MOTORCYCLE SALES FALL AGAIN IN 2019

The Australian motorcycle market has endured another tough 12 months, with 2019 seeing sales of new bikes decline for the third year in succession. After a high of 114,783 sales in 2016 (the best result in six years), sales have gone backwards since, with “only” 89,199 new motorcycles sold in 2019.

While sales fell, one of the few shining lights in the industry data provided by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is that the rate of that fall is slowing. Sales dropped 9.3 per cent in 2017 (104,111 sales) and 8.9 per cent in 2018 (95,800 sales), but only 6.1 per cent in 2019.

Of the four major categories – road bike, off-road bike, ATV/SSV and scooter – only the latter recorded a sales increase last year. Road bike sales fell by 11.9 per cent from 2018, with off-road sales down 1.6 per cent and ATV/SSV down 8.5 per cent. In contrast, scooter sales increased by a healthy 15.9 per cent, continuing an upward trend that started in 2018. It should be noted, though, that the Australian scooter market is small – 5.6 per cent of the total new bike market – and percentage gains and losses in the sector appear more extreme than the actual numbers show.

The reasons behind the ongoing decline in the new bike market are largely the same as they’ve been for the past two years: slow wage growth and less discretionary spending, as well as instability in the housing market (despite low interest rates) and stricter lending criteria for borrowers. Youth unemployment, which is at alarmingly high levels in certain parts of the country, has a particular impact on LAMS bike sales, while the ongoing drought continues to be a factor, too, targeting the off-road and ATV market as cash-strapped farmers delay upgrading equipment and machinery.

An oversaturated and highly competitive new car market is also a factor, albeit a smaller one, as some potential motorcycle purchasers may be swayed by low-priced compact cars.

Another element that can’t be overlooked is the decline in the ‘postie bike’ fleet that has artificially inflated the sales figures. For years, the CT110 was Australia’s top-selling motorcycle, but almost the entirety of those sales went to Australia Post. With the decline in letter delivery and Australia Post’s move to electric trikes better suited to parcel delivery, CT 110 / NBC 110 sales have fallen rapidly in recent years, including a 52 per cent drop in 2018 alone. The NBC 110 didn’t even appear in the ‘Top 10’ listings provided by the FCAI, suggesting less than 500 units were sold last year. That compares to 1,447 sales just two years ago.

Trends in bikes can’t be ignored, either, as certain ‘hot’ models can boost overall numbers briefly before they lose popularity. An example of this is the compact naked bike market that was kick-started by Honda’s Grom in 2016 and saw other brands join the fray. The Grom is still top dog in this niche, but sales were down 25 per cent in 2019, with the Grom’s retro-styled companion, the Monkey, also seeing a fall in sales.

Finally, in looking at the overall picture, it should also be noted that some distributors choose not to be members of the FCAI, so their numbers are not included in the industry body’s sales figures. These distributors include Urban Moto Imports (Royal Enfield, MV Agusta, Peugeot Motocycles, Super Soco, Benelli, Gas Gas) and Mojo Motorcycles (CF Moto, Sherco, SWM and Kymco), along with a handful of smaller specialty importers, mainly in the off-road and pit bike categories.

2019 Motorcycle Sales - Key Changes

Road Bike sales – 31,981 DOWN 11.9 per cent
(35.8 percent of total market)
Off Road Bike sales – 34,298 DOWN 1.6 per cent
(38.5 per cent of total market)
ATV sales – 17,906 DOWN 8.5 per cent
(20.1 per cent of total market)
Scooter sales – 5,014 UP 15.9 per cent
(5.6 per cent of total market)
Total new motorcycle market – 89,199 DOWN 6.1 per cent

Battle of the Brands

The overall decline in the market in 2019 was reflected in the major brands, almost all of which recorded lower sales for the year. The only exceptions were Husqvarna and KTM, while Moto Guzzi sales were unchanged from 2018.

Honda retained its spot at the top of the brand ladder with 20,819 sales, followed by Yamaha with 19,945: down by 8.4 per cent and 5.7 per cent, respectively.

Third on the league table was Kawasaki with 8,962 sales (down 4.4 per cent), while Suzuki continued its worrying decline with 6,934 sales for the year – tumbling from a high of 9,924 in 2016 and down 8.2 per cent on 2018’s 7,557 total.

Suzuki’s fall saw it lose fourth place to KTM, which had 7,670 new orange bikes leave showrooms in 2019 - a 2.3 per cent increase on 2018. As sales of their off-road bikes fell, KTM’s rise was due entirely to their roadgoing models, which increased sales by 18.3 per cent. The new 790 Adventure R accounted for a large portion of that, with 467 sales for the year.

