Motorcycle sales surge as lockdown eases

Total motorcycle sales stood at 300,000 units in July 2020

Motorcycles sales have gained momentum in the past month as accumulated demand has begun to reflect in the market after Pakistan eased Covid-19 fuelled lockdown. According to the Association of Pakistan Motorcycle Assemblers (APMA) Chairman Muhammad Sabir Shaikh, the country produced and sold 300,000 units of motorcycles in July 2020.

However, Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) recorded sales of two-and three-wheeler vehicles at 148,524 units in July 2020, up 31.3%, compared to 113,096 units in same period of previous year. Shaikh pointed out that PAMA’s figure was different from APMA’s because only a few bike companies were PAMA members.

He added that PAMA concentrated on Japanese car and bike assemblers, hence it gave membership to only a handful of bike companies while APMA had incorporated dozens of motorcycle producers as its members. He said that sales figures of only Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, United and Road Prince bikes were available with PAMA.

Data for Unique, Super Power, Hi- Speed, Union Star, Super Star, Express, DYL, Dhoom, Zxmco, Super Asia, New Asia and other assemblers can be acquired from the Engineering Development Board (EDB), he added.

He pointed out that consultations with bike assemblers, engine part importers and local part vendors indicated that they had received substantially high orders during the past month.

“More than 130 two-and three-wheeler vehicle assemblers have been approved by the EDB in the last two decades however only 30 to 35 of them are active assemblers,” he said.

Shaikh added that sales figures of motorcycle engine importers, completely knocked down (CKD) part importers, local vendors and other stakeholder suggested that country had produced over 350,000 units in July 2020.

The impact of Covid-19 on bike companies has largely subsided as Atlas Honda produced and sold over 90,000 motorcycles each in June and July 2020 thus recovering from the sales dip witnessed during the final quarter of fiscal year 2019-20, he said.

He added that Yamaha Pakistan and Pak Suzuki Motors were following strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by government due to which they were able to produce only 50% of the volume since March 2020 compared to their pre-Covid 19 production.

The official pointed out that bike sales have been on an upward trajectory for the past one and half months and the rise was partially due to the impact of seasonality because sales of two-wheelers jump when crop harvesting season begins in rural areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2020.

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