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NEW SALES DOWNTURN
Australian sales of motorcycles have seen a decrease in the past 12 months that many suggest is down to the pandemic boom finally ending .
On total 95,980 new motorcycles and off-highway vehicles were sold during 2023 marking a decrease of 3.1 percent .
Off road motorcycles saw sales of just over forty thousand for the twelve months or a decrease of almost 4 four percent , on road motorcycles fared slightly better with sales of slightly over 35,000 a decrease of 3 percent . The OHV segment sold 14,585 units , a decrease of 7.8 per cent compared with 2022 figures .
Bucking the trend , scooters experienced a strong increase in sales ( 6,135 units ) up 15.4 per cent on the previous year .
According to Tony Weber , Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries Chief Executive , said that the FCAI believes the cost of living and increasing interest rates were having the greatest impact .
“ As Australians manage tighter finances , recreational products are often the first to be affected ,” Mr Weber added . " Recreational products , including motorcycles , often bear the brunt of financial constraints during challenging periods . The decrease in motorcycle sales underscores the impact of economic pressures on discretionary spending .”
Mr Weber added that the increase in scooter sales seems to be driven by the declining economy as many people seek much more cost-effective ways to commute that include greater parking options .
It is worth noting that these figures only include the FCAI member manufacturers , interestingly brands such as CFMoto , Royal Enfield , Benelli and Sherco are not members and thus don ’ t have their sales figures included . In reality sales figures are more likely to be well over 100,000 units .
FCAI member manufacturers no longer provide detailed breakdowns of manufacturer and model sales , meaning accurate assessment of sales is no longer possible . What can be assumed is that while not all sales are included the data is still a like for like comparison , so the decline of 3.1 percent is more than likely across the entire Australian market .
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