Become a Member: Get Ad-Free Access to 3,000+ Reviews, Guides, & More

Motorcycle discounts tipped for New Year

tax sale motorcycles novated lease buying selling tough times discounts sales rush

Riders should expect a host of discount offers in the New Year after Australian motorcycle, scooter and ATV sales continued to decline in the important Christmas quarter of 2017.

Overall, the market was down a massive 9.3% from 114,770 to 104,111. It was the first full-year negative result since the GFC.

Every sector was down, but the usually steady road bike sector suffered the most with sales down a whopping 15.9% from 47,780 in 2016 to 40,196.

At the third quarter, ATVs were the only sector with growth, up 4.5%, but even they took a dramatic downturn in the last quarter with -0.7% from 22,834 to 22,684. Off-road bikes were down 5.9% from 39,716 to 37,379 and scooters -13.2% from 4440 to 3852.

Usually the official national sales data is accompanied by a positive spin from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), but it was absent this time.

There is little positive spin that can be put on such an unexpected and dramatic downturn.

Positive spin

The only positive for riders is that importers faced with a surplus of stock are expected to offer substantial discounts in the New Year to clear stock.

Road bikes remain the most popular category with 38.6% of the market, followed by off-road bikes (35.9%), ATVs (21.8%) and scooters (3.7%).

Honda remains the market leader with 24,166 sales, down 8%, followed by Yamaha on 21,387 (-14.1%), Kawasaki (9986 -5.7%), Suzuki (9012 -9.2%) and Harley-Davidson (8903 -13.4%).

Harley remained the top road bike brand for the second year in a row, beating Honda by 1286.

The American company also had two of the top-10 bikes, beaten only by the Honda Postie bike with 1447, down 43.4% from 2558 in 2016.

In the third quarter the $30,000-plus Softail Breakout led the market. For the whole year, their learner-approved Street 500 was their best seller with 1182 sales, down 29% from 1664, while the Breakout sold 1150, down 23.8% from 1509.

2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout discounts
2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout

The only companies to record growth in the road bike sector were Husqvarna (60.3%) with several new road models, Indian Motorcycle (20.2%), KTM (6.2%) and Victory Motorcycles (3.6%).

Victory ceased production early in the year and sellout models became instant collector’s bikes.

Below are the figures for 2017 from the FCAI.

(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.)

2017 motorcycle, scooter and ATVs

2017 2016
TOTAL 104111 114770 -9.3%
Honda 24166 26276 -8%
Yamaha 21387 24899 -14.1%
Kawasaki 9986 10592 -5.7%
Suzuki 9012 9924 -9.2%
Harley Davidson 8903 10282 -13.4%
KTM 7590 8679 -12.5%
Polaris 6583 6037 9%
BMW 3029 3301 -8.2%
Husqvarna 2647 2168 22.1%
BRP Australia 2416 2524 -4.3%
Triumph 2301 3125 -26.4%
Ducati 1968 2013 -2.2%
Piaggio 1016 1075 -5.5%
Vespa 840 977 -14%
Indian Motorcycle 769 640 20.2%
Other 576 843 -31.7%
Aprilia 436 646 -32.5%
Victory Motorcycle 284 274 3.6%
Moto Guzzi 146 217 -32.7%
Hyosung 56 165 -66.1%
Norton 0 35 -100%
VMoto 0 78 -100%

2017 road bike sales

2017 2016
TOTAL 40196 47780 -15.9%
Harley Davidson 8903 10282 -13.4%
Honda 7717 9651 -20%
Yamaha 5564 7768 -28.4%
Kawasaki 4516 4798 -5.9%
BMW 2927 3178 -7.9%
Suzuki 2591 3124 -17.1%
Triumph 2301 3125 -26.4%
Ducati 1968 2013 -2.2%
KTM 1758 1656 6.2%
Indian Motorcycle 769 640 20.2%
Other 314 465 -32.5%
Victory Motorcycle 284 274 3.6%
Aprilia 196 273 -28.2%
Husqvarna 186 116 60.3%
Moto Guzzi 146 217 -32.7%
Hyosung 56 165 -66.1%
Norton 0 35 -100%

