Data released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) revealed 17,977 motorcycles, ATVs and scooters were sold during the first three months of 2020, compared with 18,438 for the same period in 2019. This represents a 2.5 per cent decline in the market.
Tony Weber, chief executive of the FCAI, commented on the result.
“The first three months of 2020 have seen many issues unfolding in the Australian market, with floods, drought, bushfires, and more recently the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The market has been remarkably resilient given the circumstances,” Mr Weber said.
The four main market categories were split, with ATV/SSV and off-road bikes showing an increase, while road bikes and scooters reported a decline.
Taking over as market leader, Yamaha recorded a 21.1 per cent share of the national market, followed by Honda with 20.3 per cent and in third place, Kawasaki with 11.3 per cent.
Across the industry segments, scooters suffered the biggest fall, with a 14.1 per cent decline in sales during the first quarter. In this segment, Honda held a 33.1 per cent share, followed by Suzuki with 21.9 per cent and Vespa with 17 per cent.
Road bikes also suffered a significant 7.8 per cent decline over the quarter. Harley-Davidson enjoys leadership in the segment, with 18.9 per cent market share, followed by Yamaha (17.7 per cent) and Honda (14.1 per cent).
Off-road motorcycles held their own with a 1.3 per cent sales increase. Yamaha again topped the segment with 27.8 per cent share, followed by Honda with 24.3 per cent share and KTM in third place with 20.7 per cent share.
The ATV/SSV segment was the biggest positive for the industry with an overall increase of 8 per cent over the corresponding quarter last year. Polaris topped the segment with a 27.9 per cent share, followed by Honda with 21.6 per cent share and then Yamaha with 19.6 per cent share.