De Rosa and Meuffels top WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 categories.
Image: Supplied.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has topped the timesheets in Friday practice at Aragon’s third round of the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) in Spain.
The factory Ducati pilot lodged a time of 1m49.607s, edging out Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official) and four-time defending champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).
The top five was completed by Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) and Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven) in positions four and five respectively.
Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse) set the fastest time in WorldSSP, beating home championship leader Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) and Austrian rider Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing). Fourth and fifth were credited to Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) and Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).
The combined practice results from the WorldSSP300 division saw Koen Meuffels (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) top Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM Junior Team) and Jan-Ole Jahnig (Freudenberg KTM Junior Team).
Australians Jack Hyde (2R Racing Team Kawasaki), Tom Edwards (ParkinGo Team Kawasaki), and Tom Bramich (Nutec – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) were ranked 29th, 33rd and 40th respectively.
After spending a couple of days riding the Tracer GT and the Niken GT back to back, it was the funky leaning three-wheeler that I kept thinking about.
Here are 10 thoughts about Yamaha’s actually-not-that-weird oddball.
It really works!
The Iwata factory’s Leaning Multi-Wheel (LMW) tech functions as advertised. Yamaha’s design objective was to make a motorcycle with superlative front-end grip and stability without diluting the conventional dynamics of riding. Two contact patches up front add a big dose of confidence in less than ideal conditions.
It’s a marketer’s worst nightmare
With a typical vehicle, to see it is to know what it’s for. With the Niken GT, because it’s the first of its kind, its looks don’t naturally convey who it’s for, what it does, or why it exists. That means even at the dealership level, there’s an added layer of disbelief and confusion that have to be punctured. What does that mean for casual buyers? Maybe they’ll be attracted by the sheer weirdness of it. Or maybe it will be a non-starter, limiting the Niken’s audience to true enthusiasts who’ve read up on the thing and really understand it.
The revised engine is great for sport-touring
Yamaha’s crossplane triple is tried and true. In the Niken GT, there’s a slightly heavier crankshaft for improved drivability and a revised gear ratio via two additional teeth in the rear sprocket. Given the motor has to haul around an extra 100-plus pounds, Yamaha also made the gears out of a higher-strength steel alloy for added durability. On the road, the engine is less revy but more tractable, skewing slightly more toward sport-touring than it ever has before.
The luggage seems like an afterthought
One of the main attributes that distinguishes a sport-touring motorcycle from a naked or a sportbike is nicely integrated hard bags. The Niken GT has small-ish semi-hard ABS bags that zip open and closed. And they aren’t waterproof (they include waterproof bags to stow your stuff in should the heavens open). For a machine that has “tour” in its description, no-nonsense luggage should be a no-brainer.
It isn’t as well-equipped as the Tracer GT
The Tracer GT and Niken GT share the GT designation but don’t boast the same level of trim. Because the LMW tech is pricey, it seems like Yamaha had to cut costs in other places. The Niken GT doesn’t have hard bags, an adjustable windscreen, or a TFT dash.
It might be a future cult classic
Like the GTS1000 from the ’90s, Yamaha may have another cult classic on its hand. Bikes that are a bit odd in their day always seem to become endearing in their twilight years. We hope the Niken GT has many years of sales success (it deserves it), but if it doesn’t, we predict that it will become a collector’s item because of its audacity and uniqueness.
LMW tech would be interesting off road
With great front-end grip and stability, it was only natural that we wanted to spool on some knobbies to see what would happen. Pushing the front on a big ADV off road can feel like a game of Russian roulette, so if there’s anywhere where an extra wheel makes sense, it’s in the dirt. There isn’t a lot of front-end travel, but on uneven surfaces, the magic-carpet-like ride the LMW system offers makes for an intriguing prospect. If you’re a Niken owner, please do this and let us know how it goes.
Its price makes it “for experts only”
Yamaha is clear that the three-wheeler is not for new riders or older riders hoping to extend their biking years with a machine that doesn’t fall over at a standstill. The Niken is not that bike. You know what makes it more obvious that the Niken GT isn’t for newbies? The $17,299 price tag.
It’s not an ideal machine for introverts
If you relish the anonymity that flipping down your dark visor provides, don’t buy a Niken GT. The Niken is a conversation starter. Pull up to a gas station on a Ducati Panigale V4 S and no one seems to notice. Pull up on a Niken, and people will ask to take selfies with it. Seriously.
