Scooters boom as road and dirt bike sales dip

Thrifty commuters are turning to two-wheelers to dodge traffic snarls, cut their transport costs and snare prized inner-city parking spots.

Australians are turning to scooters to beat the traffic and take advantage of free parking in cities, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Figures released today show that while sales of motorbikes and all-terrain vehicles were down last year, scooter sales surged by 15 per cent.

FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said scooters were proving an attractive option for city dwellers looking to avoid traffic jams and parking hassles.

Scooter sales also typically remained more resilient to economic downturns, he said.

“An increase in scooter sales points to changes in consumer preferences in the Australian market with new riders venturing onto our roads, taking advantage of easier parking and quicker commute time,” Mr Weber said.

He said the growing home delivery market had also contributed to the rise, as had lingering concerns about Covid, which spurred people to look for alternatives to crowded buses and trains.

The meal delivery market has also boosted scooter sales. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw.

“There may well be a Covid element to it, especially in the major capital cities. The traffic patterns have changed post-Covid quite clearly,” he said.

Scooters were also becoming a viable alternative to a second car as family budgets tightened.

“It gives them another transport option at a relatively low price,” he said.

It’s the second year in a row that scooters have defied the general downturn in two-wheeler sales. In 2021, sales jumped by 10 per cent in an overall market that dropped by 20 per cent.

Mr Weber said the downturn in sales of road and dirt bikes reflected the harsher economic climate.

“As Australians manage tighter finances, recreational products are often the first to be affected. The decrease in motorcycle sales underscores the impact of economic pressures on discretionary spending,” he said.

Road bike sales have weakened as people pull back on discretionary spending. Picture: Supplied.

Overall, Australians bought 95,980 motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles in 2023, down 3 per cent on the previous year.

Scooter sales took off in the second half of the year after dropping by 6 per cent in the first six months of the year.

Mr Weber predicted the arrival of more electric bikes and scooters in the new year, as commuters looked to cut their fuel bills.

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Tony Weber. Picture: Supplied.

But he warned that the growth in fat-tyred, electric pedal bikes and scooters needed to be more closely regulated.

“I think it’s fair to say that the demarcation between bikes and motorcycles is becoming more blurred. I think that governments need to be careful in those categories about people using them on the roads without them being regulated or trained in any way,” he said.

Proper training was critical to road safety.

“People knowing how to use their vehicle, whether it’s a car or a motorcycle, is absolutely essential,” he said.

E-scooters are a controversial addition to our roads. Picture: David Crosling.

At the moment, e-bikes were being embraced by young, inexperienced kids and older people using them as a substitute for mobility devices.

They were also relatively unregulated for quality and the speeds they could reach.

“There are regulations around speed limiters but the problem is that it’s extremely hard to police and people can tamper with them. You see electric bikes and scooters operating at speeds well above what they should be, both on footpaths and on roads,” he said.

Originally published as Scooters boom as road and dirt bike sales dip