Despite increased overall sales revenue in the first six months of its current financial year to 30 September, profits were halved at Kawasaki’s motorcycle division.
Revenue for the period rose by 3.9% to £775.4m, with growth attributed to recovery in developed countries countering a negative performance from emerging markets — especially Indonesia. European wholesale shipment volume was up by 23.8% to 26,000 units. That figure combines an unspecified majority of motorcycles, plus ATVs and PWCs. North America improved by 11.1% to 40,000 units, within which bikes grew by 18.7% to 19,000 units. However, emerging markets fell by 27.4% to 146,000 units and those primarily Indonesian woes hammered divisional operating profit, which fell by 48.5% to just £2.8m.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries as a whole delivered better numbers. Revenue was up by 11.8% to £3.84bn. Operating profit leapt by 82.4% to £229.3m. Net profit stacked on 47.8% to £145.7m. Such success was mainly due to the group’s aerospace and gas turbine divisions. The biggest drag was its shipbuilding and offshore oil-rig construction division, where a £16.9m operating loss spoilt the party.