Top 10 Road Bikes

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Honda

NBC110

1447

2558

-43.4%

Harley Davidson

XG500

1182

1664

-29.0%

Harley Davidson

FXSB

1150

1509

-23.8%

Honda

GROM

1086

1162

-6.5%

Yamaha

MT07L

1032

1382

-25.3%

Kawasaki

Ninja 300

1017

1375

-26.0%

Honda

CBR500R

996

1275

-21.9%

Yamaha

YZF-R3A

945

1522

-37.9%

Yamaha

MT-09

799

692

15.5%

Honda

CRF1000

753

740

1.8%

Top 10 Learner-Approved

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Honda

NBC110

1447

2558

-43.4%

Yamaha

WR450F

1335

1653

-19.2%

Harley Davidson

XG500

1182

1664

-29.0%

Honda

GROM

1086

1162

-6.5%

Yamaha

MT07L

1032

1382

-25.3%

Kawasaki

Ninja 300

1017

1375

-26.0%

Honda

CBR500R

996

1275

-21.9%

Yamaha

YZF-R3A

945

1522

-37.9%

Honda

CRF250L

820

820

0.0%

Suzuki

DR-Z400E

800

878

-8.9%

Top 10 Adventure Touring

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Honda

CRF1000

753

740

1.8%

Suzuki

DR650SE

488

529

-7.8%

BMW

R 1200 GS

472

383

23.2%

BMW

R 1200 GS Adventure

307

370

-17.0%

Kawasaki

KLR650

303

388

-21.9%

Honda

CB500XA

274

271

1.1%

KTM

1090ADVR

190

0

100%

Suzuki

DL650XA

189

165

14.5%

BMW

F 700 GS

188

211

-10.9%

Ducati

Multistrada 1200

176

255

-31.0%

Top 10 Cruisers

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Harley Davidson

XG500

1182

1664

-29.0%

Harley Davidson

FXSB

1150

1509

-23.8%

Harley Davidson

FXDLS

665

499

33.3%

Honda

CMX500

595

0

100%

Kawasaki

Vulcan S

590

571

3.3%

Harley Davidson

FXDB

511

654

-21.9%

Yamaha

XVS650/A

488

779

-37.4%

Indian Motorcycle

Scout

383

318

20.4%

Harley Davidson

VRSCDX

310

902

-65.6%

Harley Davidson

FLSTFBS

292

480

-39.2%

Top 10 Naked

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Honda

GROM

1086

1162

-6.5%

Yamaha

MT07L

1032

1382

-25.3%

Yamaha

MT-09

799

692

15.5%

Honda

CB125E

701

903

-22.4%

Yamaha

MT03LA

445

622

-28.5%

KTM

390DUKE

361

391

-7.7%

Yamaha

MT10

287

281

2.1%

Ducati

Scrambler 800

273

284

-3.9%

Triumph

Bonneville T120

264

289

-8.7%

Kawasaki

Z300

252

273

-7.7%

Top 10 Sport Touring

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Kawasaki

Ninja 300

1017

1375

-26.0%

Yamaha

YZF-R3A

945

1522

-37.9%

Kawasaki

Ninja 650L

451

361

24.9%

Honda

CBR650FL

320

345

-7.2%

KTM

RC390

285

513

-44.4%

Kawasaki

Ninja 1000

207

165

25.5%

Kawasaki

VERSYS-X 300

135

0

100%

Yamaha

MT09TRA

127

179

-29.1%

BMW

R 1200 RS

123

140

-12.1%

BMW

S 1000 XR

118

158

-25.3%

Top 10 Super Sport

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Honda

CBR500R

996

1275

-21.9%

BMW

S 1000 RR

295

345

-14.5%

Honda

CBR300R

273

611

-55.3%

Suzuki

GSX-R1000

269

216

24.5%

Ducati

959 Panigale

264

350

-24.6%

Honda

CBR1000RR

246

242

1.7%

Ducati

1299 Panigale

210

192

9.4%

Kawasaki

Ninja ZX-10R

166

240

-30.8%

Yamaha

YZF-R1

160

267

-40.1%

Ducati

SUPERSPORT

158

0

100%

Top 10 Touring

January – December 2017 compared to January – December 2016

Manufacturer

Model

Total

YTD 2017

YTD 2016

% CHAN

Harley Davidson

FLHXS

352

441

-20.2%

Harley Davidson

FLHTK

221

250

-11.6%

Harley Davidson

FLHR

141

202

-30.2%

Harley Davidson

FLTRXS

130

141

-7.8%

Harley Davidson

FLHXSE2

122

138

-11.6%

BMW

R 1200 RT

119

171

-30.4%

Harley Davidson

FLHRXS

114

0

100%

Indian Motorcycle

Roadmaster

82

55

49.1%

Harley Davidson

FLHTKSE

81

63

28.6%

Yamaha

FJR1300

76

149

-49.0%