Tag Archives: sales

Top Ten selling off-road motorcycles

Off-Road Motorcycles Sales Figures

2020 Australia Motorcycle Sales Data


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.

Yamaha have taken over the #1 ranking from Honda when it comes to off-road motorcycle sales.

KTM is the third biggest seller ahead of Kawasaki and Husqvarna.  Kawasaki’s growth largely appears to be on the back of the KLX110, which is Australia’s biggest selling motorcycle.

Husqvarna have also recorded very strong growth to move past Suzuki’s tally of off-road sales.

Yamaha’s WR450F is the most popular ‘Enduro’ bike over KTM’s two-stroke 300 EXC and four-stroke 350 EXC-F. Honda’s CRF450L placed fourth in the ‘Enduro’ category ahead of KTM’s 450 and 500 EXC models while Yamaha’s new WR250F is off to a great start in seventh ahead of Husqvarna’s TE300 and FE350.

Yamaha’s YZ250F and YZ450F siblings top the ‘Motocross’ charts ahead of Honda’s CRF450R and Kawasaki’s KX450F.

Honda’s XR190 continues to lead the way in the ‘Farm’ category and the CRF230F is the top ranking ‘Trail’ machine.

Further tables below show the top tens by each individual category segment.

We do not decide which models are in which category, that is decided by the FCAI in conjunction with their industry partners as to how the data is compiled.


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

January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Off Road
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha 6170 4135 49.2%
Honda 5497 4182 31.4%
KTM 3338 2444 36.6%
Kawasaki 3099 1793 72.8%
Husqvarna 1526 955 59.8%
Suzuki 1255 1157 8.5%
TOTAL 20885 14666 42.4%

Top Selling Off-Road Motorcycles
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Off Road Bikes
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Kawasaki KLX110 1259 870 44.7%
Honda CRF110F 1092 570 91.6%
Yamaha PW50 1040 628 65.6%
Honda CRF50F 934 763 22.4%
Yamaha WR450F 745 671 11.0%
Yamaha TTR50E 685 452 51.5%
Yamaha TTR110E 616 300 105.3%
KTM 300EXC 554 344 61.0%
Honda CRF230F 494 494 0.0%
KTM 350EXCF 433 304 42.4%
Kawasaki’s KLX110 is Australia’s biggest selling motorcycle. The KLX110 comes in a few different sizes and is priced from $3199

Top Selling Enduro Motorcycles
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Enduro
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha WR450F 745 671 11.0%
KTM 300EXC 554 344 61.0%
KTM 350EXCF 433 304 42.4%
Honda CRF450L 423 134 215.7%
KTM 450EXC 323 161 100.6%
KTM 500EXC 322 321 0.3%
Yamaha WR250F 322 122 163.9%
Husqvarna TE300 268 141 90.1%
Husqvarna FE350 197 109 80.7%
Yamaha WR250R 183 141 29.8%
Yamaha WRF
Yamaha are the #1 selling off-road motorcycle brand in Australia

Top Selling Motocross Motorcycles
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Moto Cross
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha YZ250F 403 336 19.9%
Yamaha YZ450F 345 247 39.7%
Honda CRF450R 334 229 45.9%
Kawasaki KX450 298 196 52.0%
Honda CRF250R 256 175 46.3%
KTM 250SXF 245 156 57.1%
KTM 85SX 208 174 19.5%
Kawasaki KX250 204 138 47.8%
KTM 450SXF 187 175 6.9%
Yamaha YZ250 186 130 43.1%

Top Selling Farm Motorcycles
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Farm
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Honda XR190 391 323 21.1%
Suzuki TROJAN 346 278 24.5%
Yamaha AG200 195 158 23.4%
Yamaha AG125 106 87 21.8%
Kawasaki Stockman 250 79 72 9.7%
Honda XR150L 43 93 -53.8%
Suzuki TF125 5 27 -81.5%
Honda CT200 1 0 100%
Yamaha AG100 0 3 -100.0%
Honda CTX200 0 8 -100.0%

Top Selling Fun Motorcycles
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Fun
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Kawasaki KLX110 1259 870 44.7%
Honda CRF110F 1092 570 91.6%
Yamaha PW50 1040 628 65.6%
Honda CRF50F 934 763 22.4%
Yamaha TTR50E 685 452 51.5%
Yamaha TTR110E 616 300 105.3%
Honda CRF125FB 408 252 61.9%
Kawasaki KLX140 378 248 52.4%
Yamaha TTR125E/LWE 304 133 128.6%
Honda CRF125F 259 166 56.0%

