The best selling road motorcycles in Australia 2018

Continuing on from prior parts of the ‘Best selling motorcycle series’ in Australia for 2108, here are my views on the top 10 selling outright road motorbike models according to the FCAI. The outright best selling traditional road motorbike in Australia for 2018 is the Honda CB125E, selling 1113 units during the year. The CB125E is a motorcycle that lives in the top 10 selling motorbikes chart almost every year for one reason, just like the Honda NBC110 Postie bike. Both are ideal motorcycles for fleet purchases, the CB125E the main stay of learner schools.

The Kawasaki Ninja 400 and it’s predecessors are another mainstay in the top 10 best selling road bike list. The current Ninja 400 is finally up to spec with other entry level and commuter motorcycles. It’s a nice looking sports bike styled, motorbike although technically very class average. It’s also a new model for 2018 which explains the high number of sales, 1089 units in 2018. I presume quite a few where dealer demonstrators hence overstocked in 2019, based on the cash back and other sales offers I seen. So buy one now if you this is the sort to bike you want!

The Yamaha MT07L is the a 3rd most popular road bike with 1002 units sold in 2018. It is a specific LAMS model and has been around for a few years, so it’s figures are a genuine representative of the demand for this motorbike. I don’t need to guess why it sells! It looks good and indistinguishable from the full power version and arguably one of the most powerful LAMs, at least in terms of torque.

Two Harley Davidson’s occupy the next top selling spots. Not unexpectedly the entry level and LAMS Harley Davidson Street 500 (944 units) followed by the Breakout 114 FXBRS Softail (794 units). I don’t regard the Street 500 as the real deal for the time being as it doesn’t look like a Harley and because past marketing has always stressed the USA connection. The company makes bikes in other countries now so it should be honest and promote it! On the other hand the HD FXBRS Breakout is the real deal, a great looking cruiser as standard and there are plenty of mods, visual and performance mods but it is expensive.

The Honda CMX500 is the 6th most popular motorcycle in 2018 selling 764 units. It’s a modern interpretation of the Cruiser as you can tell by the blacked out parts. I think the CMX is more a chopper style and hence unique in the class of mostly traditional looking Cruisers. It’s very basic in terms of specification so a perfect starting point for customisation and use as a commuter motorcycle. The matt black parts give it a motorbike from the ‘wrong side of town’ appearance which no doubt help it sell to the younger folk. It’s main challenger is the Harley Davidson Street 500 another worthy model but one that trades heavily on the brand and price buy the latest $8999 deals available as I write this post  in September 2019.

The Yamaha MT-09, the 7th highest selling motorcycle appears visually identical to the MT-07. However for keen motorcycle spotters the frame work is the giveaway. Likewise the MT09 looks more like a stripped down sport bike than a deliberately designed naked motorcycle. That I guess is the key selling point followed but a relatively rare 3 cylinder engine that gives it great physical proportions.

The Honda GROM is the 8th most popular model selling 715 units. What more needs to be said about this little trend setter and modders dream. Was it’s deliberately designed to be a cult motorcycle?

The YZF-R3A is the 9th most popular motorcycle in Australia sold in 2018. Like most the other models on the top 10 list it’s the look that sells. Sport motorcycle to non-motorcyclists look that same but the R3 looks a little different from that rest, a little bit sharper and that’s one of the reasons why it sells. That and Yamaha’s heavy involvement in off road motor sports.

The NBC110 is the 10th most popular motorcycle selling 687 units in 2018. It’s the Postie bike and you can’t have one but clearly someone’s buying them…