In sixth place with 6,462 sales, Harley-Davidson’s numbers fell for the third successive year, down 7.9 per cent on 2018, but the Breakout 114 continues to defy trends and actually outsold the Street 500 last year to be our favourite Hog.

Polaris was next best with 5,119 sales (-6.0 per cent), followed by BMW (2,675 -8.5 per cent) and Husqvarna (2,555 +13.5 per cent), with BRP (2,358 -2.7 per cent) completing the Brands Top 10.

Like KTM, Husqvarna’s rise was primarily due to their road bikes. But unlike KTM, Husqvarna increased sales of their off-road bikes, too, by a healthy 12.1 per cent.

While Husqvarna was most improved for 2019, Aprilia was least improved, with only 202 sales for the year - a 39.5 per cent drop on 2018 numbers.

Piaggio sales were down 22.2 per cent (671 sales), with Vespa down 15.8 per cent (744 sales) as Japanese brands leapt ahead in the scooter market.

Triumph sales of 1,787 for the year was also down by 15.8 per cent, followed by Ducati with 1,368 (-9.5 per cent). Had Royal Enfield been included in FCAI data, it’s possible they would have overhauled both Triumph and Ducati, as the brand achieved more than 1,000 sales in 2018 and the arrival of their new 650 twins would have undeniably increased that number again in 2019.

Top 10 Brands – 2018

(sales increase/decrease compared to 2018)

Honda 20,819 (-8.4%)
Yamaha 19,945 (-5.7%)
Kawasaki 8,962 (-4.4%)
KTM 7,670 (+2.3%)
Suzuki 6,934 (-8.2%)
Harley-Davidson 6,462 (-7.9%)
Polaris 5,119 (-6.0%)
BMW 2,675 (-8.5%)
Husqvarna 2,555 (+13.5%)
BRP Australia 2,358 (-2.7%)

Overall Sales – Highs and Lows

The top selling bikes across all categories (excluding ATVs and SSVs) for 2019 featured mainly familiar models, led by Honda’s CRF50F, which took out the #1 title for the third year in a row, albeit on reduced volume.

Behind it, more kid-sized off road bikes completed the top five, with the only true road bikes in the overall Top 10 being Honda’s CB125E and the Kawasaki Ninja 400. After a stellar 2018 (a sales increase of 58.8 per cent over 2017), the CB125E came back to earth with a thud last year, but another Honda star rose in the form of the NSC110; the first time in recent memory that a true step-through scooter has cracked the overall Top 10. Sitting just outside the Top 10 was the Yamaha MT-07L (901 sales -10.2 per cent) and Harley-Davidson’s Softail Breakout 114 (885 sales +11.5 per cent).

Top 10 Bikes – 2019 (all categories, excluding ATVs)

(sales increase/decrease compared to 2018)

Honda CRF50F 2,052 (-5.0%)
Yamaha PW50 1,983 (+1.5%)
Honda CRF110F 1,847 (+24.2%)
Kawasaki KLX110 1,613 (+29.5%)
Yamaha TT-R50E 1,562 (-8.9%)
Yamaha WR450F 1,206 (+6.2%)
Honda NSC110 1,109 (+85.8%)
Yamaha TT-R110E 1,102 (+5.2%)
Honda CB125E 1,013 (-9.0%)

Kawasaki Ninja 400 989 (-9.2%)

Categories – Road Bikes

In terms of the main motorcycle categories, road bikes took the hardest hit in 2019, down 11.9 per cent on 2018 figures. That fall saw off road bikes return to the top of the overall market share, with 38.5 per cent against a 35.8 per cent market share for road bikes.

As in past years, LAMS bikes featured heavily in the Top 10 in this category, but what was more notable is that three bikes recorded 1,000+ sales in 2018, but only one did the same in 2019.

For the first time in memory, the ‘Postie Bike’ slipped out of the Road Bike Top 10. In its place, the new arrival was Kawasaki’s Vulcan S. The surprise was Yamaha’s YZF-R3, whose 17.3 per cent sales increase went against the trend of declining LAMS bike sales, but that’s due largely to the Yamaha’s application in Supersport 300, R3 Cup and similar road race competition.

In the Road Bike subcategories, the Cruiser class was dominated by Harley-Davidson again, with six of the ten best sellers. The brand’s Fat Boy 114 (461 sales +1.8 per cent), Sport Glide (444 sales +42.3%) and Softail Slim (231 sales +10.5 per cent) all improved, but Street Bob 107 sales fell 27.9 per cent to 354 for the year.

