Motorcycle discounts tipped for New Year

Riders should expect a host of discount offers in the New Year after Australian motorcycle, scooter and ATV sales continued to decline in the important Christmas quarter of 2017.

Overall, the market was down a massive 9.3% from 114,770 to 104,111. It was the first full-year negative result since the GFC.

Every sector was down, but the usually steady road bike sector suffered the most with sales down a whopping 15.9% from 47,780 in 2016 to 40,196.

At the third quarter, ATVs were the only sector with growth, up 4.5%, but even they took a dramatic downturn in the last quarter with -0.7% from 22,834 to 22,684. Off-road bikes were down 5.9% from 39,716 to 37,379 and scooters -13.2% from 4440 to 3852.

Usually the official national sales data is accompanied by a positive spin from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), but it was absent this time.

There is little positive spin that can be put on such an unexpected and dramatic downturn.

Positive spin

The only positive for riders is that importers faced with a surplus of stock are expected to offer substantial discounts in the New Year to clear stock.

Road bikes remain the most popular category with 38.6% of the market, followed by off-road bikes (35.9%), ATVs (21.8%) and scooters (3.7%).

Honda remains the market leader with 24,166 sales, down 8%, followed by Yamaha on 21,387 (-14.1%), Kawasaki (9986 -5.7%), Suzuki (9012 -9.2%) and Harley-Davidson (8903 -13.4%).

Harley remained the top road bike brand for the second year in a row, beating Honda by 1286.

The American company also had two of the top-10 bikes, beaten only by the Honda Postie bike with 1447, down 43.4% from 2558 in 2016.

In the third quarter the $30,000-plus Softail Breakout led the market. For the whole year, their learner-approved Street 500 was their best seller with 1182 sales, down 29% from 1664, while the Breakout sold 1150, down 23.8% from 1509.

The only companies to record growth in the road bike sector were Husqvarna (60.3%) with several new road models, Indian Motorcycle (20.2%), KTM (6.2%) and Victory Motorcycles (3.6%).

Victory ceased production early in the year and sellout models became instant collector’s bikes.

Below are the figures for 2017 from the FCAI.

(Note that several manufacturers do not supply figures to the FCAI, including mainly small-volume brands such as Benelli, Bimota, Bollini, CFMoto, Confederate, Daelim, EBR, Kymco, Laro, Megelli, Mercury, MV Agusta, PGO, Royal Enfield, SWM, SYM, TGB, Ural and Viper.)

2017 motorcycle, scooter and ATVs

	2017	2016
TOTAL	104111	114770	-9.3%
Honda	24166	26276	-8%
Yamaha	21387	24899	-14.1%
Kawasaki	9986	10592	-5.7%
Suzuki	9012	9924	-9.2%
Harley Davidson	8903	10282	-13.4%
KTM	7590	8679	-12.5%
Polaris	6583	6037	9%
BMW	3029	3301	-8.2%
Husqvarna	2647	2168	22.1%
BRP Australia	2416	2524	-4.3%
Triumph	2301	3125	-26.4%
Ducati	1968	2013	-2.2%
Piaggio	1016	1075	-5.5%
Vespa	840	977	-14%
Indian Motorcycle	769	640	20.2%
Other	576	843	-31.7%
Aprilia	436	646	-32.5%
Victory Motorcycle	284	274	3.6%
Moto Guzzi	146	217	-32.7%
Hyosung	56	165	-66.1%
Norton	0	35	-100%
VMoto	0	78	-100%

2017 road bike sales

	2017	2016
TOTAL	40196	47780	-15.9%
Harley Davidson	8903	10282	-13.4%
Honda	7717	9651	-20%
Yamaha	5564	7768	-28.4%
Kawasaki	4516	4798	-5.9%
BMW	2927	3178	-7.9%
Suzuki	2591	3124	-17.1%
Triumph	2301	3125	-26.4%
Ducati	1968	2013	-2.2%
KTM	1758	1656	6.2%
Indian Motorcycle	769	640	20.2%
Other	314	465	-32.5%
Victory Motorcycle	284	274	3.6%
Aprilia	196	273	-28.2%
Husqvarna	186	116	60.3%
Moto Guzzi	146	217	-32.7%
Hyosung	56	165	-66.1%
Norton	0	35	-100%