Motorcycle sales surge to record levels

**Radar** · 9th April 2008, 22:26

(found this on Netrider)
Motorcycle sales surge to record levels - over in Oz. Read here:
http://news.smh.com.au/motorcycle-sa...0408-24ho.html

Anyone know if sales are up here in NZ?
What you reckon - due to high fuel prices?

**Terminated** · 9th April 2008, 22:59

Originally Posted by Radar

(found this on Netrider)
Motorcycle sales surge to record levels - over in Oz. Read here:
http://news.smh.com.au/motorcycle-sa...0408-24ho.html

Anyone know if sales are up here in NZ?
What you reckon - due to high fuel prices?

Well I could add one more to the sales numbers....if anyone is interested.

Yes I heard a statistic but can't recall exactly what the rate of increase in bike sales here in NZ were last year, but it was up there, that's for sure.

Fuel Prices, well I suppose it was like back when I used to smoke, duty free at 10cents a pack and two bucks a carton onboard and then ashore when a packet hit a dollar - I said 'I'll quit'. Never did at that time, but eventually I gave up as other priorities took over ie a mortgage. In the present climate I would not be surprised to see continuing bike sales on the up and certainly over the next 12 months, fuel prices or otherwise.

Heads Up and Enjoy

**Grub** · 10th April 2008, 00:05

It's happening here too. Registrations have never been higher since 1981.

Registrations of new motorcycles over 60cc have gone up by more than 15% every year since 2001 ...
Year Sales ..+/-..
2000 3,598 -6.5%
2001 3,575 -0.6%
2002 4,118 15.2%
2003 4,967 20.6%
2004 6,341 27.7%
2005 7,654 20.7%
2006 9,596 25.4%
2007 11,426 19.1%

The total motorcycle fleet is growing too so it's not just new bikes coming in to replace crashed or otherwise dead units. These are the total fleet numbers
Year Bikes .. +/-
2004 72,699
2005 76,895 5.5%
2006 83,904 8.4%
2007 96,667 13.2%

OK ... how do we stack up against cars? Notice that motorcycles share is up .6% since 2004
Year Cars ....... Bikes %
2004 2,525,401 2.9%
2005 2,622,357 2.9%
2006 2,702,485 3.1%
2007 2,775,717 3.5%

So there's a higher proportion of bikes to cars in the NZ fleet so there is a change in the mix of the fleet. Here's some interesting sales of new motorcycles stats from the heydays of the 70's when there were the most motorcycles on NZ roads ever. 1980 was the biggie.
Year Sales ...+/-..
1926 5,637
1970 5,529 136.9%
1971 12,881 133.0%
1972 14,763 14.6%
1973 25,760 74.5%
1979 21,558 48.5%
1980 29,957 39.0%
1981 24,571 -18.0%
1988 8,968 -28.88%
1993 2,469 -38.92%

In 1988 registrations dropped below what they were for 2007. 1993 was the worst year, poor dealers, it's a wonder any survived. 1926, the year stats started wasn't too shabby, better than 2003! So in 2007 we almost equalled the 1971 figure, it looks like we might keep climbing at the same rate as the 70's

**Dino** · 10th April 2008, 07:52

Some pretty interesting number crunching you have done there Grub, nice job.

.

**BiK3RChiK** · 10th April 2008, 09:39

I think as the price of fuel increases, more and more people will be looking at alternative means of transport... be that smaller cars or motorcycles. I see on the news last night fuel was going up another 0.05c/l. At this rate it'll be over the $2.00 mark in next to no time. I note though, that when the price/barrell goes down, we don't usually get a decrease at the pumps

**Grub** · 12th April 2008, 21:53

Originally Posted by BiK3RChiK

I think as the price of fuel increases, more and more people will be looking at alternative means of transport... be that smaller cars or motorcycles.

Yes indeed ... and there's a compounding factor of returning bikers that may even see sales figures rise quicker to the 1973 levels.

A huge proportion of those 1970's sales were to young guys 16-20 who were getting into all the new cool jappa two-strokes that started hitting the market. Before then all the bikes on sale were English drippy things with huge parallel twin 4 strokes, not the sort to appeal to young hoons at all.

Look at the time delay from '73. All of those young hoons are 35 years older. They're in their 50's. The kids have left home, they're earning good disposable incomes ... and they need to recapture their youth. what better way to do it! I'm sure that's why you see so many grey hairs when helmets come off now.

**ynot slow** · 12th April 2008, 22:42

Originally Posted by Grub

Yes indeed ... and there's a compounding factor of returning bikers that may even see sales figures rise quicker to the 1973 levels.

A huge proportion of those 1970's sales were to young guys 16-20 who were getting into all the new cool jappa two-strokes that started hitting the market. Before then all the bikes on sale were English drippy things with huge parallel twin 4 strokes, not the sort to appeal to young hoons at all.

Look at the time delay from '73. All of those young hoons are 35 years older. They're in their 50's. The kids have left home, they're earning good disposable incomes ... and they need to recapture their youth. what better way to do it! I'm sure that's why you see so many grey hairs when helmets come off now.

Pretty acurate analogy there.Can remember when the cb 750,gt750 and similar bikes arrived in the mid late 70's,neighbour over the road worked for a motorbike dealer around 1974 ish,can still remember him on a cb360 or similar,even the odd jawa trail brought home.Not quite 50's yet but yep similar situation,kids older,marriage history,sell house at good time etc.

**wharfy** · 15th April 2008, 17:20

I got my first bike in 1971 (as opposed to my sisters Honda 90 step through :-)
It was a Suzuki TS90 (street scambler!!). Dual purpose dirt bikes where a new thing and I think contributed to the 70's bike boom. People started using them for fun, not just cheap transport.

Yeah I'm one of the grey beards, but I am not returning - I never left . Unfortunately my bloody kids are still at home !!!

**Boulder** · 16th April 2008, 18:51

I wonder how many of the new bikes sold to make the record sales were actually scooters or small bikes that were bought primarily for cheap petrol economy?

**Ixion** · 16th April 2008, 22:55

What does it matter if they were ?

**Boulder** · 27th August 2008, 15:18

Originally Posted by Ixion

What does it matter if they were ?

The topic of this thread is "Motorcycle sales..."

To me scooters are not motorcycles, and neither are 100cc and smaller 'motorbikes'.

**NordieBoy** · 28th August 2008, 22:03

Originally Posted by Boulder

The topic of this thread is "Motorcycle sales..."

To me scooters are not motorcycles, and neither are 100cc and smaller 'motorbikes'.

Never been to a bucket meeting?

**AllanB** · 28th August 2008, 22:07

I wonder if the larger bikes are selling more due to alot of people getting so pissed with every week something is costing more or another part of their life is getting restricted, so they are saying ' fuck it' I riding again or upgrading and dam well going to enjoy something.