Like many countries the world over, Australia enjoyed resurgent motorcycle sales in 2020 and 2021. The upswing couldn’t last forever, however, as supply shortages and shipment hurdles plagued the industry throughout 2022. Australia’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) quantified that impact with its 2022 motorcycle sales report, outlining that the market shrunk to the tune of 19.8 percent last year.
The Land Down Under also includes ATVs in its total tally, which bumps the annual figure to 99,030 units sold. Still, the 123,530 vehicles purchased in 2021 dwarf the 2022 numbers. Within the segments, OHVs performed the poorest. Customers only purchased 15,825 in 2022, a steep decrease from the 28,321 units moved in 2021, amounting 44.1-percent loss.
Off-road motorcycle sales weren’t far behind with a 21.5-percent slide. The category recorded 41,681 vehicles sold compared to the 53,118 units delivered the previous year.
On the other hand, the on-road segments weathered the storm much more effectively. Street-legal motorcycles accounted for 36,208 units sold. That equates to a modest 2.8-percent dip when measured against the 37,270 vehicles delivered in 2021. Surprisingly, scooters fared best, with a 10.3-percent jump. In 2021, Aussies snapped up 4,821 scoots. Last year, that number rose to 5,316.
While we’ve seen European markets and individual brands (BMW, Ducati, KTM, etc.) withstand 2022’s challenging conditions, Australia wasn’t able to keep the pandemic momentum rolling. However, enthusiasts should also take the FCAI’s findings with a grain of salt.
The official sales audit doesn’t include data from Royal Enfield, Benelli, MV Agusta, Segway, or Rieju. Additionally, sales figures from non-FCAI members such as CFMOTO, Kymco, Sherco, and Landboss don’t show up on the report either. With that in mind, critics believe that motorcycle sales could have eclipsed 125,000 units in 2022. Unfortunately, without data to confirm such speculations, Australia officially suffered a 19.8-percent drop in sales last year.