Top Selling Trail Motorcycles
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Trail
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Honda CRF230F 494 494 0.0%
Suzuki DR-Z400E 423 350 20.9%
Honda CRF250F 371 392 -5.4%
Yamaha TTR230/A 268 144 86.1%
Honda CRF250L 261 327 -20.2%
Kawasaki KLX230R 220 0 100%
Kawasaki KLX300 194 0 100%
Kawasaki KLX150BF 192 126 52.4%
Yamaha XT250 126 74 70.3%
Kawasaki KLX230 98 0 100%

2020 ATV Sales (Brand)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
ATV
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Honda 3878 2385 62.6%
Polaris 3433 2685 27.9%
Yamaha 3294 1814 81.6%
BRP Australia 1793 1333 34.5%
Kawasaki 1184 728 62.6%
Suzuki 963 693 39.0%
TOTAL 14545 9638 50.9%

Top Selling ATV/SSV (Model)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – ATVs
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha YFM450FB/P 597 396 50.8%
Honda TRX420FM 547 329 66.3%
Yamaha YFM350F 443 218 103.2%
Polaris Sportsman 570 391 369 6.0%
Honda TRX420TM 374 190 96.8%
Yamaha YFM90R 359 209 71.8%
Yamaha YFM700FA 353 201 75.6%
Honda TRX250TM 345 264 30.7%
Honda TRX520FM 318 0 100%
Yamaha YFM350 280 141 98.6%
Yamaha’s YFM450 FB/P is Australia’s top selling ATV with 597 hitting the turf so far in 2019

Top Selling Off-Road 4 Wheel SSV  (Model)
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Off-Road 4 wheel
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Polaris ACE 570 66 108 -38.9%
Polaris ACE 500 65 72 -9.7%
Polaris ACE 150 21 18 16.7%
Polaris ACE 900 1 6 -83.3%

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.

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.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Most popular road motorcycles in Australia

Road Motorcycles Sales Figures

Yamaha #1

2020 Half-Year Motorcycle Sales Data Australia


Road motorcycle sales are down 2.7 per cent and Scooter sales down 12.8 per cent.

Yamaha has taken the lead in Australian Road motorcycle sales from Harley-Davidson and extended their lead over Honda.

Kawasaki’s Ninja 400 is Australia’s top selling road motorcycle and Kawasaki road sales picked up by 12.4 per cent which sees Team Green rank fourth on sales ahead of BMW.

BMW’s S 1000 RR is Australia’s biggest selling pure sports-bike by a significant margin.

Yamaha’s Tenere 700 is the most popular ‘Adventure-Touring’ motorcycle, more than doubling the amount of sales of any other motorcycle in that category.

The MT-07L is Australia’s favourite ‘Naked’ and the YZF-R3 is, according to the FCAI data classifieds as a ‘Sports-Tourer’, tops that category.

Harley’s Street 500 topped the ‘Cruiser ‘category while the Street Glide Special again topped the ‘Touring’ segment.

Honda’s NSC110 continues to top the ‘Scooter’ sales category.

Further tables below show the top tens by each individual category segment.

We do not decide which models are in which category, that is decided by the FCAI in conjunction with their industry partners as to how the data is compiled.


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

January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Road
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha 2624 2749 -4.5%
Harley Davidson 2613 2925 -10.7%
Honda 2373 2738 -13.3%
Kawasaki 2262 2012 12.4%
BMW 1258 1156 8.8%
KTM 1053 866 21.6%
Suzuki 948 1097 -13.6%
Triumph 803 906 -11.4%
Ducati 504 662 -23.9%
Indian Motorcycle 453 323 40.2%
Husqvarna 256 109 134.9%
Moto Guzzi 57 65 -12.3%
Aprilia 39 60 -35.0%
TOTAL 15243 15668 -2.7%
Yamaha Tenere RbMotoLens
Yamaha’s Tenere 700 is Australia second biggest selling Road motorcycle

Road Bikes Top Ten Overall
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Road Bikes
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Kawasaki NINJA 400 636 488 30.3%
Yamaha XTZ690 530 0 100%
Harley Davidson XG500 433 298 45.3%
Yamaha MT07L 382 525 -27.2%
Honda CB125E 377 569 -33.7%
Kawasaki Vulcan S 353 268 31.7%
Honda CMX500 309 330 -6.4%
Yamaha MT-09 306 395 -22.5%
Harley Davidson FXBRS 303 383 -20.9%
Yamaha YZF-R3A 302 471 -35.9%
Kawasaki's new for 2018 Ninja 400 offering
Kawasaki Ninja 400 is Australia’s #1 Road bike

