Yamaha Motor Corp.’s experienced a 3.7% increase in total net sales in the motorcycle segment, though, U.S. sales remained flat in the first quarter of 2018, the company reported in an earnings call.
Motorcycle sales in the U.S. has presented itself to be a challenge for the majority of OEMs, with sales continuing to trend downward, according to a NADAguides report. Harley-Davidson reported that operating income in the motorcycle segment was down 26.9% to $172.8 million year over year in its 1Q18 earnings call. After a drop of over 5% in the 4Q17, the U.S. market remained relatively flat for Yamaha. U.S. motorcycle sales increased 0.74% to $120.4 million. Yamaha cited a decline in total demand as the reason for the decline in sales and income in the OEM’s earnings call.
Global motorcycle sales increased to $2.2 billion from $2.1 billion in the quarter ended Mar. 31, 2018. Asia, the largest market in which Yamaha operates, increased 4.8% to $1.4 billion in motorcycle sales.
Developed markets in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. saw an average decline of 3.4% to $517.3 million.
Sales in emerging markets such as Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines all increased, resulting in 8.74% increase to 1.3 billion year over year.
Yamaha did not break out how much it financed of U.S. sales for the quarter.
