American motorcycle sales rebound

Ending two years of negative growth, the American motorcycle market has bounced back, recording a healthy seven per cent increase in sales in the first quarter of 2011, year on year.

At the current rate the American market will record growth in 2011, and the positive news is expected to have a ripple effect across most western markets.

The USA is a vital barometer for global motorcycle sales, and with the Australian market showing tentative signs of recovery, the buoyant mood in the American market is good news for the industry as a whole.

While the sales of off-road and dirt bikes (or off-highway bikes as they're called in the States) are still in decline, down five per cent compared to the previous year, road bikes and scooter (aka on-highway) sales have increased by seven per cent.

Sales of dual-sport motorcycles were up by 24 per cent which is a healthy sign for the market, while scooter sales jumped by 50 per cent, suggesting that many buyers are moving towards fuel-efficient transport options.

The figures were released by the US-based Motorcycle Industry Council.

Though it's not the largest motorcycle market in the world -- China takes that award, followed closely by India and Indonesia -- America is one of the more important regions for major motorcycle companies as the average price of motorcycles is relatively high when compared to the average cost of motorcycles in emerging Asian markets.

In recent years, America recorded sales of more than one million motorcycles per annum, for six consecutive years until 2009. Then the GFC hit hard, eroding the spending power of American households, and as motorcycles are generally viewed as leisure vehicles rather than transport in the USA, sales plummeted to 655,000 units in 2009 then just 440,000 in 2010.