Motorcycles Sales Figures

Dirt-bike and ATV sales drive massive motorcycle boom

2020 Half-Year Motorcycle Sales Data

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Sales data released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) covering the half-yearly motorcycle sales figures, January 1 through June 30, 2020, contain some great news.

The data tells us is that the off-road market is booming.  Dirt-bike sales are up by a whopping 42.4 per cent compared to the first six months of 2019, while ATV/SSV sales have gone ballistic to the tune of a 50.9 per cent improvement.

Overall, a total of 52,838 vehicles were sold from January to June 2020, in comparison to 42,457 during the same period in 2019. This represents a strong 24.5 per cent increase in sales, a bright spot in an economic environment that has been predominantly negative over the past four months.

Kids bikes fill the top four spots on the dirt-bike charts with the KLX110 the biggest seller overall ahead of Honda’s CRF110F and Yamaha’s PW50. For the big kids it was Yamaha’s WR450F leading the way ahead of KTM’s 300 EXC.

That 50.9 per cent boost in ATV/SSV sales is largely driven off the back of the looming deadline for the fitment of roll over protection systems that has seen brands such as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Polaris declare their intention to stop selling their ATV machinery in Australia. These respected brands deem the ROPS bars unsafe and as such refuse to fit such systems to their vehicles. This has seen farmers and people on the land rush their dealers to such a point that most brands have been really struggling to meet demand and have effectively run out of stock of their most popular models.

The tarmac side of the equation is not quite so rosy though with Road sales down 2.7 per cent and Scooter sales down 12.8 per cent.

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Honda #1 overall

Honda took top spot overall across the combined entire Road and Off-road motorcycle, ATV/SSV and Scooter sales with a strong 22.3 per cent growth over the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2019.

Honda’s ATV/SSV sales were up 62.6 per cent and off-road up 31.4 per cent, but unfortunately on the tarmac Big Red did not fare quite so well with a 13.3 per cent negative report on road bike sales and a 15.9 per cent decline in scooter sales.

Honda Motorcycles General Manager – Tony Hinton

“Rider training, licensing and learner course numbers are through the roof which I am particularly happy to see, its very positive for the future of motorcycling in Australia. This increase could be due to an apprehension many may have towards public transport during this time of social distancing but it’s a preference we hope to see stay long after COVID passes. We always want more people to look to motorcycling as a viable choice of transport for the commute as well as weekend enjoyment. It’s actually the first time I have seen these kinds of numbers for our training in over 10 years and its really promising, I think we all have an opportunity here.”

“ATV sales right at the moment are the result of several factors, the improved environmental conditions farmers are experiencing right now, plus the tax incentives are also encouraging for farmers to purchase our four-wheel product. I might add, the realisation that the main ATV brands are leaving the market by October 2021, has well and truly sunk in so Aussie farmers don’t want to miss out on getting an ATV while they still can.”

“Our Kids bikes and off-road product sales have spiked which we attribute to an increase in families wanting to do more activities together, they are looking at ways to explore their local areas, particularly with travel (including interstate) out of the question right now. More are getting out and riding or teaching their kids to ride which is again promising for our next generation of motorcyclists.”

“Anecdotally we’ve heard from our dealers there are plenty of Gen Y customers who are living for the now, enjoying the access to their Super fund and treating themselves to a new motorcycle.”

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Yamaha #1 in Road and Off-road

Yamaha were second overall but topped the Road and Off-road sales figures. Overall Yamaha were up 37.8 per cent with a huge 49.2 per cent boost in Off-road sales and even bigger 81.6 per cent ATV/SSV sales increase but, like Honda, Team Blue did record a slight downturn in both Road and Scooter sales.  Yamaha recorded a total sales volume of 12,344 to Honda’s 12,563 units. 

Yamaha’s National Sales and Marketing Manager Matt Ferry

“YMA endured a slow start to the year with bushfires, floods and COVID restrictions looking to impede business. But May and June have seen unprecedented demand across our product range.

