Australia’s motorcycle market returned to growth in Q2 2026 after three consecutive quarters of contraction, and off-road interest drove the recovery. Total consideration rose 9.0% against Q1 2026, with dirt bike search lifting 21.7% and reaching its highest share of the market in five quarters.
At brand level, the quarter belonged to CFMOTO, the only top ten brand to post a material gain. Kawasaki added more than a point in the learner-approved category while holding flat overall, and under a tenth of a point now separates second from third. Youth and trail platforms gained across every off-road category we track.
Read on for our full category breakdown and the movements that mattered most in Q2 2026.
A Note on Methodology
Our dataset for Q2 2026 included 39 brands and more than 4.3 million searches across the quarter. Brand and model performance was analysed across seven primary categories, being All Brands, All Models, LAMS, ATV/UTV, Discontinued, Dirt Bikes and Road Bikes, alongside subcategory analysis covering adventure touring, cruiser, naked, touring, sports touring, super sports, supermoto, scooters, motocross, enduro, fun, trail and farm.
As always, our approach to searches included the following terms:
Brand terms: if the brand is a motorcycle brand only, only the brand name was required (e.g., Harley). If it is not, the search needed to include a qualifier, for example, Suzuki Motorcycles or Suzuki V-Strom.
Model terms, dealer terms (if the dealer name contains the OEM brand), brand + model, brand/model + location, brand/model + dealer, brand/model + category/subcategory (e.g., ‘Suzuki dirt bikes’), brand/model + reviews, brand/model + problems, and variations of the above.
In addition, we excluded searches that mentioned the following terms: brand + part/accessory; used; rental; manual, warranty, service, etc.; brand + racing/results/riders, etc.
As in previous quarters, the findings in this report are intended as a directional indicator of digital consumer sentiment and share of search rather than a proxy for sales, registrations or total market share.
A Note From Our Researchers
Please note that our keyword lists and data sourcing methods are continuously evolving as we work to enhance the accuracy and depth of our search volume reporting. All data is refreshed with each quarterly report, so figures within any given edition reflect the most current available snapshot. As such, some metrics may shift quarter-over-quarter as these refinements are applied.
Retain Media provides this data ‘as is’ for informational purposes only and accepts no liability for decisions made based on this reporting. Users are encouraged to use this data as one of multiple data points in their market analysis.
The Most-Searched Motorcycle Brands in Australia
The Top 10
Yamaha held first at 16.4%, adding 0.4 percentage points and extending its lead. Honda took second at 13.1% on a gain of 0.2 points, with Kawasaki third at 13.0% after holding flat. Under a tenth of a point separates the two, as in Q1 2026, and the three Japanese brands together account for 42.4% of brand-level consideration.
BMW held fourth at 9.5%, easing 0.1 points and continuing a decline that has run to 1.8 points across the past year. KTM eased marginally to 6.6% and held fifth. Ducati softened 0.4 points to 5.6%, the largest single decline in the top ten, while holding sixth position.
Triumph was unchanged at 5.3% in seventh, holding the level it reached in Q1 2026 after two quarters of gains. CFMOTO recorded the quarter’s standout brand movement, rising 0.5 points to 5.1% and moving to eighth, which puts it 0.8 points ahead of where it sat in Q2 2025. Harley eased 0.2 points to 4.5% in ninth, and Suzuki held at 4.2%.
The Rest of the Top 20
Royal Enfield edged up 0.1 points to 2.9%, continuing an upward run visible across the full dataset. Can Am improved to 2.0% and moved up a place to twelfth, while Indian eased 0.1 points to 1.8%. Husqvarna gained 0.1 points to 1.5% and climbed two places to fourteenth. Vespa eased 0.3 points to 1.3%, the largest rank movement in the top 20 at three places, and Kymco softened 0.2 points to 0.5%, giving back its Q1 gain. Aprilia, Polaris, Moto Guzzi and Sherco each held their positions.
