Honda claims number one spot in Australia amidst sales data storm

Honda is the best-selling motorcycle brand in Australia according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).

The Japanese manufacturer’s local arm claimed the accolade in a press release, with the FCAI later confirming the news to bikesales.

With the release of the XL750 Transalp and CB750 Hornet, and success in global racing, Honda had a great 2023. The brand believes an "innovative approach and consistent focus on safety" were key to achieving the number one position.

The news follows the release of new motorcycle sales figures for 2023, which showed a 3.1 per cent decrease compared to 2022.

But while Honda is undoubtedly one of the biggest brands in Australia, the news is shrouded in confusion, with the FCAI new motorcycle data only showing part of the full story.  

The FCAI only releases collective sales data of manufacturers and distributors that it is aligned with. Most of the major brands – including Honda – are members of the FCAI, but Mojo Motorcycles (which distributes CFMOTO) and Urban Moto Imports (which distributes Royal Enfield) are not members and do not supply their data.

This doesn’t sit favourably with the other brands, which have taken the collective stance of ‘one in, all in’. In short, if some brands choose not provide data, then why should the rest? As a result, the FCAI does not divulge in-depth sales data on individual makes and models.

According to the latest sales data, there were approximately 96,000 new motorcycles sold in Australia in 2023. But the FCAI told bikesales that this data probably only reflects 80 per cent of the actual total sales figure “at best”.

So, if the likes of CFMOTO and Royal Enfield were added to the total, would the overall health of the Australian motorcycle industry look a little more positive? And would Honda still be the number one brand? For now, we can only guess.   

The FCAI expressed to bikesales that it would like for Urban Moto Imports and Mojo Motorcycles to join in and supply sales figures. Not only would this allow for the FCAI to supply more in-depth data to the industry, but it would also enable more political persuasion and publicity opportunities for motorcycling in Australia.