“We set the foundations for this result with a range of effective EOFY promotions, but no-one could have predicted how successful these last two months have been. June recorded the highest retails ever in a single month.

“Many customers have been unable to participate in group activities, travel and team sports and have been looking for a leisure pursuit that fits within social distancing guidelines – and that is motorcycling.

“The rise in sales of off-road bikes shows that riders are keen to enjoy the outdoors and big numbers of fun bikes indicate a healthy future for our industry. Yamaha has always been strong in these categories. Our positive sales result is also down to YMA staff – many of whom are passionate riders, which enables us to connect effectively with both our dealer partners and customers.

“This incredible result, combined with very strong May retails, has put YMA in a commanding position for the second half of the year – with the potential to end 2020 as one of the biggest ever retail years on record.

“In order to achieve that goal YMA has introduced a wide range of benefits including a 2.99% p.a. comparison rate finance that aims to capitalise on not only the shift away from public transport and traffic-affected cars towards motorcycles, but also the transition from ATV to ROV. All promotions are designed to maximise ongoing retail potential.

“We’d like to thank our dealer partners and YMA staff for their hard work in achieving these results and for their continued support.”

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Kawasaki Ninja 400 Australia’s #1 Road bike

Kawasaki recorded a strong 44.4 per cent growth across all sectors combined and were in positive territory across Road (12.4 per cent), Off-Road (72.8 per cent) while ATV/SSV sales are up 62.6 per cent. The Ninja 400 is Australia’s biggest selling Road bike after knocking Yamaha’s Tenere 700 out of top spot. Kawasaki sold 6545 units across all the sectors of the market. 

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KTM continue upwards trajectory

Ranked fourth in the combined categories is KTM. The Austrian company up 32.7 per cent overall driven off the back of a 21.6 per cent improvement in Road sales and 36.6 per cent boost in Off-Road. KTM shifted a total of 4391 units. 

Brad Hagi, Managing Director KTM Group Australia and New Zealand

“The current sales boom is an unforeseen and welcome boost for the entire motorsports industry.  Consumers have been cooped up since March – and before that we had the devastating bushfires – so people are looking for a way to escape the confines of their homes, while safely maintaining distance from others.

“Combine the fact that people are unable to travel overseas with the government assistance programs on offer and you find a perfect scenario that has instilled confidence in the consumer to go out and purchase a motorcycle to experience that sense of freedom and find adventure.

“For all segments within the industry, from learners to off-road riders, for a reasonable amount of money they can escape the concerns of COVID-19 and have fun on a motorcycle. It is great for the motorcycle industry as a whole – and it is now up to us within the industry to capitalise on all these new riders.”

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Suzuki #5

Suzuki are fifth on the back of an 8.2 per cent lift with increases recorded in ATV, Off-Road and Scooter sales, however Suzuki did register a slight downturn in Road bike numbers.

Lewis Croft – National Marketing Manager Suzuki Australia Motorcycles

“ATV sales have been quite a phenomenon, the whole sector is up 50.9 Per cent and we are up 39 per cent.

“Good economic conditions has helped that and the penny has somewhat dropped in regards to the new ACCC rules mandating roll-over protection bars, which we will exit the market because of, and we are effectively now sold out of all the farm style ATV machines.

“DR-Z400E sales are the best in a decade and we have actually run out of stock there also.

“Our dealers are reporting that a lot more families are coming into stores and purchasing models across our trail and kids fun bikes range, where we also had our best results in years. Our dealers are also reporting the sales of second-hand motorcycles are going quite strong.”

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Polaris riding the ATV/SSV boom

ATV/SSV specialist Polaris is the next biggest brand. That result is made all the more remarkable due to that they only participate in that single category. With 3433 sales they finished second only to Honda in the ATV/SSV category.

