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Breakout breaks out of market slump

2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout boy

The Harley-Davidson Breakout has claimed the top-selling spot for the first time as the Australian motorcycle industry continues its first prolonged slump since the GFC.

Usually the top-selling bike in Australia is a postie bike, peewee, trail bike or cheap learner, not a large motorcycle costing more than $30,000.

However, the Breakout, which has been Harley-Davidson Australia‘s top seller for the past year or more, has done it!

Breakout sales were up 84 or 8.3% to 1092. And with a new model arriving with a 107- or 114-cube Milwaukee Eight engine, sales should continue to remain high.

2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout boy
2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout

Harley-Davidson Australia marketing manager Adam Wright says it is “amazing” that such a bike could lead the market.

“But there is a brand equity in Harley and people see the value,” he says.

“It gives people confidence and security in their purchase.”

“That particular motorcycle has an aesthetic value and a broad appeal.”

Breakout against the trend

That runs against the market trend where most brands and sectors were down and total sales slumped 7.8% to 73,141 so far this year.

The worst news is that the road bike market is, for the first time, the worst performing. It is down 14.9% which is even more dramatic than the continuing drop in scooter sales at 14%.

Road bikes are usually the most stable category as they are less affected by farming demand as ATVs and off-road bikes which suffer from produce prices and weather conditions.

It seems the long honeymoon of learner-approved motorcycles has also gone off with the top 10 learner bikes all experiencing major drops, except for the Honda Grom and CRF250L.

2017 Honda Grom stars
Honda Grom

Best performers

Sales data published by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries shows sales of motorcycles, scooters and ATVs totalled 73,141 for the first nine months. That compares with 79,352 for the same period in 2016.

Honda remains the market leader with 22.8% of total sales ahead of Yamaha (19.9%), Kawasaki (9.5%) and Harley-Davidson (8.9%).

Harley also remains the top-selling road bike company for the sixth quarter in a row, followed by Honda and Yamaha.

Road bikes were again the highest volume segment, with 29,625 sales or 40.5% of the total motorcycle market.

Although coming off a low volume base, both Indian and the now-defunct Victory motorcycles posted strong increases during the period of 16.4% and 47.1% respectively.

2018 Indian Roadmaster Elite
2018 Indian Roadmaster Elite

Worst performers

The worst performing road bike companies were Hyosung (-84.7%), Moto Guzzi -45.9%) and Aprilia (44.7%).

Off-road bikes represented 32.9% of the market, down 5%. Yamaha led this segment ahead of Honda and KTM. A standout performer in the off-road segment was Husqvarna, which posted a 31.6% increase.

The ATV and SSV segment grew by 4.5% to 22.8% of the market, led by Polaris, then Honda and Yamaha.

The scooter segment again experienced a decline in sales, down 14% to just 3.8% of industry sales with Italian maker Piaggio the best seller, followed by Honda and Vespa.

(Note that several manufacturers do not supply figures to the FCAI, including mainly small-volume brands such as Benelli, Bimota, Bollini, CFMoto, Confederate, Daelim, EBR, Kymco, Laro, Megelli, Mercury, MV Agusta, PGO, Royal Enfield, SWM, SYM, TGB, Ural and Viper.)

Top 10 manufacturers

(2016 figures in brackets)

  1. Honda 16,646 (17,093) -2.6%
  2. Yamaha 14,546 (16,973) -14.3%
  3. Kawasaki 6936 (7455) -7%
  4. Harley-Davidson 6525 (7201) -9.4%
  5. Suzuki 5765 (6965) -17.2%
  6. KTM 5605 (6277) -10.7%
  7. Polaris 4758 (4000) 19%
  8. BMW 2098 (2466) -14.9%
  9. BRP 1970 (1959) 0.6%
  10. Husqvarna 1986 (1492) 33.1%

Top 10 road bike manufacturers

(Excludes scooters)

  1. Harley-Davidson 6525 (7201) -9.4%
  2. Honda 5720 (6670) -14.2%
  3. Yamaha 4211 (5822) -27.7%
  4. Kawasaki 3253 (3689) -11.8%
  5. BMW 2029 (2373) -14.5%
  6. Suzuki 1964 (2319) -15.3%
  7. Triumph 1745 (2310) -24.5%
  8. Ducati 1349 (1506) -10.4%
  9. KTM 1310 (1310) 0%
  10. Indian 525 (451) 16.4%