Learner Approved Motorcycle Sales
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – LAMS Approved
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha WR450F 745 671 11.0%
Kawasaki NINJA 400 636 488 30.3%
KTM 300EXC 554 344 61.0%
Honda NSC110 516 496 4.0%
KTM 350EXCF 433 304 42.4%
Harley Davidson XG500 433 298 45.3%
Suzuki DR-Z400E 423 350 20.9%
Honda CRF450L 423 134 215.7%
Honda XR190 391 323 21.1%
Yamaha MT07L 382 525 -27.2%

Adventure-Touring Motorcycle Sales
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Adventure Touring
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha XTZ690 530 0 100%
Suzuki DR650SE 258 229 12.7%
BMW R 1250 GS Adventure 193 194 -0.5%
KTM 790 Adventure R 190 169 12.4%
BMW R 1250 GS 161 155 3.9%
Honda CB500XA 152 141 7.8%
Kawasaki KLR650 135 112 20.5%
Husqvarna 701END 126 66 90.9%
KTM 690ENDR 115 92 25.0%
Honda CRF1100 109 0 100%

Cruiser Motorcycle Sales
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Cruiser
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Harley Davidson XG500 433 298 45.3%
Kawasaki Vulcan S 353 268 31.7%
Honda CMX500 309 330 -6.4%
Harley Davidson FXBRS 303 383 -20.9%
Yamaha XVS650/A 201 231 -13.0%
Indian Motorcycle Scout 183 178 2.8%
Harley Davidson LOW RIDER S 174 0 100%
Harley Davidson FLSB 163 195 -16.4%
Harley Davidson FXBB 161 132 22.0%
Harley Davidson FLFBS 157 235 -33.2%

Nakedbike Motorcycle Sales
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Naked
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha MT07L 382 525 -27.2%
Honda CB125E 377 569 -33.7%
Yamaha MT-09 306 395 -22.5%
Yamaha MT03LA 268 292 -8.2%
Honda GROM 265 298 -11.1%
Kawasaki Z900RS 203 167 21.6%
KTM 390 Duke 183 139 31.7%
Honda CB650R 166 70 137.1%
KTM 200 Duke 108 21 414.3%
Kawasaki Z400 99 81 22.2%

Sport-Touring  Motorcycle Sales
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Sport Touring
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Yamaha YZF-R3A 302 471 -35.9%
Kawasaki NINJA 650L 207 141 46.8%
Yamaha MT07TRL 65 57 14.0%
BMW R 1250 RS 58 0 100%
Kawasaki Ninja 1000 56 54 3.7%
Kawasaki NINJA 1000 SX 55 0 100%
BMW S 1000 XR 52 53 -1.9%
Yamaha MT09TRA 49 99 -50.5%
Suzuki GSX-R125 40 52 -23.1%
Kawasaki Versys 650L 33 26 26.9%
The FCAI data calls the YZF-R3 a sports-touring motorcycle….

Touring Motorcycle Sales
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Touring
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Harley Davidson FLHXS 121 177 -31.6%
Harley Davidson FLHTK 103 101 2.0%
Harley Davidson FLTRXS 79 86 -8.1%
BMW R1250RT 68 43 58.1%
Yamaha FJR1300 56 50 12.0%
Indian Motorcycle Chieftain 48 53 -9.4%
Harley Davidson FLHRXS 44 69 -36.2%
Indian Motorcycle Roadmaster 34 27 25.9%
Harley Davidson FLHXSE 34 45 -24.4%
Harley Davidson FLHTCUTG 26 65 -60.0%
Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special
Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special topped the touring category in 2017 and led the away again in 2018, did it again in 2019 and is also leading the way in 2020

Supersport Motorcycle Sales
2020 half-year motorcycle sales data

Top 10 by Category – Super Sport
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Kawasaki NINJA 400 636 488 30.3%
Honda CBR650R 239 138 73.2%
BMW S 1000 RR 162 75 116.0%
Honda CBR500R 113 222 -49.1%
Yamaha YZF-R1 62 68 -8.8%
Suzuki GSX-R1000 54 62 -12.9%
Yamaha YZF-R6 50 41 22.0%
KTM RC390 50 81 -38.3%
Suzuki GSX-R750 45 69 -34.8%
Ducati Superbike 43 102 -57.8%
BMW S RR Action
The BMW S 1000 RR was Australia’s top selling pure sportsbike by a huge margin

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

January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Scooter
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Honda 815 969 -15.9%
Suzuki 428 375 14.1%
Vespa 337 379 -11.1%
Yamaha 256 261 -1.9%
Piaggio 238 375 -36.5%
BMW 84 82 2.4%
Aprilia 8 44 -81.8%
TOTAL 2166 2485 -12.8%
Suzuki's $3190 ride away Address topped the overall scooter market. A combination of price, performance, and a handy 20-litre storage compartment helped boost Suzuki's stocks in the scooter market
Suzuki were the only brand to record significant scooter sales growth so far in 2020

