Motorcycle Sales Keep Growing

Car sales are at an all time high with sales expected to reach the magical 1,000,000 mark this year, however the success does not come at the expense of the Motorcycle segment which also continues to grow with 2007 giving the best year to date figures on record.

Official retail sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) today show that 38,331 motorcycles, scooters and ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) were sold for the first four months of 2007 to Jan-1 -> April 30.

This marks an increase of 20.5% (or 6251 bikes) for the same time last year. Scooters have been a big push in the last few years but this year has seen sales slowing, as most of the growth is generated from the road bike market (cruisers and sports bikes), which increased sales by 3753 bikes to reach a record of 14,001 – up 36.6 per cent compared with 2006.

“These results are a continuation of the growth of the last few years and reflect an increasing trend towards the fuel-efficiency and convenience of motorcycles and scooters,” FCAI chief executive Peter Sturrock said.

Last year Australians bought nearly 120,000 motorcycles, scooters and ATVs, giving the market its fourth consecutive year of growth. 2007 is set to break the 120,000 record with sales expected to reach around the 130,000 mark.

“The sustained growth has also resulted from the growing diversity of available models that allows more buyers to find the right bike for their needs.” Mr Sturrock said.