2009 Motorcycle Sales Down 14 Percent On 2008

FIGURES RELEASED this week by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that sales of motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to September dropped 14.4 percent compared to the same period in 2008.

With 96,455 motorcycles sold between January and September last year, 82,601 were sold in the same period this year - a drop that FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar describes as "resilient" despite the fall.

“The motorcycle market has faced a period of challenging economic circumstances and although down on the record highs of last year has remained resilient,” Mr McKellar said.

“It is encouraging to see that some brands [BMW, Husqvarna, BRP and Triumph] have managed to record increases on last year.”

“While these positive achievements provide grounds for optimism, some areas of buyer confidence remain fragile,” Mr McKellar said.

“The industry would caution against any further interest rate rises and urge those contemplating buying a new motorcycle to take advantage of the current low rates,” Mr McKellar said.

Road-bikes remained the most popular segment in the market, recording 30,984 sales (down 14.5 percent on 2008), followed by off-road bikes with 29,615 sales (a 12.5 percent decrease).

ATV sales remained largely unchanged, down 2.3 percent on last year with 14,202 sales.

Scooters fared the worst of all, sales falling 33.9 percent year-to-date with 7800 sales compared to 11,808 in the same period last year.

Yamaha was the overall market leader with 18,019 sales. Honda followed with 17,949 sales and Suzuki rounded out the top three with a distant 11,568.