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

Top 10 by Category – Scooters
January – June 2020 compared to January – June 2019
Manufacturer Model Total
YTD 2020 YTD 2019 % CHAN
Honda NSC110 516 496 4.0%
Suzuki ADDRESS 372 342 8.8%
Vespa GTS 300 146 188 -22.3%
Yamaha GPD150A 126 69 82.6%
Honda MW110 118 167 -29.3%
Vespa PRIMAVERA 150 117 110 6.4%
Piaggio Fly 150 110 156 -29.5%
Honda WW150 98 154 -36.4%
Yamaha XMAX300 64 110 -41.8%
Piaggio Medley 150 54 67 -19.4%

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.

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.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Source: MCNews.com.au

Are motorcycle sales defying pandemic?

Anecdotal evidence and reports from around the world suggest that the motorcycle market might be surprisingly defying the COVID-19 crisis with increasing sales.

Dealers tell us that after the lockdown started to ease, sales have increased substantially, especially among premium motorcycles.

One dealer told me he believed customers had adopted the view that they may as well enjoy themselves while they still can!

Defying the lockdown

That may just be the case as sales have been defying the dismal economic trend in some countries since the easing of lockdown restrictions.

KTM factory Virus meme pandemic coronavirus Covid-19KTM factory

KTM Group boss Stefan Pierer says they have actually increased global sales during the pandemic and had not had to lay off any staff. Most of the sales have been in off-road bikes for their group which also includes Husqvarna and Gas Gas.

The US has experienced its best performance since 2016 in the first four months of the year compared with a 12% drop in car sales. Interestingly, off-road bike sales have increased while road bike sales are down.

That could be why Harley-Davidson has slowed production and last week sacked 90 staff at their York Vehicle Operations in Pennsylvania and 50 at their Tomahawk facility in Wisconsin.

Harley-Davidson 115th anniversary 110th 105thHarley’s Pilgrim Road factory where a worker tested positive for coronavirus

They are not along in the jobs cutback with Triumph Motorcycle slashing 400 jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic as well as their plan to move more production from Hinckley to Thailand.

Australian sales

defyingFirst quarter sales results

Australian motorcycle sales in the first quarter of this year were understandably down, but only by 2.5% compared with countries such as Italy which was down 65% due to the coronavirus.

Sales figures for the second quarter are expected to be released later this week.

We don’t expect they will be near as bad as car sales which show a continued steep decline.

In May alone, car sales were down a massive 35.3% which was the 26th consecutive month of negative growth for the market.

It’s not just the pandemic that is causing the sales collapse, but also the ongoing drought, late-summer floods, bushfires, tight lending conditions, unfavourable exchange rates and political uncertainty. 

While the first and second quarter motorcycle sales results may be promising, there is still plenty of pessimism for the coming quarter when the pandemic recession really starts to hit.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Aldi confirms annual motorcycle gear sale

Aldi Australia has confirmed its annual motorcycle gear sale will return, but has not yet named a date nor confirmed whether the pandemic will delay the sale.

The sale is usually held on one of the first Saturday’s in August, but was pushed back to the end of the month in 2019.

An Aldi Australia spokesperson says their motorcycle Special Buy theme “continues to return every year as a result of its popularity and following from motorcycle enthusiasts, who are after quality gear for great prices”.

“Like with all our products, we continue to improve our range by making necessary changes,” they say.

They would not confirm a date nor say whether the pandemic would cause a delay.

We will publish the sale date and list of products and prices as soon as it is available.

Sticky situation

Aldi helmets Ray SchrieverRay with the sticky helmet

It follows a recent claim by Sydney rider Ray Schriever that the silver paint on Aldi helmets he bought in 2015 had crazed and become sticky, despite limited use.

“The helmet was sticky all over. I took it to the sink and gave it a wash but the sticky mess just congealed or balled up,” he says.Aldi helmets Ray Schriever

The Aldi Australia spokesperson says:

Before 2016, a different type of paint was used on the motorcycle helmets and after listening to our customers feedback we learnt that the helmet would sometimes become sticky if stored in damp conditions for a long period of time. As a result we worked with our business partner to improve the paint and the new formula was introduced in 2016. The safety of the helmet has never been impacted, the sticky surface was an aesthetic fault only. It does not damage the shell, the EPS liner or the structure of the helmet. Our helmets come with a 12-month warranty.

We do not suggest this paint issue would also affect helmet integrity in the event of a crash.

