[Wanderer]

Hi All

In Australia the Honda has out sold the Kawasaki for 2011
CBR250R - 2172
Ninja 250R - 1984

The Honda was the 3rd best selling bike overall for 2011 with the Kawasaki 4th.

No. 1 was the CRF50F (2982) and No.2 was the CT110X (2227) (Postal Delivery bike).
So Honda took out the top 3!

Info from Australian Motorcycle News.

Cheers
Paul

 

[Aufitt]

Ah they be green with envy, but still such low numbers of motorcycles sold nationwide, (but we do have all the choices which is good) also the average age of motorcyclists just keeps getting higher.. its almost 50 yrs old now.

 

[cbr9927]

I'm not surprised the average age is high for a motorcyclist. The motorcycle industry is too high priced. Shop rates are 80-95 per hour where I live and figure in expensive gear and insurance costs for sportbikes and it drives many of the young crowd away who are busy paying off college bills and saving for a house. You want that nice winter riding coat. Cough up around 150-250 bucks. Need a top helmet. Well Arai makes some that costs 1/3 your paycheck.

Its not a poor man's sport.

 

[lenbrinke]

not to surprising with the cbr getting much better mpg.
can that crf50 be made street legal there?

 

[Aufitt]

cbr250 is turning things around, its less than an average months wages brand new abs on the road ride away here and has forced the green things to lower their prices by $1500 the week the cbr came out.. and it led the private roadbike sales charts for almost 2 decades.

 

[Michael]

Ah they be green with envy, but still such low numbers of motorcycles sold nationwide, (but we do have all the choices which is good) also the average age of motorcyclists just keeps getting higher.. its almost 50 yrs old now.

There was a time when small to mid sized motorcycles were cheap transport for the young and working class folk in what are now developed countries. Bikes like the BSA Bantam and the Honda Cub catered for their needs.

Ariel, Matchless, Indian, and other names we no longer hear of, sold bigger machines to those who hankered for a bit more. So to did BMW, Triumph and Harley Davidson, which managed find a niche to survive.

In developing countries small motorcycles still provide cheap transport for the masses. In Thailand the market is the best part of 2 million a year, well over 90% of which are sub 125 cc. Small motorcycles make a lot of sense.

In developed countries motorcycles became a refuge for mid-life crisis men with a funds to spare. If the reinvigorated quarter litre class is opening motorcycling to a broader demographic, it is a good thing.....

If it opens the eyes of the powers that be to the sense motorcycles make for personal transport for many (which big bikes certainly don't), better still.

 

[Wanderer]

not to surprising with the cbr getting much better mpg.
can that crf50 be made street legal there?

I have never seen one on the road.......

 

[Aufitt]

crf50 is kids bike, (Z50 Monkey bike is ADR approved tho)

But this shows that if the cbr is biggest seller against even non registered off road models and its doing well, there is 100's of diferent models avail, heaps more than the US. (AND NO I'M NOT BAGGING THE US 'EMPTY ONE'.. NEVER HAVE)

Still nothing on the 1980's when 200-250,000 bikes weren sold including lots of small ones under 750cc.

Average bike cost here would be $20,000+.. should see the pits at the track.. the cbr is humbled amidst $30,000 toys with tyre warmers at the ready.