what happened in the preceding six months. In the first half of 2026, Italy's new two-wheeler market grew by more than 13 percent year on year, with 228,181 total registrations. Motorcycles proper accounted for 88,366 new registrations, but the real driver was scooters, which climbed to 132,351 units, up 17 percent.

When the new market grows that fast, the used market tends to lag by a few weeks: someone who just bought a new scooter often needs to sell their old one first, and that process takes time to show up as a registered ownership transfer. July's mild dip looks more like an effect of that seasonal lag than the start of a genuine slump in demand.

The used market is worth double the new one

The number that best captures how central second-hand motorcycles are to the Italian market is this: in the first six months of 2026, 427,293 used motorcycle and scooter ownership transfers were registered, almost double the number of new registrations over the same period. Put differently, for every new motorcycle or scooter sold in Italy, close to two used ones change hands. That ratio makes Italy, alongside other Southern European markets, one of the liveliest two-wheeler used markets on the continent.

The imbalance has a simple explanation: Italy's on-road fleet is enormous and, on average, quite old, and for a huge share of buyers — especially newly licensed riders and anyone looking for everyday transport — a used bike remains the financially sensible choice. That means anyone selling a well-maintained used motorcycle is tapping into a demand pool much larger than the monthly ownership-transfer figures alone would suggest.

Who is selling the most: Honda leads, then BMW and Yamaha

On the new-registration side, the first-half 2026 manufacturer ranking has Honda firmly in front with 12,144 units sold, followed by BMW with 7,839 and Yamaha with 7,350. That ranking matters for the used market too, because how widely a brand sells today shapes what the used fleet will look like in two or three years: the more Honda, BMW, and Yamaha bikes are on the road now, the more parts availability, widespread servicing, and resale liquidity there will be for buyers of those used models down the line.

For sellers, belonging to a brand with a dense service network and strong residual values remains one of the biggest factors in the final resale price — often more so than the bike's age or mileage alone.

The trend that actually matters: the rush toward adventure and crossover bikes

Beyond the aggregate numbers, the first half of 2026 confirmed a shift that is reshaping both the new and used markets: a growing preference for adventure and crossover motorcycles with wide, upright handlebars, such as the BMW R 1300 GS or emerging models like the CFMOTO 450MT. This is no longer a niche pursued only by experienced riders — an increasing number of buyers, including many on their first serious motorcycle purchase, are choosing this body style for its comfortable riding position, perceived manageability in city traffic, and versatility on and off paved roads.

For anyone considering selling a used bike in this segment, timing looks favorable: demand is growing faster than the available used supply, since these models are relatively recent and there simply are not yet many used examples in circulation. Sellers of mid-range scooters or naked bikes, by contrast, are competing in a more crowded market, where buyers have more room to negotiate on price.

What this actually means if you are buying or selling now

If you are selling: do not be discouraged by the monthly dip in ownership transfers. The underlying market remains large, and if your bike belongs to a well-established brand or the adventure/crossover segment, demand is genuinely above average right now. It is worth documenting maintenance history, completed services, and any original parts replaced — in a market that increasingly rewards transparency, a well-kept service record can be the difference between a fast sale and weeks of waiting.

If you are buying: July's slowdown, if it continues into the following months, could translate into slightly more negotiating room on less sought-after models, such as entry-level scooters or generic naked bikes. On adventure and crossover models from leading brands, though, it pays to move decisively — these are the categories where demand stays strong and prices tend to hold up better over time. Either way, before finalizing any ownership transfer, it is always worth checking the vehicle's history through the Public Vehicle Register, to rule out administrative holds, outstanding liens, or discrepancies in the declared mileage.

Further reading

1. ANSA, Usato: Aci, a luglio 213 auto di seconda mano ogni 100 nuove, acquisti in calo del 2%, August 7, 2026
2. ACI (Automobile Club d'Italia), Mercato usato: a luglio, autovetture in calo (-2%), August 7, 2026
3. ANSA Lombardia, Cresce il mercato delle moto in Italia, nel primo semestre +13,29%, July 1, 2026
4. Dueruote, Mercato moto e scooter: i top e i flop della prima metà del 2026, July 14, 2026
5. DAT Group, DAT Market Insights – Mercato Moto Italia, Primo Semestre 2026, July 2026