It’s a new year and with it, for many of us, thoughts often begin to turn to updating our steed for the new biking season. Which is convenient, because the new year also brings the opportunity to find out which were the best-selling bikes of the previous year, which could be a useful guide to understand what’s popular right now.
The UK’s Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) is the official body which collates all the sales data from British new bike registrations and, on a monthly basis, issues press releases revealing the best-selling machines for that month over a wide variety of categories, covering both capacity classes (such as up to 125cc) and types of motorcycles (such as adventure or sports touring). In January, meanwhile, it also issues year-to-date data revealing total sales and more data from over the course of the year.
From all of that, we can extrapolate which motorcycle models have been the best-sellers over the whole year in an assortment of categories, giving you a key indicator of which might be the best for you in identifying trends. Last year, again, saw small capacity motorcycles prove popular, while Chinese brands also started to make some headway in the sales charts – and there were a few other surprises too.
It would also, however, be remiss here to not take note of the fact that 2025’s overall motorcycle sales, which saw an overall slump of 20% on the previous year are, concerningly, the worst in recent memory, dropping to just 96,700 from 2024’s 115,000. It’s also notable that electric bikes continue to decline, with just 3000-odd sold (and most of those being sub 125cc equivalent scooters), down a further 12%.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. The industry is putting a brave face on things pointing to a raft of exciting new models for 2026, as well as successful new models from new manufacturers including Voge and BSA. There were some other mitigating circumstances behind the numbers too, with a load of pre-registrations at the end of 2024 – required due to the incoming Euro5+ regulations – skewing the landscape somewhat.
So, without any further ado, here’s our round up of the best-selling bikes of 2025 over the five best-selling categories, what they are and what they offer you!
BIG CAPACITY ADVENTURERS
The overall sales slump in 2025 also had the effect of elevating the adventure bike category into the best-selling UK sector of all – above the previously dominant up to 125cc scooter category. And the best-selling adventure bike of 2025 is, once again (as it was last year and for almost 20 years) BMW’s GS – in this case the latest R1300GS and GSA.
The standard GS replaced the old ‘ShiftCam’ 1250 in early 2024 and was then joined, towards the end of the year, by the ‘Adventure’ version with bigger tank, more rugged features and more off-road prowess. Both are phenomenally capable machines, being lighter, lower, more powerful (145bhp from 136bhp) and more sophisticated than the old 1250, even if its styling has proved a little divisive. There’s even a new ‘semi-automatic’ option, too.
In 2025, according to the MCIA’s figures, the GSA was the adventure class best seller in seven of 12 months, the standard GS on three other occasions with the only other monthly ‘winners’ being Honda’s updated NC750X and Voge’s impressive DS800X. Read our review.
COMMUTER SCOOTERS
Traditionally the biggest selling and most competitive category of all, this category was actually overtaken by adventure bikes in 2025, even though they remain huge sellers.
The reason for that popularity is simple: at 125cc they’re A1 licence compatible, so you can ride them on a provisional licence with a valid CBT certificate and L plates. As ‘twist and go’ scooters they’re simple and easy to ride and, as affordable, effective scooters, they appeal to both cost-conscious commuters and delivery riders alike.
The PCX has a lot to recommend it: proven Honda quality and ease of use, smart styling, just enough equipment including Bluetooth phone connectivity and clever start-stop technology which helps result in economy of over 150mpg. One word of warning, though, those attributes, a series of minor updates for 2025, and the PCX’s resultant popularity among commuters and the delivery industry, particularly in high theft urban areas, also make the PCX the most stolen powered two-wheeler in the UK, too! Read our review of the PCX.
MODERN CLASSICS
Introduced into the UK in 2025, the cute and affordable GB350S was the best-seller in the MCIA’s ‘Modern Classic’ category (now also the third most popular category of all) for all but four months of 2025 – and it’s not hard to see why.
The retro single may lack high performance and equipment, but makes up for it with charming style, easy 20bhp manners, classy Honda quality and dependability and, currently costing just £3999, affordability, too. All of that was enough to fend off rivals including Triumph’s Speed 400, last year’s best seller in the category, Royal Enfield’s HNTR 350 and revived BSA’s new Bantam 350 (although that only arrived in August).
And those other four months? Two apiece for the Triumph and BSA. Read our GB350S review.
NAKEDS
The next most popular MCIA category is that of the ‘naked’ motorcycle – unfaired roadsters without a particular ‘retro’ styling influence. These can also be anything from 125s to 1000ccs with one bike the clear winner. Again, launched for 2025 Honda’s CB1000 Hornet proved a massive hit for its combination of 150bhp performance, all-rounder ability, Honda quality and, most surprisingly of all, with prices currently at just £9099 for the standard version or £10,099 for the upspecced SP version, fabulous value.
It won MCN’s Bike of the Year and also proved a hit in the MCIA’s sales charts, being a category best seller in four months with other notably popular nakeds being the 1000’s ‘little brother’, Honda’s CB750 Hornet and, less convincingly, Honda’s 125cc ‘nakeds’, the CB125R and CB125F.
500-750CC MOTORCYCLES
Our final ‘best-seller’ is one that doesn’t neatly fit into the MCIA’s traditional bike categories yet another Honda. It may be often overlooked, but the NC750X is undeniably a hugely popular machine.
This low revving, affordable, semi-automatic, adventure styled bike may be slightly oddball, but, updated again for 2025 and featuring massive underseat storage, easy manners, great economy, decent 70bhp performance and lots of commuter convenience, is also, thanks to the £8399 price, hugely popular – in fact it was the most popular 501-750cc machine in 10 of 2025’s 12 months.