However, we do note that most helmet manufacturers recommend you replace your helmet after five years of regular use, anyway.

In Ray’s case, the helmets had not had regular use.

Aldi claims all its rider gear meets proper safety standards.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Warning on online sales scammers

Riders are warned to be cautious about buying a motorcycle or other vehicle online after a surge in scammers.

In the latest scam operation, the vehicle is offered at a very cheap price by a member (usually female) of the armed forces who needs to sell quickly as they are being posted overseas.

The buyer is asked to submit payment into an escrow account which ends up in a bank account in Romania or Poland and the vehicle is never delivered.

So far this latest scam operation is only targeting cars and is being investigated by Victoria Police.

However, it is similar to scams that have been operating for online second-hand motorcycle sales and is becoming increasingly more common.

Among the many scams are sellers attempting to shift bikes which are unsafe to ride, have a hidden history or are stolen.

The used vehicle market can be a dishonest and dangerous place to conduct business.

But by being aware of common scams and how to avoid them, you should be able to find a reliable, safe and affordable motorcycle second-hand.

Here are a few of the more common scams to keep a look out for.

eBay, Gumtree and Craigslist scam

Ebay, Gumtree, Craigslist and other similar websites have become huge marketplaces for buying and selling used motorcycles. 

Unfortunately, there are many scams out there so always be wary with this route.

As in the above scenario, the seller demands a large downpayment to hold the motorbike. Once this has been received, communication ceases and they disappear.

Clocking2017 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 scams

Clocking involves winding back the odometer to make the bike appear newer (this is also very common with used cars).

Avoid this scam by looking for screwdriver marks around the casing, seeing if the general condition matches the mileage and by checking MOT and service documents to see if the displayed mileage adds up.

Stolen

You may think that you have found a huge bargain due to the surprisingly low asking price. However, you will then understand why when the police pull you over for riding a stolen bike.

Avoid purchasing a stolen motorbike by carrying out a vehicle history check, which will also uncover anything else that the seller may be trying to conceal.

This is available from the Personal Properties Security Register in Australia and companies such as HPI in the UK.

You should also be wary of low prices and sellers attempting to speed up the process.Motorcycle theft stolen motorcycles sick skunklock scams

Beating the scammers

Beating the scammers requires you to be sceptical. It sounds awful, but never trust anyone you don’t personally know.

Always view the bike in person, or have a close and trusted friend check it for you.

Do all the relevant checks on the bike’s bona fides. Click here for more information.

If they want you to pay into a third-party or escrow account, insist that you select the account.

Online sellers can also be scammed out of their bike. Click here for details and tips on how to beat the scammers.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Harley-Davidson plans to Rewire for future

Harley-Davidson will expand “profitable iconic heritage bikes” while committing to branching out to adventure touring, the new Streetfighter range and electric motorcycles under their new Rewire strategy.

German-born interim CEO Jochen Zeitz (pictured above with an electric Harley LiveWire) has spelt out his five-year Rewire vision in his first public statement since taking over as interim CEO after Matt Levatich was sacked in February.

He made the announcement at the first-quarter results earnings call which revealed a global 17.7% drop to 40,430 motorcycle sales, 20.5% crash in overseas sales (16,707) and a 15.5% domestic slide (23,732).

It’s better than some countries such as Italy where total motorcycle sales are down 66%.

In Australia, Harley was only down 8.7% in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, compatriot Polaris announced Indian Motorcycle sales were “up low-single digits percent” (they never reveal actual unit sales) while “North American retail sales decreased high-single digits percent”.

Both Harley-Davidson and Polaris have withdrawn annual sales estimates in the current unprecedented lockdown.

New strategy

Jochen says under his five-year Rewire strategy they will “continue to expand beyond traditional products and markets”

That means continuing with the More Roads strategy introduced by Matt to train more new riders and introduce 100 new models in 10 years.

They include the electric LiveWire and other electric products, plus the Pan America Adventure model and the Streetfighter and Custom range all with water-cooled Revolution Max engines.

Harley Revolution Max platform includes Pan America and Bronx StreetfighterHarley Revolution Max platform includes Pan America and Bronx Streetfighter

However, Jochen says they have “over-indexed on new riders and new market growth and lost focus on critical profit sources”.

“We made progress with our product line and to some degree our customer base, but profit is lagging and our expectations are unreasonable, especially given the economic environment that we are likely to encounter, as the COVID-19 ripple effect would likely be with us for some time,” he says.

He is calling for the More Roads strategy to be “reassessed”.

His Rewire strategy is his “playbook for the next few months, leading to a new five-year strategic plan which we’ll share when visibility to the future returns”.