Polaris Managing Director Alan Collins

“The overall ATV/SxS market is up 50.9% YTD, driven by good rainfall in key areas this year alleviating some of the devastating drought conditions, generally solid agricultural conditions, the $150,000 government instant asset depreciation initiative and the impending exit of all major brands from the ATV market ahead of the Consumer Good (Quad Bike) Safety Standard taking effect.

“Whilst the overall ATV/SxS market is up 50.9% YTD, the utility SxS market YTD is actually growing at a similar pace to ATVs. As such, the ATV/SxS market growth is being driven as much by growing market demand for SxS and the market transference from ATV to SxS products as it is by the urgency relating to the ATV market exit of the major brands. Many safety-conscious customers are wisely choosing to purchase vehicles fitted with engineered and certified ROPS such as SxS, rather than entertain the prospect of an ATV fitted with a contraption offering no proven safety benefit which may cause as many injuries as it prevents.”

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Harley no longer Australia’s biggest selling Road bike brand

Likewise Harley-Davidson only plays in one part of the market and after so often leading the nation in Road sales, this year H-D are trailing Yamaha after reporting a 10.7 per cent downturn in sales to now rank second on Road sales, and seventh overall on the combined market figures. 

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BRP up 34.5 per cent

ATV/SSV specialist BRP/Can-Am reported a 34.5 per cent boost to rank eighth outright.

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Husqvarna up 67.5 per cent

Husky were a big improver, up 67.5 per cent overall which was comprised of a 134.9 per cent increase in Road sales, off what was an admittedly low base, but the real big numbers came of course in their Off-road sales which were up 59.8 per cent and numbered 1526, besting Suzuki’s off-road figures.

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BMW in positive territory

BMW shifted 1342 units to be up 8.4 per cent and round out the overall top ten. BMW ranked fifth on Road sales with their R 1250 GS models continuing to sell strongly while the S 1000 RR was Australia’s top selling pure sportsbike by a significant margin. 

Nigel Harvey – BMW Motorrad Australia Head of Product and Marketing

“We had a particularly strong month in June which has continued to be a pleasant surprise considering the challenges many Australians are facing. The result was supported by strong sales in our new product line-up which is proving to have hit the mark with Australia customers.”

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Triumph and Ducati down

Triumph rank 11th overall with 803 sales, down 11.4 per cent on the first six months compared to 2019.

Ducati were down 23.9 per cent after recording 504 sales. The 1st July 2020 marked the introduction of the wholly owned corporate subsidiary of Ducati in the Australian market, taking the reins after a successful 56-year relationship with NF Imports.

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Indian up 40.2 per cent

Indian sales are up 40.2 per cent with 453 Indian Motorcycles hitting Australian roads during the first six months of 2020 with the FTR1200 and Challenger models doing particularly well. 

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Overall volume across all sectors (Brands)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

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2020 half-year motorcycle sales data
Road Motorcycle Sales (Brands)

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Off-Road Motorcycle Sales (Brands)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

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Scooter Sales (Brands)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

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ATV/SSV Sales (Brands)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

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Top Ten Selling Motorcycles in Australia (Models)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

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What about the other brands….?

It should be noted that some brands are not represented in the official audit figures in relation to motorcycle sales. Brands under the UMI group such as MV Agusta, Royal Enfield and Gas Gas, along with the likes of Sherco, CF Moto, Kymco and SWM which come under the stewardship of Mojo Motorcycles, are not included in the sales figures as these companies choose not to be members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

An educated guesstimate suggests that these brands represent around 10-15 per cent of the whole market, thus the data is formulated from audited figures that cover around 85-90 per cent of the motorcycles sold in Australia.

Michael Poynton – Director Mojo Motorcycles

“I can report that we recorded a very strong sales result over May and June, across all of our brands in all respective segments. We have also seen no slow down as we start July, with daily retail sales still at a very high level.”

Joseph Elasmar – CEO, Urban Moto Imports

“We are proud to announce our best ever sales quarter in Australia for Urban Moto Imports off the back of a record 2019. We would like to thank all our customers that have purchased their new motorcycles in-store or ordered via our new online ordering system. We hope these new motorcycle owners are now enjoying the freedom and safety of independent travel for both commuting and leisure riding.

