Motorcycle sales in Australia continued to grow significantly in the third quarter of 2011, according to figures released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
In the nine months to the end of September, 77,129 motorcycles were delivered to Australian customers, representing an increase of 3319 motorcycles (or 4.5 per cent) over the same period in 2010.
26,750 motorcycles were delivered in the third quarter alone (between July and September).
FCAI motorcycle manager Rhys Griffiths said the strong sales figures were representative of significant growth in the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) segment, which has grown 25.8 per cent year-to-date (compared with 2010).
"Growth in motorcycle sales ‰ÛÒ particularly in the ATV and scooter segments ‰ÛÒ continues to significantly outpace other automotive sectors in Australia," he said.
"Strong up-take in the ATV segment is likely to be the result of the economic recovery in regional and rural Australia earlier in the year, where drought has been a mitigating factor for several years."
Mr Griffiths said sales of scooters also continued to expand, with the segment growing 12.1 per cent year-to-date when compared with 2010.
"Strong growth of scooter sales and the resilience of overall road bike sales suggest commuters are finding motorcycles to be a practical solution to high fuel prices and inner city traffic congestion.
"Despite road-bike sales falling 1.5 per cent year-to-date, the segment is still the largest in the market, accounting for 36.9 per cent of all motorcycles sold," he said.
Seven of the top 10 motorcycles remain off-road dirt-bikes: testament to the ongoing popularity of motorcycling as a recreational sport in Australia.
The off-road segment is the second largest, accounting for 24,154 sales (31.3 per cent market share).
16,021 ATV deliveries (year-to-date) represented a 20.7 per cent market share (up from 17 per cent in 2010), while scooter sales increased to 8485 for a market share of 11 per cent (up from 10 per cent in 2010).
Motorcycle sales in Australia peaked in 2008, with 114,210 motorcycles delivered to customers that year.
Mr Griffiths said 2011 sales would likely fall short of this mark, but he is encouraged by the recovery in sales following significant falls in 2009 and 2010.
Japanese manufacturers continue to dominate sales. Honda was the number one brand, delivering 16,536 motorcycles to the end of September.
Yamaha was in second position to the end of June with 14,129 sales, followed by Suzuki (9556), Kawasaki (7326) and Harley Davidson (4508).
Honda's evergreen CT110 model, sold almost exclusively to Australia Post as a delivery bike, is the best selling single model to the send of September with 1726 deliveries.
Kawasaki's Ninja 250R road bike is the second best seller with 1562 deliveries, followed by the Honda CBR250R (1528 sales).