Harley-Davidson also featured prominently in the Touring subcategory, with five of the ten best sellers, led by the Street Glide Special with 353 sales (+29.8 per cent), Road Glide Special 114 (200 sales +69.5 per cent) and Ultra Limited (178 sales +24.5 per cent). Indian’s Chieftain entered this subcategory’s Top 10 for the first time (95 sales +30.1 per cent), with BMW’s new R 1250 RT (111 sales +2,120 per cent) and Yamaha’s evergreen FJR1300 (108 sales unchanged) the only other non-Harley entrants.

In Adventure Touring, the new 2019 BMW R 1250 GS and GS Adventure both had stellar years after their late-2018 introduction. A total of 387 sales for the GS (+1,234.5 per cent) and 365 for the GS Adventure (+1,927.8 per cent) was bettered by KTM’s new 790 Adventure R with 467 sales (NEW), but the star of this subcategory, once again, was Suzuki’s enduring DR650SE, which retained the #1 spot with 497 sales, despite a 13.4 per cent decrease on 2018 numbers.

The biggest loser in this subcategory was Honda’s CRF1000 Africa Twin, which saw sales almost halve compared to 2018: 302 versus 573 (-47.3 per cent).

Sport Touring and Naked subcategories carried models already mentioned in the Road Bike Top 10 and no real surprises in terms of sales increases and decreases, but in Super Sport, Ducati’s Supersport was a big mover, with 205 sales for 2019 being a 138.4 per cent improvement on 2018. Honda’s new CBR650R made a strong debut with 347 sales and Yamaha’s YZF-R1 improved 10.6 per cent with 167 sales for the year.

Top 10 Road Bikes – 2019

(sales increase/decrease compared to 2018)

Honda CB125E 1,013 (-9.0%)
Kawasaki Ninja 400 989 (-9.2%)
Yamaha MT-07L 901 (-10.1%)
Harley-Davidson FXBRS 885 (+11.5%)
(Softail Breakout 114)
Harley-Davidson XG500 838 (-11.2%)
(Street 500)
Yamaha YZF-R3A 835 (+17.3%)
Yamaha MT-09 749 (+1.5%)
Kawasaki Vulcan S 635 (-5.2%)
Honda CMX500 630 (-15.5%)

Honda Grom 536 (-25.0%)

Categories – Off Road Bikes

The arm wrestle between Honda and Yamaha for dominance in the Australian off road market continued in 2019, with honours going to Yamaha once again despite a 5.2 per cent drop in sales.

The overall off road bike market fell by only 1.6 per cent last year; a calming result after 2018’s 6.8 per cent fall.

The Off Road Bike Top 10 is almost identical to the overall Top 10, with the only exceptions being the KTM 300EXC and 500EXC, as well as Honda’s new CRF250F, which scored an impressive 796 sales on debut.

The segment-leading CRF50F held its #1 spot despite two successive yeas of losses and against two successive years of minor gains from its main rival, Yamaha’s PW50. Interestingly, all the 110cc machines in the Off Road Top 10 saw increased sales in 2019 after the same models all went backwards in 2018.

Of the off road subcategories, even the Fun Bike class wasn’t immune from the declining market, with overall sales down by more than 20 per cent, despite the aforementioned improvement in 110cc sales.

In the Farm subcategory, the tough times in the rural sector were reflected in substantial falls in sales, with just one model – Yamaha’s AG125 - in this subcategory’s Top 10 improving its 2018 result. Honda’s XR190 was the best overall with 481 (-27.0 per cent), with most other models seeing double-figure drops, too.

It was a similar story in the Trail bike subcategory, with the CRF250F the only real positive and one that’s arguably taking sales away from Honda’s other trail bike models. Most bikes in the Trail Top 10 saw double-digit declines, the exceptions being Suzuki’s DR200S (101 sales +4.1 per cent) and Yamaha’s XT250, which held firm at 151 sales.

By contrast, the Enduro subcategory saw a lot of positive results, but use of these bikes in competition helps the numbers here. Yamaha’s WR450F was the best in this subcategory again and actually improved sales after a fall in 2018. KTMs and Husqvarnas in this subcategory all improved on their 2018 sales, but the biggest mover in 2019 was Honda’s CRF450L, with 397 sales being a 53.9 per cent improvement on 2018.