Even though it’s great, I still don’t want one
Yamaha nailed its objectives with the LMW tech, but it’s not this uncrashable, experience-altering bike that will revolutionize motorcycling. It looks too different from a conventional motorcycle but behaves too similarly to a conventional motorcycle to justify the extra $4K, the added weight and complexity, and all the gas station attention. Still, I’m glad Yamaha is bold enough to build a bike like the Niken GT and I have zero reservations about recommending it to people.
Acknowledging the long straights of Aragon won’t play into his favour, Marco Melandri’s focus is to capitalise on the Yamaha YZF-R1’s strengths in the more technical points of the Spanish circuit as the 2019 FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) heads there this weekend.
The GRT Yamaha contender, who wound up on the podium last year at Aragon on Ducati machinery, believes a repeat performance is a realistic target this Saturday and Sunday, however he’ll have to establish a set-up that benefits him in the closing stages of races – an issue he’s been facing so far season.
“I’m happy to be back in Europe and Aragon is one of the most beautiful tracks we race at during the season,” said Melandri. “The long straight doesn’t play to our strengths, but there are a lot of technical sections, with nice corners, where I think we can be very competitive.
“The late race was quite a difficult one for us, but I’m excited for the weekend ahead and I’m confident that we can find a solution to the issues we experienced in Thailand. The podium is our target this weekend; it won’t be easy, but it’s a realistic target.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) leads defending four-time champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) in the standings with a 26-point advantage.
Class rookie targeting maiden victory in New South Wales.
Image: Foremost Media.
E1 rookie Michael Driscoll is drawing added energy and drive as his home round of the 2019 Yamaha bLU cRU Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) looms this weekend at Dungog in New South Wales.
Two-time EJ champion Driscoll, a Dungog local, is targeting a season-first victory at rounds three and four this Saturday and Sunday, however he’s acknowledged the talented field he’s stacked up against that will challenge him for top honours.
Piloting a Yamaha Active8 Yamalube WR250F, the youthful contender will take to the Enduro format for the first time this year as he comes off a stellar double-podium while on debut at Toowoomba’s opener last month.
“You definitely feel more energetic and driven coming into a local event because you want to do well in front of a home crowd,” Driscoll explained. “I have a really strong field of competition that I’m going up against, so taking out the win will be tough but if I can manage it, it will be that bit sweeter than any other round.
“The main goal in the lead up to this weekend is sharpening up on my skills and my understanding on Enduro rules. Apart from this, my training doesn’t change. I am putting particular effort into my health and fitness, which in turn helps me remain utterly focussed and motivated.”
Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team) and defending E1 champion Luke Styke (Yamaha Active8 Yamalube) are currently tied at the top of the E1 points rankings, each taking a win at Toowoomba.
Overall Australian motorcycle sales decline by 14.6 percent.
Image: Supplied.
Harley-Davidson has topped road bike sales in the first quarter of 2019, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) report indicating a 14.6 percent decline in overall motorcycle sales compared to 2018, while Honda Motorcycles Australia controls the market share with 21.8 percent.
In the road category, Harley-Davidson was the market leader with a 19.1 percent share, followed by Yamaha with 18.2 percent and Honda with a share of 16.6 percent – the division recording a 19.2 percent decline.
The supersport category saw Kawasaki’s Ninja 400 emerge as the best-seller with 250 units sold, followed by the Honda CBR500R (82) and Honda CBR1000RR (67), while in the sport touring segment, Yamaha’s YZF-R3 (189) topped the charts ahead of the Kawasaki Ninja 650L (95) and Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (57).
Harley-Davidson dominated the touring sector with its Street Glide Special (112), Electra Glide Ultra Limited (66) and Road Glide Special (47), as its Breakout (171) was the most popular in the cruiser category ahead of the Honda CMX500 (171) and Harley-Davidson Soft Tail Fat Boy (161).
Out of the naked bikes, Honda’s CB125E (318) was the most popular followed by the Yamaha MT-07L (281) and Yamaha MT-09 (189), with the adventure market being topped by the Suzuki DR650SE (121), BMW R 1250 GS Adventure (97) and BMW R 1250 GS (85).
Overall Australian motorcycle sales decline by 14.6 percent.
Image: iKapture.
Yamaha Motor Australia has topped dirt bike sales in the first quarter of 2019, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) report indicating a 14.6 percent decline in overall motorcycle sales compared to 2018, while Honda Motorcycles Australia controls the market share with 21.8 percent.
In the off-road category, Yamaha maintained its market leadership with a 27.8 percent share, followed by Honda with 26.4 percent, and KTM with 18.1 percent – the division recording a 9.3 percent decline.