To implement the plan he has launched an internal management restructure and established a CEO Roundtable of “select dealers and former Harley-Davidson leaders”.

The Rewire part 1

The first part of the new strategy is to “enhance our core strength and better balance expansion into new spaces”.

We expect that means more traditional cruisers and tourers with some easing of new products in new areas such as adventure touring.

Hardcore Harley fans should be happy, although many will just want Harley to bring back the V-Rod and Dyna.

He doesn’t make any commitment to a return of those models but says “we’ll expand our profitable iconic heritage bikes to excite our existing customers”.

“We also remain committed to adventure touring, Streetfighter and advancing our efforts in electric,” he says.

The Rewire part 2

The second part of the strategy is to concentrate on “markets, products and customers that offer the most profit and potential”.

While that includes domestic sales, Harley will “narrow our focus, time and energy in the most critical countries and market segment that can move the needle for us today”.

We don’t expect that to mean any winding back of the throttle in traditional markets such as Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

However, the difficult market of China may be one that suffers as they “simplify the market coverage model and take costs out of the process”.

The Rewire part 3

The third part of the strategy is to change timing for the launch of new models.

Harley has traditionally launched its new range in August at the global dealer meeting with maybe one or two mid-year model releases in February/March.

That always seemed strange given August is near the end of the northern hemisphere riding season.

Jochen says they will “reset” new product launches “for the first time in our recent history to align with the start of the riding season”.

Pandemic measures

Harley-Davidson 115th anniversary 110th 105thHarley’s Pilgrim Road factory where a worker tested positive for coronavirus

Harley switched off the assembly lines at its factories in March due to the Pandemic and last month made cuts to costs starting with the CE and Board of Directors’ salaries and include “temporary layoff” of all global staff.

Jochen says the closure of facilities and temporary suspension of manufacturing enabled them to clean and prepare the workplace to protect workers.

“We are gradually resuming production in a measured way that is safe for employees and will continue to require all employees enrolled that allow them to do so, to continue to work from home to minimise the number of people in each facility,” he says.

Polaris, which owns and produces Indian Motorcycle, also introduced a range of cost-cutting measures including boss Scott Wine suspending his own salary for the rest of the year to cope with the impact of the pandemic.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Aussie motorcycle sales surprise

Motorcycle sales in the first quarter of this year were understandably down, but only by 2.5% compared with countries such as Italy which is down 65% due to the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Australian market has also had to deal with drought, bushfires and floods over the same period.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries data shows 17,977 motorcycles, ATVs and scooters were sold during the first three months of 2020.

That compares with 18,438 in 2019 when sales were down 14.9% on the 2018 first quarter.

FCAI chief executive Tony Weber says the market has been “remarkably resilient given the circumstances”.

The 2.5% drop is surprising given total market sales were down -10.2% in the month of January following last year’s slump of -6.1%.Motorcycle Sales

However, it’s still very tough for the dealerships which are staying open and trying various sales tactics as well as some offering free pick-up and delivery to service your bike.

The biggest dealership network, MotorCycle Holdings, which includes TeamMoto stores, has seen a dramatic drop in share price from around $1.80 in February to 64c.

MCH went public in 2016 at about $2.50 a share and peaked at $5.22 at the end of 2017.

Motorcycle sales by categoryMotorcycle Sales

Road bikes and scooters reported a decline while off-road bikes and ATVs showed increases.

Taking over as market leader, Yamaha recorded a 21.1% share of the national market, followed by Honda with 20.3% and in third place, Kawasaki with 11.3%.

Scooters suffered the biggest fall, with a 14.1% decline in sales during the first quarter. In this segment, Honda held a 33.1% share, followed by Suzuki with 21.9% and Vespa with 17%.Motorcycle Sales

Road bikes also suffered a significant 7.8% decline over the quarter.  Harley-Davidson still leads the segment with a 18.9% market share, followed by Yamaha (17.7%) and Honda (14.1%).

Off-road motorcycles held their own with a 1.3% sales increase.  Yamaha again topped the segment with 27.8% share, followed by Honda with 24.3% share and KTM in third place with 20.7% share.

The ATV/SSV segment was the biggest positive for the industry with an overall increase of 8% over the corresponding quarter last year. Polaris topped the segment with a 27.9% share, followed by Honda with 21.6% share and then Yamaha with 19.6% share.

Missing in action

While the above results are compared with the first half of 2018 with the same brands, it should be noted that 23 minor manufacturers are not included in the official FCAI figures.

They are mainly small-volume importers Norton, Hyosung, VMoto, Benelli, Bimota, Bollini, CFMoto, Confederate, Daelim, EBR, Kymco, Laro, Megelli, Mercury, MV Agusta, Norton, PGO, Royal Enfield, SWM, SYM, TGB, Ural and Viper.

