Cheapest Countries in Europe To Buy a Motorcycle
If you are looking to buy a motorcycle, there is no better place than Europe to make that purchase. Motorcycles and scooters are the most popular in European countries. Local markets offer a wide range of brands, models, and prices you can choose from. Whether new or used, the European vehicle market will satisfy your needs.
Motorcycles are most prevalent in Germany, the UK, France, Spain, and Italy. These countries sell the majority of two-wheelers in Europe and have large markets to satisfy buyers’ needs. Therefore, you will find the best offer and price in one of these places. The average price of a new motorcycle (Yamaha MT-07) in Germany is €7,374.
All European counties have different trends and prices when it comes to vehicles, including motorcycles. Shopping for a used motorcycle will be more successful in competitive and developed markets such as Germany or France. While buying a new bike might be more cost-effective in high VAT countries like Denmark or Sweden.
If you are looking to get the best value for your money, read through the post and pick a country for your next bike purchase in Europe. Also read our article about the cheapest places in Europe to buy a car.
Cheapest European countries to purchase a motorcycle
If you buy a motorcycle in a foreign country, you will need to go through several official procedures and figure it all out in the foreign language. Yet, in the end, you might also benefit from a great deal you will be getting compared to your home country.
European vehicles are often cheaper because you will pay VAT or import taxes in your country and not the country where you are buying a motorcycle. Besides, some countries like Germany have large vehicle markets with constant trades. This gives you a great choice and favorable prices as a buyer.
Most European countries have export plates, so you can easily bring a vehicle where it needs to go. When you import the car back home, you pay VAT which is common in your country. Savings can be up to 30%.
If you are looking to save on taxes, some good countries to buy a motorcycle include Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Finland, and in some cases, Belgium and France. Here is the example of VAT in some EU countries:
- Denmark: 25%
- Italy: 22%
- Sweden: 25%
- Poland: 23%
- Netherlands: 21%
- Finland: 24%
The net price of motorcycles and other vehicles is set lower, so buyers can afford it with the higher VAT rates. Therefore, you benefit from paying less when bringing a bike to your home country.
Besides VAT, motorcycle manufacturers set prices in some EU countries more favorably than in others. This contributes to the cost of living and wages in particular places. For instance, you shouldn’t look for a great deal in expensive countries like Switzerland, where that might be the case in Poland.
In addition to VAT, buyers in some EU states must pay other taxes, like it’s in Denmark, for example. To register a car there can cost as much as 180% of the initial price. That makes manufacturers set lower net prices, so residents can even afford to buy a vehicle.
Best country to buy a motorcycle in Europe
Germany is the best country in Europe to purchase a motorcycle due to its large market and proficiency in English. You can easily get a good deal since there are thousands of offers.
Read our detailed article about how to buy a motorcycle in Germany.
Motorcycle prices in Europe
Here are some typical prices for popular models in various EU countries, plus current trends in the motorcycle market.
Germany
In 2021, the average price for a used motorcycle in Germany was €7,367, which is 12.66% more than in 2019.
Prices for new motorcycles range between €5,000 and €15,000. But you will receive a warranty for the first few years, which makes purchasing a new vehicle worthwhile.
If you decide to buy a used motorcycle, make sure to go through the checklist of what to pay attention to.
The most popular motorcycles in the Germany market are BMW R 1250 GS, with 5,896 vehicles sold in 2022. Followed by Kawasaki Z900 (2,256) and the Yamaha MT-07 (1,683).
In the light motorcycle category, the most sold brands are:
- Yamaha (2,508)
- Honda (2,485)
- Aprilia (1,938)
- Brixton (1,669)
- KTM (1,408)
Some typical prices for new motorcycles in German shops:
Model | Price (€) |
---|---|
Yamaha MT-09 | 8.490 |
BMW R 1200 | 14.990 |
Honda PCX 125 | 3.699 |
Honda MSX125 | 4.099 |
Suzuki SV 650 ABS | 6.890 |
Husqvarna 125 | 4.390 |
Kawasaki Z900 SE | 11.750 |
Kawasaki Z650 RS | 8,345 |
Yamaha XSR 125 | 4,650 |
Yamaha MT-07 | 7.374 |
Yamaha XSR 900 | 12.000 |
BMW C 400X | 6.774 |
BMW G 310R | 5.039 |
See used models on this website.
France
According to Statista, in 2018, the average price of a new motorcycle was about €4,500 in France. However, the heavier and more powerful, the more expensive it gets.
So motorcycles over 125cc cost €6,118 on average. Scooters, however, are very affordable and sell for about €1,500 on average.
Here are the average prices for bikes in France according to Statista:
Bike type | Price (€) |
---|---|
Heavy motorcycles over 125cc | 6,118 |
All two-wheelers | 4,460 |
Light motorcycles up to 125cc | 2,400 |
Scooters | 1,428 |
Prices for different types of motorcycles in France:
Type of motorcycle | Entry level price | Top-level price | |
---|---|---|---|
Road motorcycles | |||
GT | €15,000 | €20,000 | |
Roadsters | €1,500 | €3,900 | |
Trial | €2,000 | €10,000 | |
Sport | €5,500 | €13,600 | |
Moto TT | |||
Cross | €3,200 | €6,700 | |
Trial | €2,000 | €6,000 | |
Enduro | €2,000 | €8,000 | |
Supermoto | €3,000 | €4,000 | |
Moto custom | |||
Custom motorcycle | €3,500 | €10,000 | |
Retro | €10,000 | ||
Moto 125 | €3,000 | €13,000 |
Spain
In Spain, the national average price of a used heavy motorcycle is €6,080, which is an increase of 6.4% from the previous year. Besides, the average price in Madrid was €5,985, and €5,920 in Catalonia.
