Suzuki to end ATV sales from October 2021

Suzuki has joined other Japanese motorcycle giants — Honda and Yamaha — in pulling out of the Australian market in response to new safety standards.

It’s a no: Japanese quad-bike manufacturer Suzuki will withdraw from Australia, rather than fit operator protection devices such as this.

SUZUKI Australia will pull the pin on selling its farm utility quad bikes in Australia, after months of speculation.

Local marketing manager Lewis Croft told dealers on Friday of Suzuki’s decision, which was in response to new federal safety standards requiring all utility quad bikes to be fitted with new stability (tip point) warnings from October this year and operator protection devices from October next year.

“Our intention is to comply with the tip point (labelling), to support our dealers, but by October 2021 we will not fit OPDs and will withdraw (utility quad bikes) from the Australian market,”, Mr Croft said.

Honda and Yamaha have already announced they will withdraw from the Australian market in October next year, while Polaris is preparing to leave in October this year.

All four companies have disputed the value of fitting OPDs to quad bikes to improve rider safety.

CFMoto, Kymco, BRP and Kawasaki are yet to make announcements.

Mojo Motors, which imports the CFMoto and Kymco brands, has previously stated it is reviewing the cost of testing and tagging its quad bikes with their tip point by October this year and then 12 months later having to fit operator protection devices (roll bars).

In the meantime Mr Croft said quad bike sales were booming, with sales up 50 per cent in the first three months of this year, as farmer confidence rebuilds.

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