Motorcycle SalesMotorcycle SalesMotorcycle SalesMotorcycle SalesMotorcycle SalesMotorcycle Sales

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle sales up, but shares slump

Shares in Australia’s biggest motorcycle dealership conglomerate, MotorCycle Holdings, reports increase revenue and bike sales, yet shares have dropped 13.7% to a six-month low.

MotorCycle Holdings, which owns TeamMoto dealerships among others and Cassons accessories, released its six-month results showing new motorcycle sales were up 1% while the total Australian new bike/ATV/scooter market fell 6.1% last year.

The report says their used bike sales were up 6.2% compared with the same period in 2019 and overall sales of new and used were up 3.5%.

Acquisitions

CEO David Ahmet says the company strategy is “growth through acquisitions and diversification”.

Last month, the company acquired rights to sell Indian motorcycles in six of its dealerships: Springwood in Brisbane, Nerang on the Gold Coast, Penrith and Auburn in western Sydney, and Keilor East and Dandenong in Melbourne.Indian Motorcycle Riders Group

It follows the announcement in January that Indian Motorcycle would close its factory owned dealerships in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth this year. A statement on a dealer to replace their Perth store is expected to be made “in the near future”.

MotorCycle Holdings also bought two dealerships in late 2019 which are claimed to be “outperforming expectations”.

The company now has 48 franchises operated from 31 dealerships and eight retail accessory locations in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and The Australian Capital Territory.

No interim dividend has been declared so the company can “take advantage of any acquisition opportunities that may arise”.

Shares slump

shares teammotoMotorcycle Holdings share price history

MotorCycle Holdings went public in 2016 at about $2.50 a share, reached a peak of $5.22 at the end of 2017 and hit a record low of around $1.25 in May last year.

The Indian announcement bumped the share price about 5c to $1.80.

However, it is now down to $1.50, despite a 31% increase in revenue to $178.2m.

Apart from the impact of bushfires and coronavirus, the problem seems to be that net profit after tax is now $4.8m for the half year compared with $5.2m for the 2019 comparative six months.

Ahmet says the overall new motorcycle market is beginning to stabilise.

However, January sales figures have actually dropped -10.2% on January 2019.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Fires, floods, virus slam vehicle sales

January’s fires, followed by floods and concerns about coronavirus have wreaked havoc on new car and motorcycle sales in Australia.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) last week announced that new car sales were down -12.5% (71,731 vehicles) compared with January 2019, which was the worst sales-year since 2011.

Although the FCAI only publicly releases motorcycle figures on a quarterly basis, we have seen the results for January and they paint a similarly dour picture.

Total motorcycle, ATV and scooter sales were down -10.2% on January 2019 to 5581. This follows last year’s slump of -6.1%.

ATV

Off Road

Road

Scooter

Total

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

% CHAN

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

% CHAN

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

% CHAN

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

% CHAN

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

% CHAN

961

1022

-6.0%

1763

2140

-17.6%

2464

2595

-5.0%

393

456

-13.8%

5581

6213

-10.2%

KTM test ride demo motorcycle sales showroom selling motorcycles spiralKTM rides out January slump

Total

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

% CHAN

Aprilia

10

22

-54.5%

BMW

222

202

9.9%

BRP Australia

148

181

-18.2%

Ducati

83

83

0.0%

Harley Davidson

486

498

-2.4%

Honda

932

1519

-38.6%

Husqvarna

213

148

43.9%

Indian Motorcycle

69

61

13.1%

Kawasaki

618

662

-6.6%

KTM

558

479

16.5%

Moto Guzzi

10

7

42.9%

Piaggio

52

91

-42.9%

Polaris

243

293

-17.1%

Suzuki

412

507

-18.7%

Triumph

178

152

17.1%

Vespa

77

78

-1.3%

Yamaha

1270

1230

3.3%

TOTAL

5581

6213

-10.2%

Road bikes

Australian road bike sales dropped 11.9% last year to drop behind off-road sales for the first time in as long as we can remember.

Road bikes are down another 5% in January, but they are now the biggest sector again thanks to a -17.6% crash in off-road sales.

Last year the only positive sector was scooter sales, but they have also slipped by 13.8%.