The composition of the top 20 was unchanged from Q1 2026. Crossfire, Benelli, Gas Gas and Braaap remain the closest brands outside the threshold, none within reach of Sherco.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
CFMOTO’s 0.5 point gain is the clearest brand-level movement of the quarter, supported across the brand’s range rather than concentrated in one place, with gains in adventure touring, learner-approved, ATV and UTV, and scooters. That breadth distinguishes it from the brand’s earlier growth, which leaned on individual models.
Kawasaki held flat overall while gaining 1.1 points in the learner-approved category, its strongest LAMS result to date. The steady headline position masks a material shift inside one segment.
BMW remains firmly fourth and continues to lead several model categories, but 1.8 points of erosion across four quarters is a sustained direction rather than a single correction.
Vespa’s three-place fall is the sharpest rank movement in the top 20. The brand gained in each of the two preceding quarters, so this reads as a give-back rather than the start of a decline, though Q3 will settle it.
The Most-Searched Motorcycle Models in Australia
The Top 10
The BMW S 1000 RR held first at 7.1%, easing 0.2 points but retaining a five-point lead over the second-placed model. No other model in our dataset approaches that margin.
The Yamaha YZF-R7 and Kawasaki Ninja H2R held second and third at 2.1%, the Yamaha YZF-R1 and BMW S 1000 R each eased 0.1 points to 2.0%, and the Suzuki Hayabusa held sixth at 1.7%.
Off-road platforms climbed within the top ten. The Honda CRF250R rose two places to seventh at 1.5%, and the Yamaha PW50 gained 0.2 points to reach ninth, also at 1.5%. The Honda CBR650R eased 0.2 points to 1.5% in eighth, and the Yamaha MT-07 softened 0.1 points to 1.5% in tenth.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Yamaha YZ250 gained 0.2 points to 1.3%, and the CFMOTO 450MT improved to 1.1%. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 climbed four places to 1.1% on a gain of 0.2 points, one of the stronger model-level movements in the quarter. The Yamaha WR250F gained 0.2 points to 1.0% and rose three places, and the Honda GoldWing matched that gain, also reaching 1.0% and climbing four. The Honda CRF110F recorded the largest rank movement in this category, rising six places to 0.9%. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, Ducati Panigale V4, Yamaha WR450F and Yamaha YZ450F each held between 1.2% and 0.9%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Five of the nine models gaining ground in the top 20 are off-road platforms, including the CRF250R, PW50, YZ250, WR250F and CRF110F. The pattern repeats across every off-road category we track, which is why we read it as structural.
The Kawasaki Ninja 500 gained in the overall model rankings, in road bikes and substantially in sports touring, so interest is spread across several use cases rather than concentrated in one.
The Honda GoldWing climbed four places and added 3.0 points within touring, its strongest result on record.
The Most-Searched LAMS Brands in Australia
The Top 10
Honda held first at 25.1%, easing 0.4 points but retaining a lead of more than four points, with Yamaha second at 20.5% after softening 0.5 points. Kawasaki gained 1.1 points to 18.0%, the largest brand-level movement in this report, narrowing the gap to second to 2.5 points.
Royal Enfield extended its run to 7.9% on a gain of 0.2 points, holding fourth, while KTM was unchanged at 5.9%. CFMOTO improved 0.3 points to 4.4% in sixth, and Suzuki eased to 3.3%. Husqvarna gained 0.2 points to 2.7%, and Aprilia eased to 2.6%, leaving a tenth of a point between them, with Triumph tenth at 2.4%.
The Rest of the Top 20
Ducati eased 0.2 points to 1.5%, and BMW softened to 1.5%. Kymco gave back its Q1 gain, easing 0.1 points to 0.9%, while Moto Guzzi edged up to 0.6% and Braaap eased to 0.3%. Vespa, Can Am, Benelli, Beta and YCF each held.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Kawasaki’s 1.1-point gain is the story of this category. Both brands above it eased in the same quarter, so this is genuine redistribution within learner consideration, not category-wide growth lifting all positions.
Royal Enfield has gained in each of the past four quarters. Two points still separate it from KTM in fifth, which at its current rate would take several quarters to close.
CFMOTO’s steady climb in this category has run alongside its overall brand gain, which makes learner-approved consideration one of the foundations of that broader movement.
