January 2011 - Posts

• Kymco Clearance

  As we enter the heart of Summer, Kymco is slashing prices on some of its most popular scooter models - but for a limited time only! Kymco Australia and NZ It's getting hot in here! On the back of its outstanding market share result in 2010, Kymco Australia & New Zealand has announced a fantastic "2010 Stock Plated Clearance" Sale. The "2010 Stock Plated Clearance" sale is sure to wet the appetites of scooter enthusiasts across the country. Kymco is slashing the price on some of its most popular models- the Like 50, Sento 50, Agility RS 125, Super 8 125, Like 125, Espresso 150 and the Downtown 300i power scooter! The Like 125 and the Espresso 150 scooters have all the style of European Summers with a shrinking price tag! The Super 8 125 and Agility RS 125 are the more sporty Kymco models, having plenty of agility for scooting around the city. The Kymco Downtown 300i has become one of Kymco's most popular models being voted ‘2010 Scooter of the Year’ by Motorcycle.com (www.motorcycle.com). The Downtown comes with a fuel- injected 300 cc engine with ABS braking! All Kymco Scooters are supported by a 2-Year Standard Factory Warranty. If you are after a new scooter, now is the time to take advantage of these amazing Kymco "2010 Stock Plated Clearance Specials" that are sure to heat up your Summer.  For more information about the sale, please contact your closest Kymco Dealer. To find your closest Kymco dealer please call (03) 9580 0788 or visit www.kymco.com.au These sales cannot go on forever and will end on the 28th February, 2011. Posted Jan 24 2011, 08:41 PM by allen with no comments Filed under: Kymco Clearance

• 100 Things : Item Number 54

  A date with the Nullarbor…. Item Number 54 is taking the Symba for a longish spin across Australia. SYM Australia   On the 30th of January 2011, Sebastian Terry from Sydney's Northern Beaches, and his good mate Andy Thomas from the UK, will be attempting to ride two 100cc SYM Symba scoota's across Australia from Perth to Melbourne, covering a total distance of 3,279km in just over a week. By doing so, the two will be completing Item Number 54 - Ride a Scoota Across Australia from the 100Things bucket-list. This challenge is not to be taken lightly. By day, the boys will have to contend with the harsh, unrelenting Australian sun whilst dodging kangaroos and giant articulated road trains along the Nullarbor Plain. At night, sleeping in their swag bags on the side of the road, they will be trying to avoid being bitten by snakes, poisonous spiders and scorpions as they rest their weary muscles from the eight hours of riding they will need to do for eight consecutive days in order to complete the challenge. In undertaking this trans-Australian scoota-thon, Seb and Andy are hoping to raise money for Camp Quality, any donations would be greatly appreciated! For more information on Sebastian’s list and the crazy stuff he’s already accomplished check out 100thingssebterry.blogspot.com – you’ll be inspired! Wish Them Luck !     Posted Jan 22 2011, 09:03 AM by allen with no comments Filed under: 100 Things : Item Number 54