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

% CHAN

Aprilia

6

7

-14.3%

BMW

209

197

6.1%

Ducati

83

83

0.0%

Harley Davidson

486

498

-2.4%

Honda

296

417

-29.0%

Husqvarna

40

23

73.9%

Indian Motorcycle

69

61

13.1%

Kawasaki

272

399

-31.8%

KTM

158

104

51.9%

Moto Guzzi

10

7

42.9%

Suzuki

156

175

-10.9%

Triumph

178

152

17.1%

Yamaha

501

472

6.1%

TOTAL

2464

2595

-5.0%

Performing brands

Looking only at road bikes, KTM (51.9%) and Husqvarna (73.9% off a low base) continue to do well.

They have now been joined by Triumph (17.1%), Indian (13.1%), BMW (6.1%) and Yamaha (6.1%).

The big losers in January were Kawasaki (-31.8%), Honda (-29%) and Suzuki (-10.1%).

Harley-Davidson only lost -2.4% but narrowly yielded its crown as the top-selling road bike brand to Yamaha.sell buy test ride demo motorcycle sales showroom selling motorcycles dive

Fires, floods and virus

Since the figures are not officially released, there is no statement from FCAI boss Tony Weber.

However, he had this to say about the “conservative” new car results:

“Given the broad range of environmental, financial, international and political issues facing Australia during January, it is no surprise to see the new vehicle market has reported a conservative start to the year,” he said in a statement last week.

Those factors would include the bushfires, floods, hail storms, coronavirus and various other national and international political issues that have kickstarted the year.

Bushfires and floods have certainly stopped a lot of riders and along with the other factors have dented consumer confidence.

A dramatic 17.6% drop in off-road motorcycle sales could also be the result of the fire-ravaged rural community. However, drought-breaking rains may have the reverse effect in coming months.

FCAI figures

While the FCAI figures quoted are compared with like figures from the previous year, it should be noted that 23 minor manufacturers are not included in the FCAI stats as they are not members.

The missing brands are Benelli, Bimota, Bollini, CFMoto, Confederate, Daelim, EBR, Hyosung, Kymco, Laro, Megelli, Mercury, MV Agusta, Norton, PGO, Royal Enfield, SWM, SYM, TGB, Ural, Viper and VMoto.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Indian ups ante on FTR 1200 discounts

Indian Motorcycle Australia is extending its massive discounts to FTR 1200 in its expanded closing-down sale.

Two weeks ago they announced they were closing down their Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth company-owned stores and moving to a system of privately owned dealerships.

Then they announced discounts that last to the end of January including:

  • $3000 off accessories or apparel and free on-road costs on Roadmaster, Chief Vintage and Springfield Dark Horse;
  • $2000 off accessories or apparel and free on-road costs on FTR 1200 and Scout Bobber.

Now they are offering up to $3000 off the rideaway price on any FTR 1200 model.

This new offer is separate, ends on 31 March 2020 and cannot be used in conjunction with the previous offer.

Shame if you bought one of the above Indian models before these massive discounts were announced!

Closing down

Indian say there will be a gradual closing down of their stores throughout the year as alternative dealerships are found.

By the end of 2020, Indian Motorcycle in Australia and New Zealand will operate solely with an independent dealer network, except for Christchurch for is independently owned.

Clearing out floor stock with sales offers will help them move the process along faster.

That’s one customer benefit from closing their company-owned stores. Another benefit they claim is that it will increase the spread of dealerships throughout the country.

Company history

 stores Victory-Indian-Perth-Dealership-Artistic-Render.jpgPerth store opened in 2016

The model of a mix of company owned and independent dealers has been operating since they started in Australia in 2008 with Victory Motorcycles.

Indian Motorcycle was added in 2013 after being bought by Polaris. They sold 102 Indian Chief models in their first year.

The traditional brand has experienced substantial growth since, even during the past few parlous years of motorcycle sales, but last year recorded a 3.9% decrease to 803.

That’s still far better than the 11.9% slump in total road bike sales in Australia.

Sales should increase with the launch of the new Challenger range early this year.

Indian ChallengerIndian Challenger

In 2017, Polaris axed the Victory Motorcycle brand, but continued with the company owned stores just for Indian.

However, it was only a matter of time before they switched to the conventional system as used elsewhere in the world.

Polaris Australia boss Alan Collins said customers needed “more locations and more support”.

“Moving to an independent franchised network of dealers is more sustainable for us and our partners as we look to grow in order to meet demand, while also enabling a broader network of support and options for our customers.”

Former Indian Motorcycle executive and now a senior motorcycle industry consultant Robert Pandya said the factory-owned dealership model was needed to establish the new brand in a new market.

Alan says they will double their dealer network in the next two years.

Sydney Indian and Victory store - platforms halogenSydney Indian and Victory store

They say warranties will not be affected.

Customers are invited to call their Indian Motorcycle Australia Customer Service Centre on 0460775949 “for a chat” or contact them via email.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com