The data is in an we now know what the top-selling motorcycle of 2025 was for the New Zealand market – and we might have to eat our hats on this one…
The 2025 year was a rough one for many motorcycle manufacturers and with a total of only 7,017 motorcycles over 60cc being registered according to NZTA data. But one bike stood out as the clear favourite among New Zealand riders – the CFMOTO 450MT.
By comparison, the CFMOTO’s most direct competitor until the Moto Morini AllTrHike arrived in November was the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, which only saw 129 registrations in the same period, while Yamaha’s Tenere 700 – the bike which people love to also compare it to – sold 98 units.
CFMOTO’s success seems to reflect the New Zealand market in 2025 well, with multiple brands seeing small-capacity motorcycles under $11,000 as their top-selling units.
Aprilia’s RS457 was its top seller with 57 registrations – more than double its next best seller, the Tuareg 660.
The trend continued with Triumph’s Speed 400 (95) and Scrambler 400 variants (99) selling a combined 194 bikes compared to the Tiger Sport line, which saw 76 registrations by comparison.
Bucking the trend, Harley’s LAMS models sold just 25 examples of the X platform according to NZTA data. By comparison, the brand’s bread and butter Softail platform is listed with 214 bikes. Speaking with dealers, the X line has now been pulled from the NZ market as the competition in this segment was too hot for the little Harleys to be competitive.
Top Road Registered Model/Family By Brand