Finally, Motocross was the grimmest story of all the Off Road subcategories, with the main 250cc and 450cc machines all suffering reduced sales, between 9.2 per cent and 28.9 per cent, depending on the model. Yamaha’s YZ250F again held a slight advantage over its 450F sibling (672 sales to 642) to be the top seller in the subcategory, with Honda’s CRF450Fand CRF250F the next best (537 and 498 sales), followed by KTM’s 85SX (429 sales -6.9 per cent) and Kawasaki’s KX450 and KX250 (364 and 350 sales). Conversely, the Yamaha YZ65, fuelled by a dedicated racing series and growth in junior competition, held its ground (349 sales), while KTM’s 50SX improved 7.7 per cent with 337 sales.

Top 10 Off Road Bikes – 2019

(sales increase/decrease compared to 2018)

Honda CRF50F 2,052 (-5.0%)
Yamaha PW50 1,983 (+1.5%)
Honda CRF110F 1,847 (+24.2%)
Kawasaki KLX110 1,613 (+29.5%)
Yamaha TT-R50E 1,562 (-8.9%)
Yamaha WR450F 1,206 (+6.2%)
Yamaha TT-R110E 1,102 (+5.2%)
KTM 300EXC 837 (-20.4%)
Honda CRF250F 796 (NEW)
KTM 500EXC 762 (+2.1%)

Categories – ATV and SSV

The ATV category fared almost as bad as the Road Bike category in 2019, with an 8.5 per cent segment decline following a 13.7 per cent decline in 2018. Despite this, ATV’s portion of the overall new bike market only fell from 20.8 to 20.1 per cent.

Of the half-dozen ATV manufacturers listed in FCAI data, Kawasaki was the only one of the Japanese brands to increase its sales, by 2.4 per cent, while Honda sales decreased by 18.6 per cent, Suzuki 16.1 per cent and Yamaha 4.2 per cent. BRP sales fell 2.7 per cent and Polaris, despite a 6.0 per cent fall, was still the best-selling brand overall with 5,119 sales.

The Top 10 sellers in ATV were virtually the same as 2018, but Yamaha’s YFM450F Kodiak, which rocketed into the Top 10 in 2018, claimed the Number 1 spot last year with 696 sales, tipping out the Polaris Sportsman 570 which suffered a sales decrease of 23 per cent.

Honda’s TRX range took some heavy losses, particularly the TRX250TM, while Yamaha’s YFM350F, after increasing sales in 2018, fell by 24 per cent last year.

After a strong recovery in 2018, Polaris Outlaw 50 sales fell marginally in 2019 and were still well down on a high of 753 sales this junior quad enjoyed in 2016.

The SSV subcategory was rebranded as ‘Off Road 4 Wheel’ in 2018 and this all-Polaris subcategory saw some impressive improvements in sales last year from the larger capacity ACE 500 and ACE 570 models, albeit on small volumes. In 2018, the ACE 500 saw 245 sales, but fell to 121 units last year. The ACE 570 sold only 23 units in 2018, but improved to 195 last year.

Top 10 ATVs – 2019

(sales increase/decrease compared to 2018)

Yamaha YFM450FB/P 696 (-0.1%)
Polaris Sportsman 570 613 (-23.0%)
Yamaha YFM90R 585 (-18.4%)
Honda TRX420FM 505 (-14.8%)
Honda TRX500FM 502 (-10.5%)
Honda TRX250TM 397 (-46.1%)
Yamaha YFZ50R 369 (+6.3%)
Yamaha YFM700FA 367 (+12.6%)
Yamaha YFM350F 354 (-24.0%)
Polaris Outlaw 50 343 (-3.9%)

Categories – Scooter

Continuing the trend seen in 2018, the Scooter category was again the only one to record growth in 2019. After years of declining sales, the scooter market increased by 12.4 per cent in 2018, while 5,014 sales in 2019 represented a 15.9 per cent improvement over 2018. Last year’s result also increased the scooter category’s total share of the Australian new bike market from 4.6 to 5.6 per cent.

As in 2018, last year’s increase in the segment can be attributed largely to Deliveroo, Uber Eats and other meal delivery services. If you’re in any decent-sized Australian city, you’ll have noticed the growth in these services and that most of those doing the actual delivering are motorcyclists, many on scooters.

Honda was the top-selling scooter brand again in 2019 with 1,910 sales; the 46.5 per cent increase largely attributable to the NSC110, which almost doubled its 2018 sales and was once again the country’s top-selling scooter. Honda’s other main scooter, the MW150, recorded an impressive improvement in sales, too.

A number of other Japanese scooter models also saw significant increases, as did BMW’s large touring scooters (the brand’s sales increased from 87 to 205), while the Italian makes – Vespa, Piaggio and Aprilia – all went backwards.

Top 10 Scooters – 2019

(sales increase/decrease compared to 2018)