by
Autonet Insurance
| Feb 10, 2009
The number of motorcycles sold in January fell compared to the same time last year but far less than new car purchases, according to recent figures.
The Motor Cycle Industry Association said there were 6,114 registrations of new powered two-wheelers in January 2009 - 7.3% fewer than in January 2008.
Sales in this sector may have been slightly protected as motorists looking to cut costs through reducing fuel costs and finding cheaper motoring insurance made the switch to bikes.
This was in contrast to a dip of nearly 31% in new car sales last month compared with January 2008.
Looking at individual categories, motorcycle registrations fell only 1.6% while moped sales were down 26.5% and scooter registrations slipped 15.6%.
The biggest-selling motorcycle was the Honda CBF 125M and the best-selling make was Yamaha, followed by Honda and Suzuki.
The news comes after motorcycle giant Harley Davidson announced job and production cuts last week after the US chain suffered losses in sales of more than 19%.
And in Japan, rumours indicate the world's second-largest motorcycle maker - Yamaha - may post an operating loss this fiscal year as demand for its vehicles drops.
© Press Association 2009