The Most-Searched ATV and UTV Models in Australia
The Top 10
The Can Am Defender took the category lead at 5.7%, gaining 1.0 points and climbing two places. The Kawasaki Mule eased 0.7 points to 5.2% in second, and the Polaris Ranger softened 1.1 points to 4.7%, falling two places to third.
The Yamaha YFM700 Raptor held at 4.2% and rose a place, while the Can Am Maverick eased 0.2 points to 4.2%. The Polaris Ranger 500 gained 0.6 points to 3.8%, continuing a climb across four consecutive quarters, and the Can Am Maverick X3 added 0.7 points to 3.6%. The CFMOTO UFORCE 1000 gained 0.6 points to 2.7%, rising three places into the top ten, with the Honda Pioneer 1000 and Polaris RZR holding at 3.3% and 2.8%.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Polaris Ranger 1000 improved to 2.4% while the CFMOTO CFORCE 1000 eased 0.5 points to 2.4%, falling three places. The CFMOTO UFORCE 600 gained to 2.1%, the Honda Pioneer improved to 1.7%, and the Honda Pioneer 700 gained 0.3 points to 1.6%. The CFMOTO U6 EV recorded the largest rank movement anywhere in this report, climbing 47 places to 1.5% on a gain of 1.2 points. The Yamaha Viking, Kubota RTV-XG850, Polaris RZR Trail S 1000 Premium EPS and Can Am Commander each held between 2.2% and 1.5%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Can Am’s four models in the top 20 hold 15.0% of category consideration between them, up from 13.8% in Q1 2026, with the Defender and Maverick X3 both gaining. Polaris holds a comparable 15.2% across five models but eased, its gains sitting in the Ranger 500 while the flagship Ranger gave back more than a point.
CFMOTO’s four tracked models reached 8.7% combined, up from 7.2%. The CFORCE 1000 eased 0.5 points while the UFORCE 1000, UFORCE 600 and U6 EV added 2.0 points between them, so the brand’s gain did not come at the expense of its own range. That points to CFMOTO reaching buyers across separate model lines rather than shifting attention within them.
The CFMOTO U6 EV is the only electric platform to approach a top 20 position in any category in this report. Its rise from a negligible base is steep, and a second quarter of data will establish whether it holds. For dealers, electric utility interest is now measurable in this category where it previously was not.
The Most-Searched Discontinued Motorcycle Models in Australia
The Top 10
The Honda Grom held first at 4.5%, easing 0.1 points but remaining comfortably ahead of the field. The Kawasaki Ninja 400 held second at 3.8%. The Honda CRF150R gained 0.3 points to 2.8%, the strongest movement in the category top ten, and the Triumph Bonneville T120 continued a gradual climb to 2.6%.
The Honda CRF250F improved to 2.0%, the Harley V-Rod eased 0.2 points to 1.8%, and the Breakout softened to 1.6%. The Harley Sportster held at 1.3% and rose two places, the Kawasaki KLX110 gained 0.1 points to 1.3% and climbed three, and the Honda CBR1000RR eased to 1.2%.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Honda CB125 eased to 1.2% and fell three places, while the Honda CRF125 gained to 1.1% and rose four. The Harley Iron 883 improved to 1.0%, climbing three places, and the Honda Monkey eased to 1.0%. The Harley Street 500 eased to 0.9%, and the Kawasaki Ninja 250R rounded out the top 20 at 0.8%. The Ducati Diavel 1260S, Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha YZF-R6 and Harley Forty-Eight each held.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Harley placed six models in this category, more than any other brand, so a substantial portion of its consideration attaches to platforms no longer in production. Marketing built around used inventory, parts availability and service will reach that audience more effectively than new model-year campaigns.
Youth off-road platforms gained here as they did elsewhere, with the CRF150R, KLX110 and CRF125 all improving. The pattern holds whether the machines are in production or not, pointing to underlying category demand instead of product-specific interest.
The Most-Searched Dirt Bike Models in Australia
The Top 10
The Honda CRF250R led at 5.8%, easing 0.5 points but holding first. The Yamaha PW50 gained 0.3 points to 5.7% and closed to within a tenth of a point of the lead. The Yamaha YZ250 improved 0.2 points to 5.0%, its strongest result on record.
