Yamaha posted net motorcycle sales revenue of 770.3bn yen for its Q3 ended September 30, 2018, down by -1.5% (-11.8bn yen), with operating income down by -16.7% (to 45.3bn yen). Emerging markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines saw growth in unit sales; developed markets saw a decline in unit sales and sales income. Overall corporate net sales were 1,262.0bn yen (+11.3%). Total unit sales in Europe for the 9-month period were 145,000 down from 170,000 for the year ago period. Total global unit sales were 4,015,000 units, up from 3,914,000.
BC Battery Controller, the motorcycle division of Italian manufacturer Forelettronica, has opened a new flagship store in Thailand (Bangkok). “The new point of sale represents a further step for BC in the internationalisation of the brand, which is already present in 40 countries worldwide,” said Marketing Manager Giovanni Foresti.
ODI Grips (Riverside, California) has signed a product distribution agreement with Technical Touch BvbA of Belgium to serve as the exclusive ODI Powersports Distribution warehouse and fulfilment centre for Europe. “Our goal for ODI is to infiltrate the European market through digital channels, while maintaining the personal, high quality after sales service that our customers are used to,” said Diego Claessens of TT. Completely new B2B and B2C E-Commerce platforms are to be established to support sales to premium dealers throughout the EU.
Majority Peugeot Scooter stakeholder Mahindra (the Indian conglomerate bought a 51% stake in 2014) looks set to take the French brand back into the motorcycle market, and not via its upcoming BSA and Jawa plans. Instead the company showed a pair of USD fork concepts - a Cafe Racer and a Roadster - at EICMA that will be powered by the 300 cc liquid-cooled single it uses in its Mahindra Mojo in India or a new jointly Peugeot and Mahindra developed 125.
BMW may have turned its back on the concept of the helmet-free enclosed two-wheel scooter when it cancelled it C1 programme, but German manufacturer Govecs says it wants to revive the idea as an e-scooter, with belt, roof and roll cage, meaning it falls outside of the requirements for the driver to wear a motorcycle helmet, with launch scheduled for 2021.
The motorcycle industry trade association in Austria (Arge 2Rad) says that one in every nine Austrians aged 15 or older has a motorcycle, and that the motorcycle industry there is worth 2.9 billion euro in total added value to the Austrian economy.
FK Motors Europe is a newly established Germany based import subsidiary for Chinese ‘Major’ Fekon. Initial offers will include three new 125 cc units developed specifically for the western market, including the FK 12 SF Street Fighter – all, initially, being sold in the German market. Fekon has four factories in China with a production capacity of up to 500,000 machines a year.
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, B&B, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MNW
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