International Dealer News IDN 133 October/November 2016 | Page 14

news ROOM

NEWS

BRIEFS
Spain extended their dominance in
the Trial Des Nations in September
to a 13th straight win at the French
ski resort of Isola 2000, with Japan
second and GB third; in the
women’s event Team GB took a 4th
straight win, with Spain second and
Germany third.
United States national crash
statistics 2015 show a + 8.3%
increase in fatalities and 4.3% decrease in injuries.
Motorcycle fatalities where
alcohol is said to have been a
factor were down -0.4%.
Noted Italian suspension specialist
Andreani is to hold another of its
popular Suspension World Academy
courses for professionals of all
levels at its headquarters near the
Misano race circuit in Italy. The twoday course on November 7th/8th
2016 will be run by the same
Andreani suspension technicians
who work the circuit paddocks for
most of the leading race teams.
Polaris Industries’ Timbersled
division has expanded the
range of reversible motorcycle
to snowmobile and back again
conversion kits it sells, with
the addition of its ST 90
‘Ripper’ kit, which allows most
popular 110 cc dirt bikes to be
converted into a snow-bike for
the winter, and back again to
two-wheel spec in the spring.
Despite its previously announced
and ambitious European and North
American plans appearing to be in
a holding pattern, Indian giant
Hero MotoCorp, the self-styled
“largest two-wheeler manufacturer
in the world”, continues to set new
production and sales records for
itself in its home markets. Having
posted its highest ever quarterly
sales in its first quarter, it has now
reported selling 616,424 units in
August 2016 - growth of + 28%
over the corresponding month in
2015, when the company sold
480,537 units.
Euro-4, the latest level of EU
type-approval compliance
regulations, comes into force
on January 1st 2017. The
measures include the most
stringent emission limits yet
implemented in Europe and
additional requirements such
as ABS on larger displacement
machines.
Spanish brake component
manufacturer Industrias Galfer has
been awarded the KTM/Husqvarna
‘Supplier Quality Award’ for their
OE fitment and KTM parts
programme replacement brake
discs.

14

Yamaha Europe unit sales up
Yamaha have released their financial
results for the first six months (January
to June 2016) of their 2016 financial
year.
Net sales of motorcycle products overall
were 477.5 billion yen (a decrease of
49.5 billion yen or 9.4% compared with
the same period the previous fiscal
year), and operating income was 18.1
billion yen (a decrease of 4.0 billion yen
or 18.0%).
For unit sales in developed markets,
while Europe experienced an increase
due to the effect of the launch of new
products such as the MT-10 and
XSR900, North America saw a decrease
due to the planned reductions in
distribution inventories, leading to
overall unit sales on a similar level to the
previous year. Although net sales and
operating income both decreased due
to the appreciating yen, they both
remained in the black.
Unit sales in the emerging markets of
India, the Philippines, Vietnam and
Thailand increased, but decreased in
Indonesia and Brazil due to market
slumps etc., leading to overall unit sales
on a similar level to the previous year.
While net sales decreased, operating

income was on a similar level to the
previous year thanks to the effects of
product mix improvements and cost
reductions etc. absorbing the effects of
local currency depreciation.
In terms of Yamaha’s overall global
corporate results, the period saw net
sales of 778.3 billion yen, (a decrease of
50.4 billion yen or 6.1% compared with
the same period the previous fiscal year),
and operating income was 65.4 billion
yen (a decrease of 8.0 billion yen or
10.9%). Due to foreign exchange losses
etc., ordinary income was 55.3 billion yen
(a decrease of 19.1 billion yen or 25.7%
against the same period the previous
fiscal year), and net income for the half
year attributable to parent company
shareholders was 32.4 billion yen (a
decrease of 19.7 billion yen or 37.8%).
Developed markets experienced a
decrease in sales and income compared
with the same period the previous fiscal
year due to the appreciating yen. In the
emerging markets motorcycle business
segment, while net sales decreased due
to lower unit sales in Indonesia, Brazil,

etc., operating income was on a similar
level to the previous year thanks to the
effects of cost reductions such as
product mix improvements and
promotion of the platform transition
absorbing the effects of local currency
depreciation. In addition, development
costs related to future growth were
systematically invested across the entire
company.
For the first half consolidated accounting
period, the U.S. dollar traded at 112 yen