The enduro category saw Yamaha’s WR450F take top honours with 332 sales, followed by KTM’s 300 EXC (153) and 500 EXC (129), while the motocross segment saw Yamaha’s YZ250F emerge as the best-seller with 167 units sold, finishing ahead of the Honda CRF450R (118) and Kawasaki KX450 (115).
The fun class was topped by Honda’s CRF50F (400), as the Honda CRF230F (222) and Honda XR190 (86) were the most popular in the trail and farm categories.
Ducati pilot not banking on season rebound in Spain.
Image: Supplied.
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Chaz Davies isn’t relying on his strong win tally at Aragon to turn his season around as the 2019 FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) heads to the Spanish venue this weekend for round three of the series.
Davies has seemingly struggled this season as he continues to adapt to the all-new Panigale V4 R, while his teammate and WorldSBK rookie Alvaro Bautista has dominantly won all six races that have unfolded.
“I wouldn’t go as far as to say that the Aragon round – given my seven wins here – is a track where it’s all going to come together, because it’s not as simple as that,” Davies explained. “For sure it’s a track which on paper is better for me and this could help to mask some problems, but we still have to continue to work hard to find the best possible set-up.
“We did two days’ testing immediately after Buriram which was quite good, so now I’m going to Aragon to confirm the progress we’ve made so far and make another step forward because, as Alvaro continues to show, the potential of our bike is very high and it’s just up to us now to extract it.”
The British talent sits 11th in the championship standings with 18 points to his name.
FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship launches into action.
Image: Supplied.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland has secured victory at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, marking round one of the 2019 FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.
The British talent completed the five-stage rally with an overall time of 17h46m42s, granting him a comfortable 8m20s triumph over teammate Luciano Benavides (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Monster Energy Honda Team).
“Things went perfectly today,” said Sunderland. “We knew coming into today’s final stage that we would have to stick to our planned strategy. The stage brought us closer to Abu Dhabi and as such, the tracks towards the end were a lot faster away from the dunes. I knew I would have to push really hard right from the start of the special.
“I arrived at the refuelling and the team let me know everything was good, so from there it was just a case of bringing it home safely to the finish. I’m really happy with the job done by the team all week and myself in the way I rode. It’s great to get my 2019 championship off to the perfect start with a win.”
Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda Team) and Andrew Short (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) locked out the top five, while defending champion and Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) sat out the event as he continues to recover from a wrist injury.
The next stop on the Cross-Country Rallies World Championship calendar is scheduled on 6 July for the Silk Way Rally that starts in Russia.
There is little good news to report from the latest quarterly sales update issued this week by the FCAI. Overall the market is down 14.6 per cent compared to this time last year, and as a whole sales are down around 30 per cent since 2016.
18,438 motorcycles, ATVs and scooters were sold during the first three months of 2019, compared with 21,599 for the same period in 2018
Honda was the overall leader with a 21.8 per cent share of the national market, followed by Yamaha with 20.8 per cent and Kawasaki with 11.8 per cent.
Motorcycles Sales Data Notes
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 are not members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
An educated guesstimate suggests that these brands represent around 10 per cent of the whole market, thus the data is formulated from audited figures that cover around 90 per cent of the motorcycles sold in Australia.
Along with compiling motorcycles 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.
2019 Q1 Motorcycle Sales Data
Including Road, Dirt, ATV and Scooter 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Make
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
4019
4863
-17.4%
Yamaha
3841
4192
-8.4%
Kawasaki
2176
2334
-6.8%
Suzuki
1509
1645
-8.3%
Harley Davidson
1489
1812
-17.8%
KTM
1447
1821
-20.5%
Polaris
1003
1307
-23.3%
BMW
532
668
-20.4%
Husqvarna
503
698
-27.9%
Triumph
465
602
-22.8%
BRP Australia
453
399
13.5%
Ducati
297
347
-14.4%
Piaggio
232
302
-23.2%
Vespa
224
219
+2.3%
Indian Motorcycle
156
227
-31.3%
Aprilia
66
123
-46.3%
Moto Guzzi
26
40
-35.0%
TOTAL
18438
21599
-14.6%
MakeMake
Honda sales took a hit but remain #1 and Honda’s Fireblade was the biggest selling large capacity sportsbike during the first quarter of 2019
Road Motorcycle Sales
Road bike sales experienced a hefty 19.2 per cent downturn. This equates to almost 2000 less motorcycles hitting the road in the first quarter of this year compared to 2018.
While Honda has done well this quarter in regards to dirt-bike and scooter sales, they have taken a big hit to their road market share, with sales down 37.9 per cent. In fairness, Big Red did have a killer start to 2018, but still, almost 800 less Honda road bikes have hit the road in the first quarter of 2019 compared to 2018.
