Australia scooter, motorcycle sales hit record
Motorcycle sales in Australia jumped 9 percent during 2007, breaking a sales record set the previous year, Australia’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reported Jan. 18. During 2007, dealers sold 129,966 bikes in the country. It is the 10th year in a row sales have grown in Australia.
“Motorcycle sales are being driven by many of the same factors that pushed car sales to record levels last year, including the strength of domestic demand, income growth and improving vehicle affordability,” said Andrew McKellar, the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
“It is likely that motorcycle sales are also being driven up by rising fuel prices, which have prompted a whole new generation of commuters to learn to ride,” McKellar said. Under 250cc sales increased 25.8 percent in 2007.
Scooter sales leveled out in 2007 to 14,271 units (down 1 percent) after tripling in volume over the previous three years.
The leading road bike segment in 2007 was cruisers with 13,196 units sold, a 27.2 percent increase.
Off-road bike sales grew 4.7 percent to 50,433 units, driven largely by sales of four-stroke motocross bikes and four-stroke Enduro bikes.
ATV sales in Australia grew 9.4 percent.