Australia is a vast and, largely, barren country when it comes to motorcycle dealerships. According to the FCAI, the national organisation representing motorcycle manufacturers and importers, there are just over 600 dealerships and workshops spread across a country more than 30 times the size of the UK. Fortunately for those dealers, the population of 26 million is keen on two-wheeled action, buying roughly the same number of bikes annually as the UK’s 68 million inhabitants and owning a total of 1.14 million bikes, not far short of the UK’s 1.3 million-strong PTW parc.
Actually, the “motorcycle” market in Oz is a bit of a misnomer, as the numbers reported include Off Highway Vehicles – quads, side-by-sides and buggies. The lucrative market selling these to farmers and leisure users was decimated in 2022 after new legislation insisted that all quads sold had roll-over protection fitted, leading to several major brands, including market leader Honda, to simply stop importing quads at all.
Unfortunatley for beleagured dealers down under, they are suffering a double whammy in 2023 as worldwide economic issues of rising inflation and cost of living increases also hit the sales of bikes in both the road and off-road sectors. After a post-pandemic high point in 2021, sales dropped in 2022, and the downwards trajectory has continued throughout the first six months of this year. Latest data shows overall sales are down 5.9% for the year to date compared to 2022, and a whopping 19.3% down compared to 2021.
