2021 Motorcycle Sales Figures Australia Q1
The overall Australian motorcycle, scooter and ATV/SxS market combined registered 27,256 sales in the first quarter of 2021, a 51.6 per cent improvement over the opening quarter of 2020.
Off Road Sector leads the way
The off-road market led the storming growth in motorcycle retail sales throughout 2020 with the dirty sector, that takes in enduro and fun/trail bikes along with a modest contribution from motocross, continuing to boom into the new year with an 88.9 per cent improvement so far in 2021. 6162 off-road motorcycles were sold in the opening quarter of 2020 but that figure almost doubled to 11,642 during the first quarter of 2021.
ATV and SxS market booming
The ATV and Side-by-side market is the next big mover with a 57.2 per cent increase, 5455 sales in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 3471 in Q1 2020.
Scooters on the up but could be better
Scooter sales continue to firm with a 26.9 per cent up-tick but at 1475 sales the numbers are still somewhat modest compared to many countries with such geographically concentrated populaces.
Road Bikes recovering
The road market surged by 20.9 per cent with 8684 new motorcycles hitting the market.
2021 Q1 Sales Results
- Total Market – 27,256 (+51.6%)
- Off Road – 11,642 (+88.9%)
- OHV/ATV/SxS/SSV – 5455 (+57.2%)
- Scooter – 1475 (+26.9%)
- Road – 8684 (+20.9%)
A remarkable COVID inspired turnaround
Between the years 2016 and 2020 the motorcycle market in Australia suffered a near 40 per cent decline before the enduro/trail/funbike sector started to lead a recovery early in 2020. Then when COVID hit the market really started to gather strength.
What makes these figures even more impressive is that they would likely be even better if not for severe shock shortages! Many motorcycle models are effectively out of stock until mid-year, and have been out of stock for quite some time.
Sales data being held back
Unfortunately these are the only figures we now receive from the official sales audit. Historically we would be able to see brand by brand and model by model performances, but the FCAI aligned brands now hold their cards close to their chest and refuse to release detailed data which is why of late you have not seen the regular detailed motorcycle sales figures analysis by model segment and model that we generally brought to you each quarter on MCNews.com.au. New Zealand have a transparent mechanism with public reporting of registration data on a monthly basis but here it has all gone a bit secret squirrel.
It should be noted that some brands are not represented in the official audit figures in relation to motorcycle sales. Their reticence to release their figures to the audit body and be part of the FCAI seems to be the catalyst for the FCAI brands now releasing only very limited data, seemingly to not reveal any market intelligence to the brands not aligned with the FCAI.
Brands under the Urban Moto Imports group such as Royal Enfield, Benelli, MV Agusta, Segway and Rieju are not included in the FCAI audit.
Likewise, the likes of CFMOTO, Kymco, Sherco and Landboss that come under the stewardship of Mojo Motorcycles, are not included in the sales figures as these companies are not members of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
An educated guesstimate suggests that the brands represened by UMI and Mojo comprise around 15-20 per cent of the whole market, thus the data is formulated from audited figures that cover around 80 per cent of the motorcycles sold in Australia and it seems safe to say that if the sales from those brands were added to the FCAI numbers the total would likely be in excess of 33,000 for the opening quarter of 2021.
How do we compare to the car sector?
How does the overall motorcycle market compare on numbers to the automotive sector? The car sector sold a reported 100,005 vehicles in the first quarter, up 22.4 per cent, showing strong growth but not to the same extent as the overall 51.6 per cent increase reflected in Q1 for the combined motorcycle/atv/scooter market. Lets hope the the motorcycle fueled exuberance continues throughout 2021.
Motorcycle Industry Comment
Michael Poynton – Director, Mojo Motorcycle
(CFMoto/Kymco/Sherco/Landboss)
“Q1 2021 was extremely successful for our business, with market conditions remaining strong and supply constantly improving. With supply on some key models impacted at the end of 2020, we entered 2021 with a substantial back log of customer orders that are now fulfilled as supply improved.
“We are continuing to see strength across all the segments we compete in – Road, Enduro, Scooter and ATV/UTV. We are seeing demand increase in the road (CFMOTO) and scooter (Kymco) segments, as people return to the office and seek out alternatives to public transport. Whereas growth in the ATV/UTV segment (CFMOTO, Kymco and Landboss) continues to be driven by favourable farming conditions and the Government’s instant tax write off incentive.
“Our business on boarded six new dealers over the Q1 period. Continued growth of our dealer network combined with favourable market conditions should hold us in good stead for the remainder of 2021.
“We would like to thank all of our dealers and customers for your continued support over Q1. We genuinely appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate supply chain complexities that presented as a result of the pandemic.”
Brad Hagi – Managing Director KTM Group Australia and New Zealand
(KTM/Husqvarna/GASGAS)
“It is outstanding to see the motorcycle market in Australia as strong as it is. We are also delighted with the overwhelming customer demand for all our products. The introduction of GASGAS Motorcycles this quarter was particularly exciting and seeing the response straight out of the gates is a testament to the GASGAS dealer network and the product itself. We look forward to seeing more customers having fun on the brand.”
Joseph Elasmar – Director, Urban Moto Imports
(Royal Enfield, Benelli, MV Agusta/Segway/Rieju)
“We have been working tirelessly to manage all the disruptions currently going on with supply chains and logistics during these COVID times, and have been able to achieve another record quarter for Urban Moto Imports, seeing growth of well over 50% for multiple brands that we distribute. Royal Enfield continues to perform the mid capacity segment with over 100% growth this quarter versus the same period last year and we don’t expect that to slow in the next quarter with demand and backorders remaining high, especially with Meteor 350 stock beginning to arrive.”
Tony Hinton – General Manager of Honda Motorcycles
“This last year has been a tough one with the world-wide impact of COVID-19, but the most welcomed outcome for us has been the increased interest in motorcycling. We have seen unprecedented demand across all segments.
“We are really proud to see customers pick Honda as their motorcycle brand of choice, continuing to ‘Ride Red’. It’s really fantastic! Also seeing so many new riders pass through Honda’s training facility, HART, means that there are more people out there riding motorcycles, benefiting the whole industry.
“Honda has five models in the top-10 selling motorcycles list, including the overall number one model in Australia, the mighty CRF110F. The CRF110F also helped Honda take number one in the off-road segment.
“Honda also finished the quarter as the number one scooter brand, with the NSC110 being the best-selling scooter in the country.
“There is a lot to be excited about for Honda in 2021 and into the future. Here in Australia we are reinventing the way we do things, and globally the new products we are going to see in the near future are very impressive. Next month the new CMX1100 range arrives as an all-new alternative in the cruiser segment, with the latest technology including Honda’s exclusive dual-clutch transmission (DTC), in a very attractive package.”
Robert Walker – Kawasaki National Sales and Marketing Manager
“After a very tough last 12 months we’ve been pleased with the results of the first quarter sales this year. Our factories have generally been able to keep up with most of the demand but the shipping and freight has been very disrupted for most of the last nine months.
“Our off-road range has been selling very well which is an indication that our Aussie customers are doing more riding at or around home. Our LAMS road bikes have also been very popular. The outcome overall is really good for our motorcycle industry.”
BMW Motorrad Australia General Manager Andreas Lundgren
“We were delighted to see such strong growth during the month and quarter not only in 500cc-plus but also across all capacity segments, which underlines the breadth of our constantly evolving product line-up.”
