Strong year for motorcycle sales in 2020

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Australians have continued to snap up motorcycles, with new bike sales up 22.1 per cent when compared to 2019.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) released the full year sales figures for 2020, with 108,926 units sold in 2020, compared to 89,199 in 2019.

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Particularly strong was the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) segment, which includes UTV’s and ATV’s. The segment saw a 38.8 per cent increase from 2019, helped in part by a number of manufacturers exiting the Australian ATV market in recent months.

Road bike sales were also up, with a 9.2 per cent increase from 2019. The Road segment holds a 32.1 per cent share of the total market, with 34,912 units sold in 2020.

Leading the way, however, is the off-road segment, which has a 41 per cent share of the total market. The off-road segment increased by 30.3 per cent in 2020, with 44,697 units sold.

The only segment to experience a decrease in sales was scooters, with an 11 per cent drop from 2019. There were 4461 units sold in 2020 compared to 5014 in 2019.

FCAI chief executive, Tony Weber, was pleased with the overall increase in sales. “Given the difficult market conditions resulting from the pandemic, it is reassuring to see segments of the market continuing to perform well,” he said. “The rise in popularity demonstrates that motorcycles were a preferred option for many recreational and commuting activities during the year.”

The FCAI no longer reveals sales figures for individual manufacturers or models. It is worth noting that not all manufacturers or importers opt to join the FCAI, meaning sales figures for those organisations are not reflected in the overall figures.