• Sales Results Year End 2010

  Official figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show that 105,766 motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles were sold last year - a decrease of 8.9 per cent (10,354 units) over 2009. "The market showed early signs of a recovery in the last quarter of 2010 providing us with some hope of a turnaround in the New Year," FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said. "To sell more than 100,000 motorcycles in any year is a good outcome," he said. "This is a competitive market which will reward buyers intending to take up riding or upgrade their motorcycle during 2011," Mr McKellar said. "Buyers need to be mindful that they are getting effective value for money; stick with those brands that have a proven commitment to service and quality," he said. "Be wary of low quality imitations and ‘grey' imports," Mr McKellar said. Off-Road bikes were the most popular segment in the marketplace with 38,423 sales (down 9.7%) followed closely by road bikes with 37,968 sales (down 11.1%). There were 18,942 ATV sales during the year (down 7%) and scooter sales stabilised with 10,433 sales (down 0.6% units). Honda retained the top spot in 2010 with 23,086 sales followed by Yamaha with 20,500 sales and then Suzuki with 14,749 sales.     Download the Top 10 Report - December 2010 Download the  Summary Report - December 2010   Top Ten Sales 1 Honda 23,086 2 Yamaha 20,500 3 Suzuki 14,749 4 Kawasaki 9,442 5 Harley Davidson 6,073 6 KTM 5,023 7 Polaris 3,910 8 Triumph 3,199 9 Kymco 2,364 10 BMW 1,918     Honda Number One In 2010 Motorcycle Sales Retaining the number one ranking year after year, Honda is again Australia's largest selling motorcycle manufacturer according to official 2010 retail sales figures released by the FCAI (Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries). Comfortably maintaining its market lead for 2010, Honda headed the overall sales figures for the year with 23,086 units sold, and topped several key sales categories including overall road bike sales. After reigning supremely in the 2010 Australian Superbike Championship and the Phillip Island 6 Hour, the famed Honda CBR1000RR is also Australia's number-one selling super sportsbike. In national scooter sales, Honda led with the two biggest sellers; the Lead 100 and Today 50. Honda also dominated agricultural ATV sales with the top three highest selling models; the Honda TRX250TM, TRX420TM and TRX500FM. For junior riders the Honda CRF50F was by far the most popular choice in 2010, making it Australia's number-one selling fun bike and the highest-selling off-road motorcycle. Impressively, Honda models made up four of the top 10 best-selling off-road bikes (Honda CRF50F, CRF250R, CRF450R, CRF230F) and five of the top 10 best-selling fun bikes (Honda CRF50F, CRF70F, CRF80F, CRF100F, CRF150F). TONY HINTON: "The FCAI sales comparisons are obviously an important industry tool to measure our market performance, and once again the results are extremely positive for Honda. "As well as our overall number-one ranking, it is fantastic to have such strong retail figures across the board in many diverse motorcycle and ATV categories in a challenging environment. "We are extremely proud of our position as the market leader in Australia and we work very hard as a company to maintain that year in and year out with competitive pricing and outstanding service. "I think, ultimately, our leading sales figures reflect the exceptional quality, performance and style of Honda products and the well-earned public confidence in the Honda brand.   Posted Jan 20 2011, 05:14 PM by allen with no comments Filed under: Sales Results Year End 2010

