Sales still down – first half of 2019

Data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) revealed 42,457 motorcycles, ATVs and scooters were sold during the first six months of 2019, compared with 47,909 for the same period in 2018. This represents an 11.4 per cent decline for the market in the first half, with all market categories except scooters affected by the downturn.

Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, said the softer motorcycle sales reflected the current tough market environment. “The first six months of 2019 have seen several events which have contributed to the sensitivity of the market, including environmental factors such as drought and flood, a tightening of financial lending, and the recent Federal election,” Mr Weber said.

Honda was the overall leader with a 24.2 per cent share of the national market, followed by Yamaha with 21.1 per cent and Kawasaki with 10.7 per cent. Across the industry segments, Scooters defied the market trend, with an 18.8 per cent climb in sales during the first half. Honda held a 39 per cent share, followed by Vespa with 15.25 per cent and Piaggio and Suzuki equal on 15.1 per cent each in the segment.

The ATV/SSV category showed a decline of 13.9 per cent. Within this category, Polaris maintained market leadership with a 27.9 per cent share, followed by Honda with 24.7 per cent, and Yamaha with 18.8 per cent. Off-road category sales fell 5.9 per cent compared with the first half of 2018. Honda now leads this segment with a 28.5 per cent share, followed by Yamaha with 28.2 per cent, and KTM with 16.7 per cent. The Road segment fell by 17.7 per cent. Harley-Davidson was the market leader with an 18.7 per cent share, followed by Yamaha with a 17.5 per cent share and Honda with a share of 17.47 per cent.

Segment split
ATV/SSV – 22.7% (up from 17.5% last Q)
Off-Road – 34.5% (up from 32.9% last Q)
Road – 36.9% (down from 42.2% last Q)
Scooter – 5.9% (down from 7.4% last Q)