Motorcycle sales strengthen

According to the latest data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the Aussie motorcycle market as a whole – comprising road bikes, off-road bikes, scooters and ATVs – is up by 2.1%, with year-to-date sales to the end of September, 2012, totalling 78,830 units.

However, while that overall rise is modest, the figures for the road bike and scooter segments reveal significantly more movement. The road bike segment is charging ahead, its 31,071 sales representing growth of 9.4% over the corresponding period last year, while scooter sales have dropped appreciably, shrinking by 11.6%. Sales of ATVs and off-road bikes essentially held steady, the former up by 1%, the latter down by 1%.

In terms of outright sales, it’s traditional market leader Honda on the top of the table, its 17,536 units representing growth of 6%. Yamaha is in second, with 13,735 sales and growth of 2.8%, followed by Suzuki (8674 sales, a drop of 9.2%), Kawasaki (7340 sales, up 0.2%) and Harley-Davidson (5427 sales, an impressive jump of 20.4%). Among the other marques, the Italian manufacturers in particular are enjoying significant growth, with Ducati up 29.7%, Aprilia up 36%, Moto Guzzi up 16.9% and MV Agusta up 87.7%, that last figure coming off an admittedly small base.

Other noteworthy performances have come from Victory Motorcycles, its sales up 78.5%. Within the flagging scooter segment Piaggio still managed to post growth of 22.8%, but sales of its pricier stablemate, Vespa, endured a 10.2% contraction. Triumph was down by 0.5%, while BMW was up by a commendable 11.8%.

As far as individual models go, Honda’s CBR250R entry-level machine (pictured) is Australia’s top-selling motorcycle, with 1824 units sold to the end of September, ahead of Kawasaki’s Ninja 250 with 1703. It will certainly be interesting to see how this tussle continues in coming months, after the recent release of the latter’s successor, the Ninja 300.

Harley-Davidson dominates the cruiser market, with eight of the top 10 best-selling models, but it’s Yamaha’s XVS650 in the number one slot, with 710 units, while Ducati’s Diavel has crept into ninth, with 297 units.

Honda’s CBR1000RR tops the supersport chart with 368 units, while Harley’s Heritage Softail Classic is leading the touring bikes with 181 units. The Yamaha WR450F is dominating the enduro class and indeed off-road bikes in general, with 1143 units sold, while the same marque’s YZ250F and YZ450F have tied for top honours in sales of motocross bikes, with 674 units apiece. Honda, meanwhile, is dominating the trail bike sector, having sold an impressive 886 examples of its CRF230F.