• The Scooter Wrap

  In 2010, a price driven Top 10 "Leads" the charge. Will all things remain the same for 2011? We take out the crystal ball.... Allen Drysdale In a positive step forward for the scooter industry, sales look as though they have stabilised with only one way to go in 2011, that's Up!. With discounting pretty much driving the market, the Honda Lead 100 was crowned top seller in 2010 according to official figures released by the FCAI. A large dealer network for Honda and prices starting at just $2000 ride away certainly helped. We can't forget the good old Honda Today 50 either, which continues to sell in good numbers. Both the Honda Lead - Honda Today took the number one and two individual positions overall for 2010. This basic pair together helped drive(ride) Honda into the number one sales position overall(across all two wheeled segments).  Honda launched the PCX 125 mid year with a massive advertising campaign on mainstream media like morning breakfast TV. Initially sales for this scooter look particularly positive for Honda. The first scooter sourced from Thailand, the PCX sits right in the middle of budget versus premium. If sales remain strong, look for this scooter to feature somewhere in the Top 10 for 2011. Piaggio is one of the worlds leading scooter brands and is always in the hunt when it comes to numbers, and why not, they helped develop the whole scooter phenomenon. The Fly 150 is a top notch commuter and has a solid reputation for doing all things well, scooters like this deserve to be at the top of the list.  Across the three brands Vespa, Piaggio and Gilera, the group actually achieved 20% market share. So two models in the Top 10 for the Piaggio brand, one being the Fly (3rd) the other being the Zip 50 (9th). Piaggio's sister company Vespa continues to prove quality sells with the LX 150 also in the Top 10 selling models, coming 7th overall. The LX family has been given a series of recent upgrades including fuel injection. In markets like Sydney, the LX continues to thrive, mid sixes new ride away, the LX is just extremely good buying. Actually it's the only premium offering in this years Top 10. Also near the top end of the list was the newcomer, the Sachs Amici 125 (4th). This became one of our favourites over the year and has all the basics covered, actually we covered nearly 2000km's on our long termer. Good price, classic looks and actually goes really well for a scooter priced at just over $2000. The Amici has a wonderful engine-transmission package and sales were driven by low cost and good looks. Sold under the Daelim banner overseas, expect Amici sales to continue unabated in 2011. Kymco had a successful year when you look at overall sales across the industry. Good numbers in all three segments, scooters, motorcycles and ATV's. Actually the local importer featured for the first time in the Top 10 overall sales numbers, coming ninth. As we are talking scooters here, Kymco made the Top 10 list via the good old Vibe 50 (5th). The two stroke budget scooter is in the Top 10 hunt every year though 2010 may be its last. Look out in 2011 as this scooter gets replaced by the higher spec Kymco Super 8 50. SYM has been Australia's top selling scooter only brand for years now. Again in 2010, SYM was the highest selling scooter brand in Australia. With only one model in the Top 10 mind you, the top performing Red Devil (8th). Probably a good indicator of just how deep the SYM range is, each model shares the workload. With a reputation for safe reliable scootering the SYM brand will continue on with the sales quest in 2011. The brand offers the only 4 year warranty across its range of Taiwanese built models.   Yamaha, like Honda, have a large dealer network and this helps in the scheme of things, especially when talking numbers. The Beewee 100 has always been a solid performer and this year we see it come in at 6th. Perky two stroke performance provides something different, and if you've ever ridden a higher capacity stroker you would understand why. Good intro scooter and loads of fun. This model gets a hand in 2011 by the introduction of the new injected 4-stroke BWS 125. Yamaha also had the Jog 50cc in last place on the Top 10 list. Getting on a bit in age, the Jog still offers zippy fuss free scootering. It's also an easy scooter to get going a little faster if required. Summary So this years Top 10 is very much a list driven by price. So what will change in 2011? Not much really. I expect the Australian dollar will remain relatively strong against the US, keeping import prices low. So expect aggressive pricing to stick around, if not play an even greater role in 2011 . If you're in the market for a new scooter start researching, now is the time. Expect brands like Honda and Yamaha to continue selling large quantities of budget scooters in the hope of helping overall numbers bolster in 2011. Yamaha have already announced the release of the 125 cc Vity, pricing will be sharp. Established scooter brands will remain the backbone of the industry. The Piaggio brands will continue offering a substantial cross section of scooters, remembering these guys own 20% of the market. Something for everybody from the commuting Piaggio Fly to the premium Vespa GTS 300. For SYM it will be business as usual, a quality product range with the added bonus of a 4 year warranty across the Taiwanese built models. I'm expecting a few new models along the way but a "good thing" will always be hard to beat. For Kymco the desire to be number one in scooters at the end of 2011 will be strong. New models like the Super 8 50 and not forgetting scooters like the new Like 200i, both being released first quarter 2011.     Mojo Motorcycles, a fairly new player, have established themselves as one of the big movers in 2010. Mojo now import the brands Daelim, TGB, Sachs and CF Moto, all of which had significant percentage increases across last year. Look out again for Mojo in 2011, they are extremely good at choosing models that we actually want, the Amici is a good example of that. Daelim has just been relaunched and new models are on the way, B-bone being one of them. Sharp pricing, good model ranges, quality brands, Mojo will be right in the mix when we do the numbers in 2011. Then you can start looking at other major players like Aprilia, who had an extremely good year with the Sportcity range. A drop in prices over their entire scooter range at the start of 2010 gave the brand an air of competitiveness. Again they hit the ground running in 2011 with the launch of the "all new" Sportcity 50 2 stroke. Other brands like PGO will continue on the sheer fact that the product is proven and deserves to sell. V Moto should also get a mention, a blast from the past, this brand looks to be offering a new model range, including the E-Max 110S Electric powered scooter. If they succeed in getting distribution set up on the east coast of Australia they could very well sell a substantial quantity of scooters this year. The scooter market in recent years has been slowly contracting though I do believe we have seen the bottom figure(-0.6% Down On LY). Scooters just offer so much convenience beyond what other forms of transport have on offer. In 2011, I would be predicting a resurgence of the scooter market, thanks largely to aggressive pricing and the continued need for cheap economical transport. Add into the equation a fuel price increase and we may even see a bumper year.   Dealers will be working hard to get sales, nothing has changed here, they still have the rent to pay. Whilst we have seen a few dealers fall off the perch over recent years, 2011 should bring with it some stability and reassurance. So all up we should see the scooter industry as a whole bounce back. The FCAI stated in its press release to look out for generic no name brands. On the face of it prices will be low and the need to look outside the core brands should serve as a warning. With an established brand you will receive the right support, back up and service, you can take comfort in the knowledge that established brands want your scooter experience to be a good one.   My feelings for the used market, things will remain relatively narrow as most people opt for a new scooter with warranty. So that's the wrap for 2010 with a little hint of what is to come in 2011. A relatively positive outlook that may have been a little dampened with our strange devastating weather patterns that have started the year across the eastern seaboard.   Scootersales.com.au will continue to cover the latest happenings on the scooter scene and keep you abreast of what's new as it hits the showroom floors. 2011 the year of the scooter? Just might be!        Posted Jan 20 2011, 01:50 PM by allen with 1 comment(s) Filed under: The Scooter Wrap Australia 2010

