Motorcycle/ATV sales up nearly 2 percent year-to-date

Combined motorcycle and ATV sales were up 1.9 percent through the end of September, compared to the same period in 2011, the Motorcycle Industry Council reported.

Scooters have seen the biggest jump this year, up 7 percent to 29,389 units. Dual sport motorcycles followed with a 4.7 percent increase to 23,558 units sold year-to-date. On-highway motorcycles were up 0.8 percent to 271,767 units through September. The off-highway segment was nearly stagnant, only down 43 units or 0.1 percent, to 51,006. Total motorcycle sales, not including ATVs, were up 1.3 percent. ATV reported a solid nine-month increase at 3.1 percent over the year-ago period. Through September, 161,500 ATVs had been sold.

The month of September was also positive for most segments. On-highway bikes saw a surge, up 5.4 percent. Scooters also had a good month with a 4.7 percent increase, and off-highway bikes followed with a 4.1 percent increase. Dual sport motorcycles were up slightly, with a 0.8 percent increase, while ATV sales lagged 2.8 percent for the month. Motorcycle sales for September, not including ATV, were up 4.9 percent, but with the drop in quad sales, were up only 1.8 percent overall.