ADVrider.com
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), the peak body for Australia’s automotive industry, has released sales figures for motorcycles and off highway vehicles (OHV) for 2022. Despite some optimistic comments, the outlook is grim – especially for off road motorcycles which made up 42.1% of total sales with 41,681 units sold in 2022, a decrease of 21.5% on the previous year. This suggests essentially that many people in Australia who wanted a dirt bike had bought one in 20212 or before, and innovations by the manufacturers for 2022 were not enough to stimulate extra demand.
It was worse for OHVs. Sales effectively halved, largely caused by the withdrawal of a large number of all-terrain vehicles from the Australian market following impractical and ill-considered regulatory changes. The new laws mandated “safety improvements” like roll cages, which some manufacturers considered not only impractical but actually dangerous. Total OHV sales were 15,825, representing 15.9% of the overall market.
Road motorcycles captured 36.6% of the market with 36,208 sales. Although this was a decrease of 2.8% on 2021 figures, it is relatively reassuring considering the uncertain economic lookout along with the substantial rise in interest rates which has encouraged consumers to tighten their finances. “This, combined with ongoing global supply chain pandemic recovery, has led to less than expected overall sales in 2022,” according to FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber.
Scooters were the one segment of the market which saw an increase in sales. It makes up the smallest portion of the market with 5,316 new units sold, representing 5.4% of overall sales, but it is an increase of 10.3% on sales in 2021. Presumably it represents, at least in part, the continuing increase in scooter-based fast food home deliveries.
A total of 99,030 motorcycles and OHVs were sold representing a decrease of 19.8% on 2021 figures.
“(The) increase in scooter sales and only a slight decrease in road motorcycle sales points to both the resilience of the Australian market and more first-time riders venturing onto our roads,” Mr Weber said. “More and more Australians are realising the lower fuel bills, easier parking and quicker commute times that come with two wheeled vehicles… We are looking forward to 2023 and beyond.”
The post Oz Drops the Ball in 2022 appeared first on Adventure Rider.
