Motorcycle Sales Defy Automotive Slump in 2011

Despite a rough first half of the year for automotive sales in Australia, the local demand for motorcycles has continued to grow. The latest sales figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show that, in the first six months of 2011, motorcycle sales were up 3.1% on the same period in 2010.

This is in sharp contrast to car sales figures, which dipped significantly in the early months of this year, due largely to the natural disaster in Japan and shaky consumer sentiment at home.

Fuel prices and traffic leading more Aussies to motorbikes

The increasing popularity of motorcycles in Australia has been attributed to the high price of petrol, as well traffic congestion and parking problems in the major cities. With far better fuel economy and manoeuvrability than a car, for many Australians motorcycles are an attractive alternative for the daily commute.

Scooters and ATVs increasingly popular in Australia

The FCAI motorcycle sales figures include variants like moped scooters and four-wheeler All Terrain Vehicles, both of which have sold particularly well in the first half of this year. While ATVs are eternally popular on farms and in rural areas of Australia, there has been a big increase in the number of inner-city residents purchasing scooters for short distance travel.

Japanese motorcycles continue to dominate the Australian market

Despite export bottlenecks following the tsunami and earthquake in March this year, Japan remains our number one supplier of motorcycles by a long measure. In the first six months of 2011, the biggest selling manufacturer was Honda, followed by Yamaha and Suzuki.

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