Thus despite their own further 17.8 per cent reduction in sales, Harley-Davidson are once again the biggest selling road going motorcycles in Australia, with a 19.1 per cent share of the road bike market.
Yamaha fared better with only an 8 per cent decline in road sales, good enough to move them up to #2 in the road bike rankings, ahead of Honda. Yamaha with 18.2 per cent of the road motorcycle market and Honda with a share of 16.6 per cent.
Kawasaki and Suzuki were down a similar amount to Yamaha, and rank fourth and fifth respectively in regards to road bike volume.
BMW come in just behind Suzuki on road sales but are down 22.9 per cent compared to Q1 2018 and remain the leading European brand in Australia. Triumph are down by a similar amount to seventh while KTM continued to out-do Ducati in the Australian market. The Austrian brand down 10.2 per cent while Ducati fell by 14.4 per cent.
Indian round out the top ten ahead of newcomer to the road market Husqvarna.
Every single brand experienced a contraction in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the sales figures from the first three months of 2018.
2019 Road Motorcycle Sales 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Make
Road
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Harley Davidson
1489
1812
-17.8%
Yamaha
1420
1543
-8.0%
Honda
1290
2076
-37.9%
Kawasaki
1115
1182
-5.7%
Suzuki
585
629
-7.0%
BMW
506
656
-22.9%
Triumph
465
602
-22.8%
KTM
345
384
-10.2%
Ducati
297
347
-14.4%
Indian Motorcycle
156
227
-31.3%
Husqvarna
63
71
-11.3%
Aprilia
30
64
-53.1%
Moto Guzzi
26
40
-35.0%
TOTAL
7787
9633
-19.2%
Harley’s Softail Breakout is their biggest selling model
Off-Road Motorcycle Sales
Yamaha is pretty much level pegging with last year in relation to dirtbike sales and retain the #1 spot while Honda increased their off-road sales by 3 per cent.
The rest of the brands though had no good news to report and overall the off-road sector is down by 9.3 per cent.
Husqvarna and KTM have come off what had been a fast boil for the Austrian brands, down 29.8 and 23.3 per cent respectively.
Kawasaki are down 12.3 per cent while Suzuki was trimmed by 9.4 per cent.
Yamaha maintained its market leadership with a 27.8 per cent share, followed by Honda with 26.4 per cent, and KTM with 18.1 per cent.
2019 Off-Road Motorcycle Sales 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Make
Off Road
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
1690
1685
+0.3%
Honda
1608
1561
+3.0%
KTM
1102
1437
-23.3%
Kawasaki
735
838
-12.3%
Suzuki
510
563
-9.4%
Husqvarna
440
627
-29.8%
TOTAL
6085
6711
-9.3%
Yamaha’s WR450F is Australia’s biggest selling enduro bike
Scooter Sales
Over the last few years scooters had taken a dramatic hit in recent times there has been somewhat of a resurgence with the scooter market clawing ground back to the tune of 29.6 per cent. 1353 scooters were sold in the first quarter of 2019 compared to 1044 hitting the road in Q1 2018.
Honda and Suzuki have made great strides in lifting their scooter sales with Honda by far now the market leader afte doubling their sales to 495, while Suzuki almost tripled their scooter sales to 200.
Honda hold a 36.6 per cent share, followed by Piaggio with 17.1 per cent and Vespa with 16.6 per cent in this segment.
2019 Scooter Sales 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Make
Scooter
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
495
253
+95.7%
Piaggio
232
302
-23.2%
Vespa
224
219
+2.3%
Suzuki
200
75
+166.7%
Yamaha
140
124
+12.9%
Aprilia
36
59
-39.0%
BMW
26
12
+116.7%
TOTAL
1353
1044
+29.6%
Honda NSC110 Dio is the nation’s top selling scooter
ATV Sales
The biggest hit was to ATV sales. This is somewhat predictable off the back of drought conditions experienced throughout much of Australia.
ATV sales are down by almost 1000, from 4211 over the first quarter of 2018, down to 3213 this year. The biggest drops, percentage wise, were experienced by Suzuki (-43.4%), Honda (-35.7%) and Yamaha (-29.6%).
The ATV/SSV category overall showed a decline of 23.7 per cent. Within this category, Polaris maintained market leadership with a 31.2 per cent share, followed by Honda with 19.5 per cent, and Yamaha with 18.4 per cent.