• Kymco Agility RS 125 Review

  An honest scooter that could fill your commuting dreams for under 3 grand. Doesn't half look bad either! Allen Drysdale http://www.flickr.com/photos/scootersales/sets/72157625632552793/show/   Introduction  Scooters like the Kymco Agility RS 125 offer tremendous value for money, they will do most things well for under 3 grand. So could you seriously commute for this kind of money? We find out.   Specifications Generally at this price-point things can be basic, but full points to the Agility as it does tick a fair few boxes. In doing so it feels like a scooter that could be worth a fair bit more than the list price suggests. Sports stripes, striking colour schemes, the RS 125 is a real step up from the Agility of old. The style is modern and sporty, a look that got the thumbs up from many a passing admirer. The angular styling transcends into areas like the dash, again looks smart. You have the regular speed and fuel, and the added bonus of a digital clock (nice). The blinkers have an audible warning when in operation, switchgear is good quality. The 5 spoke alloy wheels match the modern style. The wave disc brake on the front is a nice touch, the rear gets a drum. The Agility's layout provides the basis for good storage. A flat floor is always a good start, you have fairly good helmet storage, a useful bag hook. The seat provides enough support and you can carry a passenger if required. Integrated footrests work well enough, and the rear wing doubles as a very sturdy grab handle. Other features include a centre and side stand, the latter not having a cut out, though it is spring loaded. Need to make mention of quality, fit and finish. Everything is integrated, blinkers and lights. Sit on the Agility and you get a nice reassuring feeling that this is a well built scooter.   On The Road Surprisingly given the price-point, the Agility RS is reasonably quick for a budget scooter. Off the mark acceleration is brisk and you do have ample power for those around town jaunts. The Agility RS 125 will pull easily to 90 km/h and mid-range punch is sufficient. Remember that the Agility costs $2500, performance is willing and surprising for a scooter in this price range. Though, ask it to do motorway runs on a regular basis and you are most likely starting to head outside this scooters boundaries. Be realistic..... The Agility RS 125 is significantly small so "turn in" is sharp. Getting in and out of traffic is a breeze and man-handling the Agility for those of a smaller stature will be easy. This is a lightweight package and very simple to live with. For taller people you might want a little more legroom but even then you could manage. As you do add weight, some of the larger bumps on our roads can tend to unsettle the momentum, make some adjustments on the rear shock if you add a passenger. One up the Agility handles on the firm side, though it is direct and where you look is where you end up going. The Agility runs a 12 inch wheel and tyre combo and this makes certain the Agility feels very nimble.   The Agility's front brakes are excellent. On budget scooters, especially the no name variety, you can sometimes get front brakes that feel, well, woody. Not with the Agility, the front brake worked a treat and always felt solid, the RS would pull up on a dime. The rear brake is a standard drum, use it for steadying purposes only and you'll be fine. I think really from an everyday perspective the Agility will adapt easily to anything you can throw at it. I used the Agility a great deal for short trips around the city and found it very handy for those holiday shop runs. The Agility becomes an extremely practical tool, especially when you take into account the flat floor, this was very handy for carrying a few cases over the holiday period. Not to mention bucket loads of groceries......  I like the way that everything feels like it's bolted on, and that only comes from Kymco's experience in building some of the best scooters available.     Conclusion And really here is the whole point of the Agility. It's cheap, very easy to ride, will start, stop and go like a scooter should. The Agility is practical and when it comes time to filling the tank, you smile. With the RS you actually have a scooter that looks good too. Actually it looks pretty smart when you look at how everything is nicely integrated and put together.   This could be said for many a scooter, but in this case you have one that wears the Kymco brand name. This can add a great deal of reassurance when you're buying scooters in this price range. So the Kymco Agility RS fits the low cost commuter task perfectly. We asked initially: Could you commute for under 3 grand ? The answer is a resounding yes, with confidence and a little flair thrown in for good measure. Good one Kymco..... Review scooter supplied by Scooterworld Redfern For more info go to www.kymco.com.au   Posted Jan 11 2011, 06:48 AM by allen with no comments Filed under: Kymco Agility RS 125