The Yamaha WR250F gained 0.4 points to 3.9% and rose two places, while the WR450F eased 0.4 points to 3.7% and the Honda CRF110F added 0.4 points to 3.6%. The Yamaha YZ450F eased to 3.5%, the YZ250F improved to 3.0%, the Honda CRF450R softened to 2.4%, and the CRF300L gained to 2.2%, giving Yamaha six models in the category top ten against Honda’s four.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Kawasaki KLX300 improved 0.2 points to 2.0% and climbed four places, while the Yamaha TT-R230 gained to 1.7% and rose three. The Yamaha TT-R110 gained to 2.1%, the Yamaha YZ125 to 2.0% and the Honda CRF50F to 2.0%. The Yamaha YZ85 eased to 1.9% and fell four places. The Yamaha TT-R125, Honda CRF125F, Kawasaki KLX140R and KTM 450 EXC-F each held between 1.9% and 1.5%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Dirt bike search rose 21.7% against Q1 2026, lifting the category to 16.9% of total motorcycle consideration and its highest share in five quarters. Movement of that scale in a single quarter is unusual, and it drove the market’s return to growth.
The Yamaha YZ250 recorded its strongest quarter on record for a second consecutive period, and the YZ125 also improved. Two-stroke platforms continued to gain alongside four-stroke machines rather than at their expense.
Youth machines gained across the board. The PW50, CRF110F, CRF50F and TT-R230 all improved, and the PW50 is now within a tenth of a point of leading the category outright. For dealers, family and junior riding represents the most consistent growth in the off-road segment this quarter.
External data points the same way. The FCAI reported Australian off-road motorcycle sales up 21.6% year-on-year across the first half of 2026, led by youth and light trail machines. Our dirt bike search rose 12.6% on the same basis and 21.7% against Q1 2026. Search and sales measure different things, but consideration and purchase are moving together in the same segment.
The Most-Searched Road Bike Models in Australia
The Top 10
The BMW S 1000 RR held first at 10.1%, gaining 0.2 points and extending a lead of more than seven points over the second-placed model. The Yamaha YZF-R7 held second at 3.0%, with the Kawasaki Ninja H2R and Yamaha YZF-R1 third and fourth at 2.9%.
The BMW S 1000 R held fifth at 2.8% and the Suzuki Hayabusa sixth at 2.5%. The Honda CBR650R eased 0.2 points to 2.1%, the largest decline in the category top ten, with the Yamaha MT-07 softening to 2.1% and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R holding at 1.7%. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 gained 0.3 points to 1.6% and climbed three places into the top ten.
The Rest of the Top 20
The CFMOTO 450MT gained 0.2 points to 1.6%. The Honda GoldWing added 0.3 points to reach 1.4% and rose two places, while the Honda Africa Twin gained to 1.2% and climbed five, the largest rank movement in this category. The Yamaha MT-09 eased 0.2 points to 1.2% and fell three places, and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R softened to 1.0%. The Ducati Panigale V4 and Panigale V2, Kawasaki Ninja 650, Aprilia RS 660 and Honda CBR500R each held, between 1.5% and 0.9%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Road consideration grew 7.2% in volume but eased 0.8 points as a share of the market, because off-road grew faster. Road demand did not weaken in Q2 2026. It simply did not keep pace.
The category top six was unchanged, with no model moving more than 0.2 points. Consideration at the premium performance end is settled, which makes defending existing visibility more valuable than chasing movement.
Mid-capacity and touring platforms produced what movement there was. The Ninja 500, 450MT, GoldWing and Africa Twin all gained, and all four sit between 1.2% and 1.6%. That band is where road consideration is most responsive.
Across the Subcategories: What Else Stood Out
Beyond the seven primary categories, subcategory data produced several movements worth highlighting.
Adventure Touring
The CFMOTO 450MT extended its lead to 12.2%, gaining 1.1 points and recording its strongest result on record, with the Honda Africa Twin improving 0.6 points to 9.1% in second. The Kawasaki KLR 650 eased 1.1 points to 7.1%, the largest decline in the category, while the KTM 390 Adventure held at 6.3% and the Triumph Scrambler 900 gained to 5.2%.
