Australian motorcycle sales have hit their first downturn in several years with a massive 13.4% decline to 21,794 in the first quarter of 2017.
Road bikes had been performing best of all over the past few years, but were down by 15.5% in the quarter.
Off-road bikes were down 15.3%, scooters again fell significantly (22.3%) and ATV sales were only down 1.3%, according to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries figures.
The 2017 sales stumble comes after a busy 2016, in which the industry recorded its best annual result since 2009.
Victory for Victory
Ironically, the only motorcycle brand to experience an increase in sales in the quarter was the axed Victory Motorcycles as customers rushed to buy them before they are gone forever.
2017 Victory OctaneHarley retains top position
Next best performer was Harley-Davidson which has been the top road bike brand in the country the past couple of years.
Harley was down only 1.1% in the quarter and retained its top-selling status in road bikes with 2261 sales for the first quarter, followed by Honda (-18.1%, 1943 sales) and Yamaha (-18%, 1455).
Bobber bobs up
Next best performer was Triumph which was down only 6.5%, thanks to the popularity of the new Bonneville range, especially the new solo-seat Bobber.
Triumph Bonneville BobberThe stylish Bobber has been the most successful new model launch in Triumph’s history in the USA and caused such a rush, Avon Tyres has had to ramp up production of its Cobra tyres.
Triumph Australia marketing manager Dale McBride says that since it launched in February, it has been their best selling model with a “healthy order bank still to be fulfilled”.
“Dealer demos aren’t lasting too long as they are sold to eager customers and then being replaced ASAP,” he says.
“We had great reviews from our customers at this weekend’s National RAT Rally.”
Biggest losers
Biggest brand losers were Hyosung -82.7%, Aprilia -78.7% and Moto Guzzi -53.2%.
The sales crash in the first quarter is bad news for the industry and riders.
However, it could lead to a discount war among manufacturers and dealers over the next few months leading up to the end of the financial year as they try to clear floor stock.
We spoke to several dealers and industry figures, but no one wanted to go on the record.
They say it has been a difficult start to the year with extremes of weather – heat, cyclone, floods – and a slowing economy.
Yet motor vehicle sales had a record March!
|
TOP 10 MOTORCYCLES (excludes ATVs) |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Honda |
NBC110 |
527 |
863 |
-38.9% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FXSB |
352 |
304 |
15.8% |
|
Harley Davidson |
XG500 |
322 |
395 |
-18.5% |
|
Honda |
GROM |
294 |
– |
0.0% |
|
Yamaha |
YZF-R3A |
279 |
384 |
-27.3% |
|
Kawasaki |
Ninja 300 |
268 |
453 |
-40.8% |
|
Honda |
CRF450R |
260 |
94 |
176.6% |
|
Kawasaki |
KLX110 |
258 |
257 |
0.4% |
|
Harley Davidson |
VRSCDX |
254 |
171 |
48.5% |
|
Yamaha |
MT07L |
250 |
392 |
-36.2% |
|
TOP 10 ROAD BIKES |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Honda |
NBC110 |
527 |
863 |
-38.9% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FXSB |
352 |
304 |
15.8% |
|
Harley Davidson |
XG500 |
322 |
395 |
-18.5% |
|
Honda |
GROM |
294 |
– |
0.0% |
|
Yamaha |
YZF-R3A |
279 |
384 |
-27.3% |
|
Kawasaki |
Ninja 300 |
268 |
453 |
-40.8% |
|
Harley Davidson |
VRSCDX |
254 |
171 |
48.5% |
|
Yamaha |
MT07L |
250 |
392 |
-36.2% |
|
Honda |
CBR500R |
221 |
170 |
30.0% |
|
Yamaha |
MT-09 |
219 |
174 |
25.9% |
Harley Softail Breakout Pix: Greg Smith iKapture|
TOP 10 CRUISERS |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Harley Davidson |
FXSB |
352 |
304 |
15.8% |
|
Harley Davidson |
XG500 |
322 |
395 |
-18.5% |
|
Harley Davidson |
VRSCDX |
254 |
171 |
48.5% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FXDLS |
167 |
– |
0.0% |
|
Kawasaki |
Vulcan S |