• Piaggio on a High

  The year has ended with Piaggio Australia capturing over 20% market share across Australia. Piaggio Australia Piaggio Finishes 2010 on a High   The Piaggio brands proved once again to be the favourite choice for Australian scooter buyers. The Italian company achieved a market leading share of 21.9% (Dec YTD) with its Piaggio, Vespa and Gilera brands which are marketed separately because of their distinctively different styles.   Whilst Vespa continued to dominate the classic segment, Piaggio grew in the contemporary segment, the brands success in no small way attributed to Australia’s number 1 selling scooter the “Piaggio Fly” which is available in 125cc and 150cc versions.   “It was great to see the market stabilise after a few years of decline, with the 2010 market being up 0.6% on 2009” said Piaggio Brand Manager, Simon Gloyne, “although there has been a trend by consumers to be more budget conscious than pre-GFC times.   With the Fly we’ve been in the fortunate position to offer a quality product but still at a price that suits the budget buyer”.     Piaggio The Piaggio company, nestled in the Tuscan countryside between Florence and Pisa, first invented scooters in 1946 when it produced the first ever Vespa. Today, Piaggio continues to produce scooters under three brands: the classic Vespa, the sporty Gilera and the contemporary Piaggio. In Australia, the Piaggio brand offers an extensive range of quality Italian scooters from 50cc to 500cc. Piaggio is the choice for discerning commuters who insist on a modern design with the quality that can only come from 60 years experience as a specialised scooter company.   Vespa There is only one Vespa and it remains the iconic scooter brand with its unique metal-bodied design. The first Vespa was invented in 1946 by the Piaggio company and helped liberate a war-torn Italy. Nestled in the Tuscan countryside between Florence and Pisa, Piaggio continues to produce scooters under three brands: the classic Vespa, the sporty Gilera and the contemporary Piaggio. In Australia, Vespa has an extensive range of quality Italian scooters from 50cc to 300cc. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in "Roman Holiday" were only the first of a long series of international actors and actresses to be seen on the world's most famous scooter. In photo shoots, films and on the set, the Vespa has been a "travel companion" for names like Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress, Geraldine Chaplin, Joan Collins, Jayne Mansfield, Virna Lisi, Milla Jovovich, Marcello Mastroianni, Charlton Heston, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper, Anthony Perkins, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Nanni Moretti, Sting, Antonio Banderas, Matt Damon, Gérard Depardieu, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.   Gilera Gilera is dedicated to building high performance sporty scooters, characteristic of its GP heritage in the motorcycle arena. Gilera is produced by the Piaggio Company, which also produces scooters under the classic Vespa brand and the sporty Posted Jan 11 2011, 06:46 AM by allen with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Piaggio on a High

• New Vehicle Sales Top The Magic Million

  6th January, 2011 The new vehicle market continued to outperform other economic indicators during 2010 to post its second highest annual sales figure and record more than one million units for only the third time in history. Official VFACTS data released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) shows that 1,035,574 passenger cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold in the calendar year 2010 (up 10.5 per cent or 98,246 vehicles compared to 2009). "This is an exceptional outcome and is the second highest result on record and only the third time ever that the market exceeded more than one million sales," FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said. "The result is very encouraging given all the challenges of the year - the prospect of higher interest rates, political uncertainty and the withdrawal of market stimulus," he said. "Consumers clearly recognised the safety and environmental benefits of upgrading to a new vehicle and in such a competitive market they were rewarded with good vehicles at good prices," Mr McKellar said. Looking ahead: "We expect 2011 will be a year of consolidation with the prospect of further improvement on the growth achieved last year," he said. "With continuing strong levels of vehicle affordability there is no reason why the new vehicle market won't continue to perform better than other areas of the economy," Mr McKellar said. Toyota was the best performing brand in 2010 for the eighth year in a row with a market share of 20.7%, ahead of Holden with 12.8% and Ford with 9.2%. The most popular vehicle model, for the fifteenth year in a row, was the Holden Commodore; ahead of the Toyota Corolla then the Toyota Hilux. Top Ten Models 1 Holden Commodore 45,956 2 Toyota Corolla 41,632 3 Toyota Hilux 39,896 4 Mazda 3 39,003 5 Hyundai i30 29,772 6 Ford Falcon 29,516 7 Holden Cruze 28,334 8 Toyota Camry 25,014 9 Mitsubishi Lancer 23,076 10 Hyundai Getz 21,547 Top Ten Brands 1 Toyota 214,718 2 Holden 132,923 3 Ford 95,284 4 Mazda 84,777 5 Hyundai 80,038 6 Nissan 62,676 7 Mitsubishi 62,496 8 Honda 40,375 9 Subaru 40,025 10 Volkswagen 38,016 Posted Jan 06 2011, 04:36 PM by allen with no comments Filed under: New Vehicle Sales Top The Magic Million