“The commitment shown from our ever-growing dealer network has been exceptional, as they have had to adapt and adjust their business models to support our customers throughout these unprecedented times. We see this as an exciting time for the motorcycle industry and a period where many commuters are looking for alternatives to public transport, with motorcycles being more accessible than ever before and leisure riding being a way for people to spend weekends escaping the cities and allowing them to travel this great land.

“We feel extremely fortunate in being able to support those currently in need with Royal Enfield making donations to Foodbank Australia, providing eight thousand meals and also giving two hundred registered frontline workers a Royal Enfield gift as a Thank You for the support they offer to our communities.

“We look forward to seeing our new motorcycle owners and riders on the roads and at upcoming motorcycling events in the near future.”

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FCAI Statement

“It is wonderful to see some strong sales from our member motorcycle brands,” Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI said. “A year-on-year increase of 24.5 per cent is significant, and signals improving conditions for both members and dealers.”

The most popular segment during the half was the ATV and SSV segment, with a total of 14,545 sales compared to 9,638 sales in the first half of 2019. Off-Road motorcycles reported 20,885 sales in the half year, compared to 14,666 in the same period 2019.

“The ATV and SSV segment is up a remarkable 50.9 per cent and now represents 27.5 per cent of the total market. And off-road bikes are also on fire, with an increase of 42.4 per cent, and claiming 39.5 per cent of the total market,” Mr Weber said.

The popularity of these two segments are thought to be a direct result of the COVID19 pandemic. Tony Weber explained:

“People can’t go for overseas holidays, and for quite some time, they couldn’t even go for holidays within Australia. So, we believe that, instead of spending up big on expensive family vacations, people are treating themselves in different ways – and this could mean they are taking up new sports like trail bike riding.

“ATVs and SSVs are also popular, and we understand this is due to the Government’s instant asset write-off program which makes the purchase of farm machinery and equipment very attractive at the present time,” Mr Weber said.

Road bikes and Scooters did not enjoy the same increase in popularity as the previous two categories. Road bikes reported 15,243 sales during the first half, down 2.7 per cent on the same period last year. Scooters recorded 2,166 sales, down 12.8 per cent, for the first half of 2020.

Honda claimed the top spot YTD reporting, 12,563 sales for a 23.8 per cent market share, followed by Yamaha with 12,344 sales for 23.4 per cent share, Kawasaki with 6,545 sales for 12.4 per cent share, KTM with 4,391 sales for 8.3 per cent share and Suzuki with 3,594 sales for 6.8 per cent market share.

The FCAI has previously stated that motorcycles make perfect sense for commuting within the guidelines of our current pandemic environment. With mass transit systems susceptible to contagion risk, personal transport has become the go-to option for many commuters. Motorcycle and scooter riders can mitigate infection risks, with two-wheeled transportation offering an effective means of maintaining social distance while enjoying a freeing and fun ride that ends with easy parking. Riders can also nimbly negotiate traffic and park conveniently, cutting commute times.

Nationwide, motorcycle and scooter dealers remain open to perform servicing and sales for riders wishing to make a return to the road. Riders are reminded to strictly observe all social distancing and contagion control
requirements, and to regularly disinfect helmets, gloves, and any high-touch surfaces on vehicle controls.

The Industry initiative, Ride Your Motorcycle to Work Week, offers a DIY guide to ensuring your motorcycle is ready for the road at http://www.ridetoworkweek.com.au/news/pre-ride-check

About the FCAI

Along with compiling motorcycle sales data, the FCAI is the primary organisation funded by the motorcycle industry to deal with government agencies. FCAI helped lobby for the Learner Approved Motorcycles Scheme and the Recreational Registration Scheme. They also lobby for exemptions on tightening emissions schemes in relation to motorcycles, and helping to prevent governments trying to restrict or ban the use of ATVs.

Source: MCNews.com.au