148 |
171 |
-13.5% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FXDB |
133 |
214 |
-37.9% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FLSTFBS |
83 |
115 |
-27.8% |
|
Yamaha |
XVS650/A |
83 |
133 |
-37.6% |
|
Ducati |
Diavel |
81 |
67 |
20.9% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FXDWG |
75 |
86 |
-12.8% |
|
TOP 10 SCOOTERS |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Piaggio |
Fly 150 |
97 |
113 |
-14.2% |
|
Suzuki |
ADDRESS |
88 |
97 |
-9.3% |
|
Honda |
WW150 |
81 |
101 |
-19.8% |
|
Piaggio |
ZIP 50 |
77 |
69 |
11.6% |
|
Vespa |
GTS 300 |
58 |
65 |
-10.8% |
|
Vespa |
PRIMAVERA 150 |
54 |
55 |
-1.8% |
|
Honda |
NSC110 |
53 |
103 |
-48.5% |
|
Piaggio |
Typhoon 50 |
46 |
48 |
-4.2% |
|
Vespa |
GTS 250 |
42 |
41 |
2.4% |
|
Honda |
MW110 |
41 |
50 |
-18.0% |
|
TOP 10 LAMS |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Honda |
NBC110 |
527 |
863 |
-38.9% |
|
Harley Davidson |
XG500 |
322 |
395 |
-18.5% |
|
Honda |
GROM |
294 |
– |
0.0% |
|
Yamaha |
YZF-R3A |
279 |
384 |
-27.3% |
|
Kawasaki |
Ninja 300 |
268 |
453 |
-40.8% |
|
Yamaha |
MT07L |
250 |
392 |
-36.2% |
|
Yamaha |
WR450F |
247 |
529 |
-53.3% |
|
Suzuki |
DR-Z400E |
223 |
234 |
-4.7% |
|
Honda |
CBR500R |
221 |
170 |
30.0% |
|
KTM |
500EXC |
176 |
141 |
24.8% |
Yamaha R3|
TOP 10 SPORTS TOURERS |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Yamaha |
YZF-R3A |
279 |
384 |
-27.3% |
|
Kawasaki |
Ninja 300 |
268 |
453 |
-40.8% |
|
Kawasaki |
Ninja 650L |
131 |
113 |
15.9% |
|
KTM |
RC390 |
92 |
101 |
-8.9% |
|
Honda |
CBR650FL |
74 |
98 |
-24.5% |
|
BMW |
R 1200 RS |
47 |
47 |
0.0% |
|
Kawasaki |
Ninja 1000 |
46 |
45 |
2.2% |
|
Yamaha |
MT09TRA |
40 |
61 |
-34.4% |
|
Suzuki |
GSX-S1000F |
29 |
12 |
141.7% |
|
BMW |
S 1000 XR |
29 |
45 |
-35.6% |
|
TOP 10 ADVENTURE TOURERS |
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|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Honda |
CRF1000 |
191 |
270 |
-29.3% |
|
Suzuki |
DR650SE |
139 |
135 |
3.0% |
|
BMW |
R 1200 GS Adventure |
92 |
92 |
0.0% |
|
BMW |
R 1200 GS |
89 |
88 |
1.1% |
|
Honda |
CB500XA |
74 |
78 |
-5.1% |
|
Kawasaki |
KLR650 |
73 |
79 |
-7.6% |
|
KTM |
1190ADVR |
48 |
64 |
-25.0% |
|
Ducati |
Multistrada 1200 |
44 |
38 |
15.8% |
|
KTM |
690ENDR |
40 |
60 |
-33.3% |
|
Triumph |
Tiger 800 XC |
40 |
99 |
-59.6% |
|
TOP 10 NAKED |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Honda |
GROM |
294 |
– |
0.0% |
|
Yamaha |
MT07L |
250 |
392 |
-36.2% |
|
Yamaha |
MT-09 |
219 |
174 |
25.9% |
|
Honda |
CB125E |
140 |
192 |
-27.1% |
|
Yamaha |
MT03LA |
127 |
45 |
182.2% |
|
Triumph |
Bonneville T120 |
89 |
29 |
206.9% |
|
Triumph |
Thruxton |
78 |
29 |
169.0% |
|
Yamaha |
MT10 |
77 |
– |
0.0% |
|
Kawasaki |
Z300 |
63 |
113 |
-44.2% |
|
Honda |
CB500FA |
56 |
65 |
-13.8% |
Honda CBR500R|
TOP 10 SUPERSPORT |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Honda |
CBR500R |
221 |
170 |
30.0% |
|
Honda |
CBR300R |
131 |
158 |
-17.1% |
|
BMW |
S 1000 RR |
78 |
60 |
30.0% |
|
Ducati |
959 Panigale |
70 |
89 |
-21.3% |
|
Kawasaki |
Ninja ZX-10R |
54 |
84 |
-35.7% |
|
Honda |
CBR1000RR |
49 |
87 |
-43.7% |
|
Suzuki |
GSX-R1000 |
48 |
30 |
60.0% |
|
Yamaha |
YZF-R1 |
41 |
59 |
-30.5% |
|
Ducati |
1299 Panigale |
36 |
53 |
-32.1% |
|
Triumph |
DAYTONA 675 |
36 |
35 |
2.9% |
|
TOP 10 TOURING |
||||
|
Manufacturer |
Model |
Total |
||
|
YTD 2017 |
YTD 2016 |
% Chg |
||
|
Harley Davidson |
FLHXS |
101 |
87 |
16.1% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FLHTK |
63 |
57 |
10.5% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FLHR |
46 |
38 |
21.1% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FLTRXS |
38 |
33 |
15.2% |
|
Harley Davidson |
FLHXSE2 |
37 |
40 |
-7.5% |
|
BMW |
R 1200 RT |
32 |
33 |
-3.0% |
|
Yamaha |
FJR1300 |
24 |
26 |
-7.7% |
|
Honda |
GL1800 |
22 |
22 |
0.0% |
|
Triumph |
T/Bird LT |
21 |
23 |
-8.7% |
|
Indian |
Roadmaster |
20 |
8 |
150.0% |