BMW Motorrad’s->ke1398 continued sales success has extended to May 2015 after the company announced a 6.5% increase in global sales of motorcycles and maxi scooters compared to its sales figures from May 2014.

All in all, BMW sold 15,004 units of motorcycles and maxi scooters, a steady bump from the 14,088 units it sold in the same time period last year. The company also posted record sales in the first five months of 2015, selling 62,928 units compared to the 59,151 units it sold in the first five months of 2014. FYI: that’s a 6.4% increase, further validating the steady sales growth BMW Motorrad has experienced this year.

As has been the case for the better part of 2015, BMW has relied on a steady diet of successful existing models with newer ones that have been selling like hot pancakes since they’re release. The new R 1200 RS belongs in the latter category and has been a popular model since its release on May 16, 2015. BMW’s resident superbike, the S 1000 RR, has also been selling like hot pancakes and demand for the bike is still going strong as we speak.

BMW Motorrad’s increased global presence has also had a hand in triggering this record sales run. According to Heiner Faust, BMW Motorrad’s head of sales and marketing, Europe and Asia continue to make up most of the sales of BMW motorcycles and scooters. Faust singled out China as the fastest growing market for the company with sales of bikes and scooters growing close to 100% compared to last year’s totals. The overall sales number is still just over 1,100 units, but China’s a fascinating case of the tally not being as important as the sales trajectory of the company. Should this trajectory continue to point north, China will soon become one of BMW’s biggest markets for motorcycles and scooters, further boosting up its already robust sales numbers. Over in Europe, BMW pointed to its home market of Germany as being a catalyst in the impressive sales increase with more than 1,000 units being sold in May 2015 compared to the previous year.

The way things are going, it’s not hard to imagine BMW Motorrad continuing this impressive pace, especially with the Chinese market’s growing interest in its bikes and scooters. If BMW’s sales pace holds form in the second half of the year, 2015 could go down as the biggest selling year for the company in recent memory.

Continue reading to read more about BMW Motorrad's impressive sales growth in May 2015.

Why it matters

BMW Motorrad has had a lot of reasons to smile these days and I think that its healthy sales volume in 2015 - so far - has a lot to do with that. You can’t blame the company for being upbeat about its motorcycle and maxi scooter line, especially if this trend continues and more record-setting sales months follow in its wake.

On a personal note, I’m happy for BMW Motorrad. I really am. It’s not just BMW that I’m happy for, though; it’s the entire motorcycle industry. It’s exciting to see it getting a lot more love from all corners of the world compared to what it would’ve gotten in the recent past. BMW’s not the only one reaping the rewards because other companies have also posted their own impressive sales volumes in 2015. This means that more and more customers from more and more places all over the world are opting to buy motorcycles instead of cars. That’s not to say that the former will overtake the latter in sales volumes anytime soon. That’s just not happening.

But what’s nice is that the motorcycle market is earning its due and companies like BMW are reaping the rewards of this. Granted, the onus falls back on these companies to build more top-quality motorcycles and scooters that customers will appreciate. It’s still a two-way street, after all. It’s just nice to see that more markets all over the world are increasing their appreciation for motorcycles.

That’s proof that the industry is alive and well, and is poised to continue growing in the coming years. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the industry because as the growing sales numbers of BMW Motorrad will tell you, a lot of people are beginning to see and understand what we’ve known about bikes and scooters all along.