THE Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA) has recorded a 13-percent growth in motorcycle sales in the first half of the year, well within the industry group’s expectations of full-year sales for 2017.
In a briefing on Monday MDPPA officials announced that motorcycle units sold in the first six months of the year reached 613,896 units, compared to 544,788 units sold in the same period last year.
“We’re still projecting the market to grow by a minimum of 12 percent and a maximum of 15 percent. This puts us on track with projections,” said Armando B. Reyes, president of the MDPPA, during a news briefing.
Reyes credited the first-half growth to sales in automatic transmission type of motorcycles, which increased year-on-year by 40 percent.
Business motorcycles similarly showed robust growth, climbing by 18 percent in the January-to-June period. Mopeds, which hold a similar share as business motorcycles to total sales, slightly dipped by 1 percent.
According to Reyes, the robust sales can be credited to the boom of the e-commerce industry, spurring demand for business motorcycles. Attractive financing schemes for motorcycles is also a factor, he added.
The MDPPA notched a 35-percent year-on-year growth in 2016, reaching 1.14 million units sold and breaching the 1-million mark for the first time.
It is targeting to sell 1.27 million units this year.