It is once again time for our quarterly update on the Australian motorcycle market’s search leaders. This Q3 report provides a detailed look at the market share of search volume for each of the major motorcycle manufacturers in Australia, and offers insight into the most-searched brands and models across 16 different categories.
Read on for our key findings below, and don’t forget to download the data to see which bikes have grabbed the attention of Australians over the past year.
A Note on Methodology
This quarter, our research included 38 brands, 20,307 search terms, and more than 295m searches across the past quarter. Additionally, this search data is comprised only of model searches, due to a restructuring of our data collection and storage this past quarter. This marks a change from the two prior quarters, which included ‘brand + location’, ‘brand + dealer’ and ‘brand + category’ search terms. We plan to add these search terms back into our data set next quarter.
You may notice some discrepancies in the ‘Q on Q change’ column in some categories, including slight shifts up or down despite the search share appearing unchanged between quarters. These discrepancies are due to the fact that the report only shows search share to one decimal place, while the Q on Q change column measures the change in the underlying data.
To ensure we are keeping up with changes and developments in the market, we also added 13 new models that released in Q3.
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
In Q3 2024, Yamaha remains the top-searched motorcycle brand, holding an 18.2% search share. However, this represents a 4.3% relative decline from Q2, when it held 19.0%, and its lowest search share of the past 12 months, signalling a slight drop in consumer interest. Despite this, Yamaha continues to lead the market by a significant margin.
Meanwhile, second-place Kawasaki saw a strong quarter, increasing its share from 15.7% in Q2 to 16.2% in Q3, marking a 3.5% relative increase. This gain solidifies Kawasaki’s position as the second-most-searched brand and reflects growing consumer interest in its lineup.
In third, Honda also posted a small gain, rising from 13.5% in Q2 to 13.8% in Q3 2024, a 2.5% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. Honda continues to maintain a strong presence in the top three, building on its steady performance over the past year.
In contrast, Royal Enfield experienced a slight drop, falling from 8.8% in Q2 to 8.6% in Q3, marking a 1.3% relative decline. This continues a downward trend for the brand since its high of 10.8% in Q4 2023, and could be an indication that it is failing to connect with Australian riders.
Elsewhere, BMW held steady at 7.8%, showing no quarter-to-quarter change, while KTM saw a modest drop from 6.9% to 6.8%, a 2.2% relative decline quarter-to-quarter.
The Rest of the Top 20
Lower in the rankings, Polaris saw a strong gain, increasing from 0.8% in Q2 to 0.9% in Q3, an 11.8% relative increase, indicating growing interest in off-road and utility-focused bikes and UTVs. Similarly, Indian posted a solid gain, rising from 0.8% to 0.9%, a 7.9% relative increase.
CFMOTO maintained its position with a steady 1.3% search share, unchanged from Q2, while Triumph also remained stable at 3.6%, showing no major shifts.
On the downside, Benelli saw a minor decline, dropping from 1.2% to 1.1%, a 3.3% relative decrease quarter-to-quarter.
The Most-Searched Motorcycle Models in Australia
The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 sits in the top spot of the All-Models category, holding steady with a 2.6% search share in Q3 2024, unchanged from Q2. However, this marks a significant year-on-year drop of 35%, as its share stood at 4.0% in Q4 2023, signalling a waning interest amongst Australian consumers.
Meanwhile, the Kawasaki Ninja H2R maintained its 2.1% share from Q2 to Q3 2024, showing no quarter-to-quarter movement. This model has consistently held this share since Q4 2023, marking a stable presence in the top rankings that speaks to the Ninja H2R’s ability to capture the interest of Aussie riders.
Splitting up the super bikes, the KTM 390 Duke holds third place with 2.0% search share, having made a slight gain from Q2 to Q3. In contrast, the Yamaha YZF-R1 saw a slight dip, dropping from 2.2% in Q2 to 2.0% in Q3 2024, representing a 10.9% relative decline quarter-to-quarter. This continues a gradual downward trend, with the model down 13% year-on-year from its 2.3% share in Q4 2023.
The Yamaha YZF-R6 followed a similar pattern, slipping from 2.0% to 1.7% in Q3 2024—a 13% relative decline quarter-to-quarter. Year-on-year, this model has seen a marginal decline, dropping from 1.9% in Q4 2023 to 1.7% now.
The BMW S 1000 R held steady at 1.5%, though it is up from 1.3% over the last 12 months, while the Royal Enfield Classic 350 increased from 1.5% to 1.6% between Q2 and Q3 2024. This growth signals a potential rebound after the model had dipped earlier in the year.
The Rest of the Top 20
Elsewhere in the top 20, the Honda Grom posted a notable gain, rising from 0.8% to 0.9% in Q3, marking a 13.1% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. This shows growing interest in the model, which has steadily improved since Q1 2024, despite the fact production ceased many years ago.
