Small capacity bikes made it big in New Zealand in 2018!

Michelle Liew

January 23, 2019

Suzuki GSX-R150 | Photo credits: Tempo

Suzuki New Zealand is certainly making the most out of its local motorcycle industry with the learner-approved 150cc GSX150, which was 2018’s best selling motorbike with 310 bikes being sold to Kiwi riders. Simon Meade, General Manager of Motorcycle Marketing of Suzuki New Zealand noted that younger riders are opting for motorcycling as an affordable commute option. The top five selling motorcycles of 2018 were Kawasaki’s Ninja 400, Royal Enfield’s Classic, Harley-Davidson’s Street 500 and Yamaha’s MT-03. According to Motor Industry Association figures, a total of 6482 new motorcycles were registered last year, and the best-sellers were all within reach of the entry level rider, including the GSX 150 Suzukifest.

Kawasaki Ninja 400 | Photo credits: WebBikeWorld

“The Gixxer 150 has been a runaway success since introduction and sales continue to increase,” he said. “We are especially pleased to see that younger riders who like the styling and low pricing are once again are choosing to motorcycle as their first transport solution.” MIA Chief Executive Officer, David Crawford, also stated that increases in fuel costs along with the more affordable nature of the LAMS class of motorcycles contributed set the hype for smaller capacity models in 2018.

“We think that there was a rise in the number of bike sales due to commuting needs,” he said. “Since LAMS came in [2012], a lot of the NZ distributors are now sourcing a lot of LAMS models and their affordability means riders have a wider range of choice and so we’re now seeing sales up on that as the bigger bikes require a larger investment,” he told Driven. “What I think happens is the smaller end of the market is cheaper, and I think they are primarily used as commuters.