The Kawasaki KLE500 improved 0.5 points to 3.5% following its arrival in Australian dealerships during April 2026, and the Suzuki V-Strom 650 gained to 3.8%. Sub-500cc platforms hold three of the top eight positions, and the quarter’s strongest gain came from one of them.
Cruiser
The Triumph Rocket 3 R held the category lead at 11.1%, easing 0.7 points, with the Indian Scout second at 9.7%. The Triumph Bonneville Bobber gained 0.5 points to 8.9% and moved up a place to third, and the Honda CMX500 eased to 7.8%.
The Kawasaki Vulcan S improved 0.5 points to 7.1%, and the Harley Street Bob gained 0.7 points to 6.5%. The Harley Nightster added 0.8 points to reach 3.4%, and the Harley Sportster S matched that gain at 2.1%, the two strongest movements in the category. The Moto Guzzi V7 continued a steady climb to 3.5%. Harley’s seven models in the top 20 hold 22.0% between them, up from 19.4% with gains in six of the seven, drawing level with Triumph’s 22.2% across three models. Harley’s consideration spreads thinly across a wide range where Triumph’s concentrates in two flagships.
Naked Bikes
The BMW S 1000 R held first at 11.3%, the Yamaha MT-07 eased to 8.4%, and the MT-09 softened 0.6 points to 4.7%, the largest decline in the category. The KTM 390 Duke gained to 3.5% and climbed two places.
The Yamaha MT-03 gained 0.4 points to 3.0%, and the Royal Enfield Classic 350 added 0.5 points to reach 2.9%, its fourth consecutive quarterly gain and its strongest result on record. Royal Enfield placed four models in the top 20, matching Kawasaki for the most of any brand. Two gained while the Japanese mid-weights above them eased, suggesting its character-led positioning is reaching riders the established naked range is not.
Touring
The Honda GoldWing extended its lead to 29.4%, gaining 3.0 points and recording the largest movement in this category, while the Kawasaki Versys eased 1.2 points to 12.1%.
The Indian Roadmaster held third at 11.9%, and the Harley Street Glide improved to 11.8%, leaving a tenth of a point between them. The Can Am Spyder eased 1.6 points to 8.5%, the Harley Road Glide softened to 6.2%, and the Street Glide Limited and BMW K 1600 GT each gained 0.3 points to 1.0%.
Sports Touring
The Honda CBR650R held the category lead at 45.4%, easing 5.4 points. The Kawasaki Ninja 500 gained 6.7 points to reach 32.8%, closing the gap on the leader to under 13 points from more than 24 in Q1 2026.
The Triumph Daytona 660 held at 4.3%, the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT improved to 3.8% and moved up a place, and the Kawasaki Ninja 500 SE added 0.6 points to 1.5%. This category contains few models, so shares move sharply on modest volume changes.
Super Sports
The BMW S 1000 RR gained 0.6 points to 25.4%, holding a lead of nearly 18 points. The Yamaha YZF-R7 improved to 7.5%, and the Kawasaki Ninja H2R gained to 7.4%, with the Yamaha YZF-R1 holding at 7.3%. The Suzuki Hayabusa improved to 6.1%.
Movement across this category was minimal, with no model shifting more than 0.6 points and positions barely changing in four quarters. Sustained flatness at this level reads as entrenchment rather than dormancy, with consideration settled onto established platforms and little room for new entrants. For the brands holding those positions, the task is retention rather than acquisition.
Supermoto
KTM held 93.8% of category consideration across three models, the 690 SMC R gaining 2.0 points to 53.7% and the 390 SMC R improving 0.9 points to 14.5% while the 450 SMR eased 1.5 points to 25.6%. The Gas Gas SM 700 eased to 3.4%, and the Husqvarna FS 450 softened to 2.8%. Movement here reflects redistribution within the KTM range rather than competitive change.
