The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) recently released motorcycles sales figures for the first half of 2012 and the news is promising. After five years of slumping sales and serious market shrinkage, the MIC reported that U.S. motorcycle sales are up 2.8% for the first two quarters of 2012.
The MIC monitors and reports motorcycle sales activities and breaks it down into four different categories including dual-sport, off-highway, on-highway and scooters. As of June 30, 2012, motorcycle sales were up in every category except off-highway, which is down 2.2%.
Dual-Sport Motorcycles
Dual-sport motorcycle sales for the first half of 2012 are up a robust 8.8%. Dual-sport bikes like the popular Kawasaki KLR650 are super versatile and reward owners with an easy to maintain, comfortable and fuel-efficient platform. KLR650 owners enjoy up to 55 mpg and a range exceeding 300 miles.
The KLR’s smaller sibling, the KLX250S is even more mpg friendly, earning a top spot on the Kawasaki.com/mpg microsite with a reported 70 miles per gallon.
On-Highway and Scooters
On-highway motorcycle sales are up an even 3% for the first half of 2012. While some street bikes are high-performance and/or large displacement, some popular models are available in small to mid-size configurations. For instance, the most popular Honda motorcycles for women right now are the four sleek and manageable 750cc cruisers including the Shadow RS, Shadow Phantom, Shadow Aero and Shadow Spirit 750C2.
Scooter sales up are 5.6% for the first half of 2012. A scooter manufacturer that recently participated at the 2012 AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference is KYMCO. Scooters are generally lightweight, compact, nimble, use an automatic transmission and feature easy to board step-through seating. KYMCO’s scooter lineup contains more than a dozen models ranging from 50cc – 500cc. Some scooters can get up to 100 miles per gallon.
Off-highway vehicles sales are down 2.2% and this category includes bikes like high- performance motocross bikes, trail bikes, play bikes or youth model dirt bikes.
Honda and Harley Davidson
With the news of the increase in motorcycle sales for the first half of 2012, additional reports of good news are surfacing.
According to the Japan Automotive Manufacturer’s Association (JAMA), motorcycle production in Japan for 2012 is up roughly 5%. For Honda, unit sales through Q2 2012 are up 12%.U.S. motorcycle sales for Harley Davidson are also up for the first half of 2012. Figures posted by IronWorks state that Harley Davidson motorcycle sales are up 12% over last year.