The cheapest place to buy a bike in Spain is Castilla y León. There you can get a decent motorcycle for €5,316.
In the first half of 2022, 99,905 motorcycles were sold in Spain. Honda is the preferred motorcycle brand among locals, followed by Yamaha.
On the other hand, in 2021, Spanish residents and visitors bought 186,763 motorcycles. Honda again in the first place with 35,132 bikes sold, the second is Yamaha with 25,970 sales. Other popular brands in Spain are Piaggio with 16,956 sold items and German BMW with 11,923.
Among other brands are Kymco, SYM, Kawasaki, and KTM.
In 2022, Honda was sold 34,126 times, Yamaha 30,880, and Japanese Suzuki – 16,143 bikes. At the moment, Yamaha T-Max 500 and Honda SH 125 are the most popular motorcycles in Spain.
Italy
In 2022, the prices for popular bikes range from Aprilia RS 125 for €5,640 to Honda NC75OX for €8,840 and Yamaha Tracer 9 for €1,550.
An impressive number of 173.197 motorcycles were sold in Italy in 2022. Among the market leaders are brands like Honda with 31,840 sales (-20.2%), Piaggio with 21,830 bikes sold, and Yamaha with 16,092.
Moreover, in 2021, the Italian motorcycles market was the fastest growing in Europe.
Among other popular motorcycle brands are:
- Kymco, with 24,239 sales
- BMW ranked 5th with the new all-time record of 16,225 sales (+20.1%)
- Benelli with 12,655 sales (+55.8%)
- SYM with 12,060
- Ducati with 8,703
- KTM with 8,274
- Kawasaki with 5,240
The UK
Here are the average prices of the top best-selling motorcycles in the UK:
Austria
Despite being a small country, motorcycles are quite popular in Austria. Besides, the market is quite comprehensive with decent pricing.
Here are prices for popular motorcycles in 2022 (for new vehicles):
Model | Price (€) |
---|---|
Aprilia RS 125 E5 | 5,390 |
Aprilia Tuono 125 E5 | 5,390 |
Beta Motorcycles Enduro | 10,140 |
Beta Motorcycles Trial | 6,450 |
Yamaha XMAX 125 Tech | 5,499 |
Yamaha Tricity 300 | 8,599 |
Suzuki V-STROM 650 | 8,490 |
Kawasaki z650 | 7,899 |
Kawasaki z125 | 4,499 |
Kawasaki Ninja 650 | 8,699 |
Used motorcycles will be, of course, cheaper. You can expect to pay at least 30% less. Check out second-hand bikes in Austria on the largest marketplace.
Most sold bikes in different countries
Germany
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 7.223 |
BMW R 1250 GS | 6.583 |
Yamaha MT-09/Tracer | 3.601 |
Yamaha MT-07 | 3.142 |
BMW R nineT | 2.623 |
Kawasaki ER-6n/f | 2.590 |
Honda CB650R Neo Sports | 1.506 |
France
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
Yamaha MT-07 | 4.763 |
Yamaha MT-09/Tracer | 4.431 |
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 3.451 |
Kawasaki ER-6n/F | 3.257 |
Kawasaki Z 800 | 3.069 |
Netherlands
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 614 |
Yamaha MT-09/Tracer | 508 |
Kawasaki Z 1000 | 500 |
Suzuki V-Strom 650 | 419 |
Yamaha MT-07 | 335 |
Switzerland
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
Yamaha MT-09/Tracer | 1.459 |
Yamaha MT-07 | 1.088 |
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 734 |
Ducati Scrambler | 514 |
Kawasaki Z 800 | 435 |
Austria
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
Yamaha MT-07 | 513 |
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 463 |
Yamaha MT-09/Tracer | 392 |
Ducati Scrambler | 230 |
KTM 1290 Super Duke R | 222 |
Italy
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 5.228 |
Yamaha MT-09/Tracer | 3.687 |
Ducati Scrambler | 2.476 |
Honda NC 700/750 | 2.292 |
Yamaha MT-07 | 1.943 |
Spain
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 2.240 |
Kawasaki Z 800 | 2.228 |
Yamaha MT-07 | 1.639 |
Yamaha MT-09 Tracer | 1.072 |
Honda CB 500 F | 883 |
The UK
Model | Number of items |
---|---|
BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure | 2.699 |
Yamaha MT-09/Tracer | 1.549 |
Yamaha MT-07 | 1.362 |
Kawasaki Z 1000 SX | 1.025 |
Ducati Scrambler | 1.015 |
How popular are motorcycles in European countries?
Motorcycles are most popular in the five largest European markets, which are France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. In 2022, there was a 14.6% increase in sales across all these countries compared to 2021.
The major growth has been seen in the UK (+56.4%), Germany (+30.4%), Spain (+16.3%), and France (+2.3%). That also means that motorcycles are becoming more popular in these countries.
Besides motorcycles, the interest in mopeds is also growing.
Total number of sold motorcycles across the EU
Country | Year |
---|---|
Austria | 24.838 |
Belgium | 21.557 |
Croatia | 1.511 |
Czech republic | 13.418 |
Danemark | 2.417 |
Estonia | 489 |
Finland | 3.157 |
France | 153.239 |
Germany | 200.200 |
Greece | 32.434 |
Hungary | 1.808 |
Ireland | 1.020 |
Italy | 171.952 |
Latvia | 595 |
Lithuania | 294 |
Luxembourg | 1.654 |
Netherlands | 11.687 |
Poland | 23.864 |
Portugal | 17.611 |
Romania | 648 |
Slovenia | 1.855 |
Spain | 132.532 |
Sweden | 9.419 |
UK | 105.358 |
Total | 885.018 |
According to these numbers, you can judge which country is more affordable to buy a bike. Logically, the more vehicles are sold, the more affordable it is.