2018 saw a 21 % jump in motorcycle sales locally

MANILA: The Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA) has released their annual report in which year-on-year sales grew by 21% in 2018. For 2017 this figure was at 15.7%. It is important to keep in mind that the MDPPA consists of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. So the figures do not include other brands like Kymco and Chinese/Indian brands.

One thing this jump indicates is further worsening of the traffic conditions, not only in Metro Manila but other regions as well. The scooter segment topped the charts with 577,772 units being sold, versus the 389,168 units in 2017. This translates to an 18% jump in sales. Next up are the backbone motorcycles, which are essentially daily workhorses and are easy to maintain. This category saw 494,842 units being sold in 2018, compared to 436,638 in 2017. Crunching the numbers we see a 17% growth in this segment. The underbone category only saw a 1% growth, 434,308 units were sold last year, and 430,465 in 2017.

Another segment that is fast gaining popularity is the street category. These are being popularized thanks to sportier designs and new features. In 2018 this segment saw a 15% growth when compared to 2017. Unit wise there were 69,627 sold in 2018 as opposed to 60,627 in 2017.

A new segment included for the first time by the MDPPA is the big bike segment, in which 4,427 units were sold in 2018. MDPPA Group president Reyes, says several factors contributed to the increase in big bike sales. These included stronger private consumption, prevalent use of motorbike for personal use, the introduction of more new motorcycle models, and higher remittances from the overseas Filipino workers.

The figures presented do not include other brands from China, India, and elsewhere that have taken the market by storm. According to some officials, combined sales from non-MDPPA members could amount to half a million in a year. With this kind of growth, the 2 million sales by 2020 projected by MDPPA could become a reality.