KIWI RIDER 02 2019 VOL.1 | Page 21

SUZUKI DOMINATES 2018 NZ MOTORCYCLE SALES New Zealand’s best-selling motorcycle of 2018 has been revealed, and the bike in question was quite a surprise. Suzuki’s GSX150F out-sold all other motorcycles in 2018 with 200 registrations noted by industry body the Motoring Industry Association (MIA) - more than 30 more than New Zealand’s second most popular bike - Kawasaki’s Ninja 400. The secret to the Gixxer’s popularity is its affordability, with the GSX150 priced from just $2995. "The Gixxer 150 has been a runaway success since introduction and sales continue to increase," said Suzuki NZ’s Simon Meade. "We are especially pleased to see that younger riders who like the styling and low pricing are once again choosing motorcycling as their first transport solution." The MIA’s CEO, David Crawford, believes that fuel price increases over the past year have in no small part put motorcycles on the radar of Kiwi motorists. “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.” Only two non-LAMS motorcycles appeared in the Top 20, with Harley-Davidson’s Breakout and Indian Motorcycle’s Scout Bobber selling 39 units by comparison to the 200 of the GSX150F. KIWI RIDER 21