Top 10 bikes

Harley Davidson

FXSB

1,092

1,008

8.3%

Honda

NBC110

1,086

1,824

-40.5%

Yamaha

WR450F

1,069

1,390

-23.1%

Honda

CRF50F

1,065

1,014

5.0%

Yamaha

PW50

920

898

2.4%

Harley Davidson

XG500

889

1,175

-24.3%

Yamaha

TTR50E

851

826

3.0%

Honda

GROM

848

821

3.3%

Honda

CRF230F

809

761

6.3%

Honda

CRF110F

791

762

3.8%

Top 10 road bikes

Harley Davidson

FXSB

1,092

1,008

8.3%

Honda

NBC110

1,086

1,824

-40.5%

Harley Davidson

XG500

889

1,175

-24.3%

Honda

GROM

848

821

3.3%

Yamaha

YZF-R3A

775

1,196

-35.2%

Yamaha

MT07L

726

1,034

-29.8%

Honda

CBR500R

723

934

-22.6%

Kawasaki

Ninja 300

694

1,075

-35.4%

Yamaha

MT-09

621

481

29.1%

Harley Davidson

FXDLS

594

332

78.9%

Top 10 cruisers

Harley Davidson

FXSB

1,092

1,008

8.3%

Harley Davidson

XG500

889

1,175

-24.3%

Harley Davidson

FXDLS

594

332

78.9%

Harley Davidson

FXDB

454

518

-12.4%

Kawasaki

Vulcan S

440

427

3.0%

Honda

CMX500

373

0.0%

Yamaha

XVS650/A

361

554

-34.8%

Harley Davidson

VRSCDX

308

544

-43.4%

Harley Davidson

FLSTFBS

247

345

-28.4%

Indian

Scout

246

243

1.2%

Top 10 LAMS bikes

Honda

NBC110

1,086

1,824

-40.5%

Yamaha

WR450F

1,069

1,390

-23.1%

Harley Davidson

XG500

889

1,175

-24.3%

Honda

GROM

848

821

3.3%

Yamaha

YZF-R3A

775

1,196

-35.2%

Yamaha

MT07L

726

1,034

-29.8%

Honda

CBR500R

723

934

-22.6%

Kawasaki

Ninja 300

694

1,075

-35.4%

Suzuki

DR-Z400E

617

655

-5.8%

Honda

CRF250L

571

540

5.7%

Top 10 sports touring

Yamaha

YZF-R3A

775

1,196

-35.2%

Kawasaki

Ninja 300

694

1,075

-35.4%

Kawasaki

Ninja 650L

331

288

14.9%

Honda

CBR650FL

238

257

-7.4%

KTM

RC390

209

406

-48.5%

Kawasaki

Ninja 1000

155

120

29.2%

Yamaha

MT09TRA

91

152

-40.1%

Kawasaki

VERSYS-X 300

89

0.0%

BMW

S 1000 XR

87

133

-34.6%

BMW

R 1200 RS

87

102

-14.7%

Top 10 adventure bikes

Honda

CRF1000

580

446

30.0%

Suzuki

DR650SE

360

377

-4.5%

BMW

R 1200 GS

288

271

6.3%

Kawasaki

KLR650

242

297

-18.5%

BMW

R 1200 GS Adventure

223

256

-12.9%

Honda

CB500XA

212

205

3.4%

Suzuki

DL650XA

148

125

18.4%

BMW

F 700 GS

142

155

-8.4%

KTM

1090ADVR

132

0.0%

Ducati

Multistrada 1200

131

177

-26.0%

Top 10 naked bikes

Honda

GROM

848

821

3.3%

Yamaha

MT07L

726

1,034

-29.8%

Yamaha

MT-09

621

481

29.1%

Honda

CB125E

502

541

-7.2%

Yamaha

MT03LA

339

467

-27.4%

KTM

390DUKE

273

299

-8.7%

Yamaha

MT10

228

183

24.6%

Triumph

Bonneville T120

214

221

-3.2%

Ducati

Scrambler 800

196

188

4.3%

Kawasaki

Z300

186

225

-17.3%

Top 10 super sport

Honda

CBR500R

723

934

-22.6%

Honda

CBR300R

223

342

-34.8%

Suzuki

GSX-R1000

211

134

57.5%

BMW

S 1000 RR

209

232

-9.9%

Ducati

959 Panigale

199

260

-23.5%

Honda

CBR1000RR

172

188

-8.5%

Ducati

SUPERSPORT

129

0.0%

Yamaha

YZF-R1

120

197

-39.1%

Yamaha

YZF-R6

112

65

72.3%

Ducati

1299 Panigale

107

142

-24.6%

Top 10 touring

Harley Davidson

FLHXS

277

299

-7.4%

Harley Davidson

FLHTK

165

181

-8.8%

Harley Davidson

FLHR

109

132

-17.4%

Harley Davidson

FLHXSE2

108

98

10.2%

BMW

R 1200 RT

92

131

-29.8%

Harley Davidson

FLTRXS

86

99

-13.1%

Harley Davidson

FLHRXS

85

0.0%

Indian

Roadmaster

69

37

86.5%

Yamaha

FJR1300

50

111

-55.0%

Indian

Chieftain

45

0.0%