Top Selling Off-Road Motorcycles 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
CRF50F
400
199
+101.0%
Yamaha
WR450F
332
183
+81.4%
Kawasaki
KLX110
307
323
-5.0%
Yamaha
PW50
234
267
-12.4%
Honda
CRF230F
222
145
+53.1%
Honda
CRF110F
181
190
-4.7%
Yamaha
YZ250F
167
131
+27.5%
Suzuki
DR-Z400E
159
220
-27.7%
KTM
300EXC
153
325
-52.9%
KTM
500EXC
129
187
-31.0%
Top Selling Enduro Motorcycles 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
WR450F
332
183
+81.4%
KTM
300EXC
153
325
-52.9%
KTM
500EXC
129
187
-31.0%
KTM
350EXCF
102
106
-3.8%
KTM
450EXC
69
82
-15.9%
Honda
CRF450L
63
0
Yamaha
WR250R
55
61
-9.8%
Husqvarna
TE300
54
105
-48.6%
KTM
250EXC
45
59
-23.7%
Husqvarna
FE501
44
50
-12.0%
2019 Yamaha WR450F
Top Selling Motocross Motorcycles 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Yamaha
YZ250F
167
131
+27.5%
Honda
CRF450R
118
187
-36.9%
Kawasaki
KX450F
115
84
+36.9%
Yamaha
YZ450F
108
139
-22.3%
KTM
85SX
102
113
-9.7%
KTM
450SXF
93
75
+24.0%
KTM
250SXF
85
100
-15.0%
Honda
CRF250R
81
214
-62.1%
Yamaha
YZ85/LW
79
39
+102.6%
Yamaha
YZ65
73
0
2019 Yamaha YZ250F
Top Selling Farm Motorcycles 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
XR190
86
88
-2.3%
Suzuki
TROJAN
79
134
-41.0%
Honda
XR150L
57
80
-28.8%
Yamaha
AG200
57
61
-6.6%
Kawasaki
Stockman 250
40
37
+8.1%
Yamaha
AG125
30
39
-23.1%
Suzuki
TF125
13
17
-23.5%
Honda
CTX200
8
12
-33.3%
Yamaha
AG100
1
12
-91.7%
Top Selling Fun Motorcycles 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
CRF50F
400
199
+101.0%
Kawasaki
KLX110
307
323
-5.0%
Yamaha
PW50
234
267
-12.4%
Honda
CRF110F
181
190
-4.7%
Yamaha
TTR50E
118
209
-43.5%
Kawasaki
KLX140
110
120
-8.3%
Honda
CRF150F
91
59
+54.2%
Yamaha
TTR110E
88
110
-20.0%
Honda
CRF125FB
63
88
-28.4%
Yamaha
TTR125E/LWE
51
75
-32.0%
2018 Honda CRF50F
Top Selling Trail Motorcycles 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Honda
CRF230F
222
145
+53.1%
Suzuki
DR-Z400E
159
220
-27.7%
Honda
CRF250L
113
167
-32.3%
Kawasaki
KLX150BF
58
61
-4.9%
Honda
CRF250F
53
0
Yamaha
TTR230/A
49
100
-51.0%
Yamaha
XT250
43
46
-6.5%
Suzuki
DR-Z250
41
67
-38.8%
Suzuki
DR200S
32
27
+18.5%
Kawasaki
KLX250S
31
32
-3.1%
Honda CRF230F
Top Selling ATVs 2019 First Quarter compared to Q1 2018
Manufacturer
Model
Total
YTD 2019
YTD 2018
% CHAN
Polaris
Sportsman 570
136
239
-43.1%
Honda
TRX500FM
89
115
-22.6%
Yamaha
YFM450FB/P
89
153
-41.8%
Yamaha
YFM90R
84
108
-22.2%
Yamaha
YFM350F
78
122
-36.1%
Honda
TRX250TM
78
122
-36.1%
Yamaha
YFM700FA
67
99
-32.3%
Honda
TRX420FM
66
163
-59.5%
Honda
TRX420TM
61
73
-16.4%
Polaris
OUTLAW 50
61
79
-22.8%
Off-Road Motorcycle Sales
Yamaha is pretty much level pegging with last year in relation to dirtbike sales and retain the #1 spot while Honda increased their off-road sales by 3 per cent.
The rest of the brands though had no good news to report and overall the off-road sector is down by 9.3 per cent.
Husqvarna and KTM have come off what had been a fast boil for the Austrian brands, down 29.8 and 23.3 per cent respectively.
Kawasaki are down 12.3 per cent while Suzuki was trimmed by 9.4 per cent.
