Motorcycles sales continue to pick up in May: Association

The Jakarta Post ,  JAKARTA   |  Sat, 06/20/2009 11:37 AM  |  Business

Sales of motorcycles, a key indicators of the purchasing power of the country’s lower and middle-income consumers, rose in May from a month earlier with Honda retaking the lead from Yamaha.

Data from the nation’s vehicle giant PT Astra International and the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI) showed that 457,650 motorcycles were sold during the month of may, up from 385,831 in April.

In total however, motorcycles sold during the first five months of the year declined 17.8 percent to 2,061,685 units from 2,511,450 in the same period of 2008.

AISI has predicted that this year’s sales may drop by 30 percent overall to 4.35 million units from 6.21 million recorded last year, reflecting  reduced purchasing power, thereby weakening demand as a result of the negative impacts of the global economic slowdown.

In May the Honda brand, produced and sold by Astra, regained the lead from Yamaha, which in the previous month had sold more units than Honda, as part of a continuing neck-and-neck battle between the two top Japanese brands.

Honda grabbed a 46 percent market share in May, selling 208,288 units — only 2,000 units less than Yamaha.

Similarly Honda controlled about 46 percent of the market share cumulatively up to the end of May, as compared to Yamaha’s 45 percent.

Trailing in third place  was another Japanese brand, Suzuki, which sold 155,691 motorcycles from January to May, taking a 7.5 percent market share, followed in fourth by place by Kawasaki with only 0.95 percent of the market, with other little known brands taking 0.5 percent.

These minor brands included  motorbikes developed by Chinese and Indian manufacturers.

(JP/Irma)

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