Benelli Motorcycles in 2025 experienced the hardest time since the company relaunch, losing 25% of global sales, mainly for the lost more than half of European volumes, hit by the attack of several new Chinese competitors.
McD tracks new vehicle registrations across 97+ countries worldwide, reporting data based on the calendar year. When comparing the data reported by us to that declared by manufacturers, it’s important to note that manufacturers typically report their “sales” (vehicles invoiced), which often differ from “registrations” due to variations in their fiscal year reporting.
Global Sales Performance
Since 2005 Benelli is owned by the Qianjiang Motorcycle, a Chinese company owned by the Geely Holding Group. The solid Chinese ownership allowed to the 1911 founded Italian brand to reborn and develop a solid product portfolio and a wide global distribution network, base for fast expanding the business up to sales records of 83.100 in 2021.
Against any expectation, in the following four years sales declined, although the introduction of new models and the growth of international network, declining at 61.864 (-25.1%) in 2025.
Sales sharply declined in Europe, which represents the most relevant region with 36% of global sales. Last year Europe declined by a deep 52.5%.
The main reason of the fall is due to the arrival of new Chinese brands in Europe. If Benelli was the first “chinese” having success in Europe, now there are CF Moto, QJ Motor, Zongshen, Voge and others, all addressing customers in the “entry level” price segment in each body style segment.
2026 Company’s Goals
After an extremely challenging 2025, the company’s priority for the current year is to recover lost sales volumes, with Western Europe identified as the starting point.
At EICMA 2025, the company presented an extensive pipeline of new models to be launched during the year, including two adventure bikes (TRK 902 Xplorer and TRK 602), a naked model (TNT 550), a retro offering (Leoncino Bobber 400), and an enduro model (BKX 300 S).
While the new lineup represents a significant product refresh, with higher performance and updated technologies, product strength alone may not be sufficient. The main risk lies in commercial execution. The brand has lost showroom visibility and dealer floor space to competitors, and rebuilding confidence within the dealer network will be essential.
Without a rapid and credible recovery in sales network engagement, the renewed product offering risks underperforming, despite its technical merits.
Benelli Heritage and Development
Benelli is one of the ancient Italian motorcycles brand.
Following a long and troubled story, started in Pesaro in the 1911, which makes it the oldest of Italian motorcycle factories in operation, by six brothers, Giuseppe, Giovanni, Francesco, Filippo, Domenico and Antonio Benelli.
Already during the first two World Wars the company evolved from a garage to a stable manufacturers, but only after the ‘fifties it flourished as one of the most innovative and talented company in the design, production and racing activities, although never changing from the “family based” organization. And discussions inside the family has been even the limits and finally the cause of decline.
In the sixties Benelli started exporting in USA and South America.
However, in early ’70s and under the pressure of Japanese manufacturers expansion, Benelli entered in economic difficulty and was subject – together with the other Italian manufacturer Moto-Guzzi – by an Italian-Argentine industrialist Alejandro de Tomaso.
Although the launch of new models was well accepted by the market, under the new ownership, Benelli was incorporated with Moto-Guzzi, in the Guzzi-Benelli Moto (G.B.M. S.p.a.) that transformed Benelli in an empty box.
In 1995 the young Andrea Merloni scion of family of the famous Marche dynasty of household appliances and passionate motorcyclist, has decided to take over the Benelli brand to relaunch it on the world market, first by re-opening the original factory in Pesaro and then creating a team of young and dynamic designers, launching a series of scooters and maximoto to give immediate oxygen to the crates and organize the sales network and assistance.
After an almost positive start, the venture struggled to produce cash and the intrapreneur had to give up, selling the company to a big Chinese conglomerate, in the 2005.
Nowadays, Benelli is part of the Motor Group Qianjiang, a corporation headquartered in Wenling, southeast China. Benelli Q.J. is located in Pesaro, with the same workforce in the same premises as previous proprietor Benelli S.p.A.
Since the Chinese acquisition (2005) the rebuilt of the company was slow and just in the last decade a clear international strategy has been put in place.