Motocross
The Honda CRF250R held first at 17.4%, easing 0.8 points. The Yamaha YZ250 gained 1.1 points to 15.0%, its strongest result to date; the YZ450F held at 10.3%; the YZ250F improved 0.5 points to 9.0%, and the YZ125 gained to 5.9%, also its strongest quarter recorded.
Yamaha placed four models in the category top six, gaining share in three and holding the fourth. Two-stroke and four-stroke platforms gained together, consistent with what we observed in the broader dirt bike category.
Enduro
The Yamaha WR250F gained 1.0 points to 13.1% and took the category lead, moving past the Yamaha WR450F, which eased 1.6 points to 12.2%. The Honda CRF300L held third at 7.3%, and the Kawasaki KLX300 gained 0.5 points to 6.7%.
The KTM 450 EXC-F eased 0.6 points to 5.1%, and the 500 EXC softened to 4.3%, while the Kawasaki KLX300R gained 0.5 points to 3.8%. Kawasaki placed four models in the top ten and gained in three, the strongest showing by any brand outside the leading two positions.
Fun and Youth
The Yamaha PW50 gained 0.7 points to 20.0%, holding a category lead it has never lost. The Honda CRF110F added 1.2 points to reach 12.6%, the strongest gain in the category.
The Yamaha TT-R110 improved to 7.2% and the Honda CRF50F to 6.9%, each rising a place, while the Yamaha YZ85 eased 0.5 points to 6.6% and fell two. At a fifth of all category consideration, the PW50 is a structural feature of Australian off-road interest, not a quarterly data point.
Trail
The Yamaha TT-R230 gained 2.4 points to 34.5% and held the category lead, while the TT-R125 eased to 30.8% and the Kawasaki KLX150 improved 0.5 points to 14.5%. The Honda CRF300F gained 0.8 points to 5.0%, having risen from 1.5% in Q3 2025 across four consecutive quarters. The Honda Trail 125 eased 0.7 points to 5.2%, and the Braaap ST250 softened 1.1 points to 4.1%.
Farm
The Honda CT125 eased 12.0 points to 36.8%, the largest single movement in this report, while the Honda XR150L gained 8.7 points to 28.4% and the Honda XR190CT added 3.0 points to reach 11.8%. Honda’s combined category share was close to unchanged, with movement occurring entirely within its own range. A shift of that size inside one brand in a single quarter more often reflects supply, pricing or dealer stock than rider preference, and is worth checking against availability before reading it as demand.
The Kawasaki Stockman improved to 7.2% and the Suzuki Trojan 200 to 5.0%, while the Yamaha AG200F eased to 6.0% and the AG125 to 4.8%.
Scooters
The Yamaha TMAX 560 held the lead at 18.4%, easing 0.7 points, with the NMAX 155 softening to 15.6% and the Honda Super Cub to 11.9%. The Honda Navi gained 0.7 points to 7.0%, and the Yamaha XMAX 300 added 0.5 points to 6.1%, the two strongest gains in the category. The Vespa Primavera 50 and CFMOTO 150SC each reached 1.6%, while the BMW CE 04 eased 0.4 points to 1.8%.
Trust Retain Media for Industry-Leading Insights
Off-road demand carried the market in Q2 2026 while the premium road end stayed settled. Youth and trail platforms gained across every off-road category we track, and road consideration grew in volume while losing share to a faster-moving segment.
CFMOTO delivered the quarter’s clearest brand-level movement, gaining across adventure touring, learner-approved, utility and scooters at once. Kawasaki’s picture differs, holding flat overall while adding more than a point in learner-approved and gaining across enduro. Both reward the same approach. Read category performance, not headline brand position, when assessing where consideration is shifting.
For OEMs, dealers and marketers, the data calls for category-specific strategy. Where positions are entrenched, the work is holding visibility rather than winning it. In off-road, youth, learner-approved and utility segments, the consideration funnel is wider and more responsive to well-timed digital activity and local search presence. Dealers carrying both should resist applying one approach across the whole floor.
Keep an eye on our next quarterly update as we continue to track how these shifts develop across the Australian motorcycle market. In the meantime, explore our other market reports for insights into the broader Australian vehicle industry, including the agricultural, truck, marine and caravan markets.