Similarly, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R saw its search share increase from 1.4% to 1.5%, a 6.1% relative increase quarter-to-quarter, reflecting renewed attention from consumers after dipping from its Q1 high of 1.7%.
In the adventure category, the Honda Africa Twin continues its upward momentum, increasing from 0.7% to 0.8% in Q3 2024, a 12.4% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. Year-on-year, it has grown by 33.3%, indicating sustained interest in adventure motorcycles.
The overall top 20 remained largely stable, with most brands experiencing only minor fluctuations. However, the consistent gains by models like the Honda Grom and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R suggest a growing consumer focus on these segments.
So, while there is still strong interest in super sports bikes (as was the case in our Q1 report) , the growing appeal of adventure and sport models may be indicative of a broader trend towards practical, yet exciting, options in the Australian motorcycle market.
The Most-Searched LAMS Brands in Australia
In Q3 2024, Honda is the top-searched brand in the LAMS category, holding a 21.3% search share, a relative increase of 1.0% from the 21.1% search share it held in Q2. Over the last 12 months, Honda has made a relative increase of 4.4%, evidence of its growing appeal in the LAMS segment.
Meanwhile, second-place Royal Enfield registered a slight dip from Q2 to Q3, shifting from 19.3% to 19.1% search share, a 1.0% relative decline. Yamaha also registered a 1.0% relative decline, dropping slightly from 17.8% in Q2 to 17.7% in Q3. Despite the minor drop, Yamaha maintains a strong third position in the LAMS market.
On the rise, Kawasaki increased its share from 12.1% in Q2 to 12.5% in Q3, a 3.1% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. This growth reflects a steady increase in interest over the year, with Kawasaki gradually closing the gap between itself and the top three brands.
In contrast, KTM saw a 3.0% relative drop, falling from 7.2% in Q2 to 7.0% in Q3, continuing a downward trend from Q1 that suggests that KTM may be losing traction in the LAMS segment.
The Rest of the Top 20
Aprilia posted a strong 5.1% relative increase, rising from 4.0% in Q2 to 4.2% in Q3, reflecting growing interest in the brand’s LAMS offerings. Similarly, Vespa saw a 6.4% relative increase, moving from 1.4% in Q2 to 1.5% in Q3.
On the other hand, BMW experienced a 6.2% relative decline quarter-to-quarter, dropping from 3.3% to 3.1%. Meanwhile, Benelli saw a 0.9% relative decline in interest.
CFMOTO maintained its 1.9% search share while Piaggio posted a small 2.2% gain, rising from 1.2% to 1.3%.
The Most-Searched ATV & UTV Models in Australia
The ATV and UTV category reflects a mix of strong growth and noticeable declines across key models. The Yamaha YFM700R SE remains the most-searched model in the ATV/UTV category, holding a 5.7% search share in Q3 2024. However, this represents a significant 10.3% relative decline from Q2, when it held 6.3%. Although this drop is significant, it is really just a reversion to its regular search share when viewed on a 12-month time scale, after experiencing a seasonal spike last quarter, likely caused by end of financial year sales.
In contrast, the Polaris RZR posted a strong quarter, increasing its search share from 4.4% in Q2 to 5.1% in Q3, a 16.2% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. This marks a notable resurgence for Polaris, its greatest search share over the past 12 months, and signals growing interest in its offerings.
Meanwhile, the Can Am Maverick held steady at 5.0%, showing only a modest 1.1% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. The model has demonstrated consistent performance throughout the year, although the latest result is a dip from its Q1 high of 5.2%.
The Yamaha YFZ450R experienced a decline, falling from 5.3% in Q2 to 5.0% in Q3, a 5.8% relative decrease. Similarly, the Can Am Maverick X3 saw an even more significant drop, declining from 4.0% to 3.6%, marking an 11.1% relative decrease quarter-to-quarter, the second greatest decrease amongst the top-20 models.
On the other hand, the Polaris Ranger experienced a 9.2% relative gain, rising from 4.4% to 4.8% in Q3. This gain reflects growing interest in utility-focused ATVs, a trend consistent with Polaris’s other models.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Kawasaki Mule saw the most substantial quarter-to-quarter increase amongst our top-20 models, rising from 2.5% in Q2 to 3.1% in Q3, marking a 25.3% relative increase. The Polaris General 1000 also posted a strong 21.6% gain, rising from 1.3% to 1.6% quarter-to-quarter.
On the downside, the Yamaha YFM700R experienced the steepest decline, falling 16.8% quarter-to-quarter, with its share dropping from 1.6% to 1.3%. The Can Am Outlander also posted a 5.4% relative decline, falling from 3.3% to 3.2% in Q3.
Overall, the category is characterised by competition between established utility-focused models and high-performance options, with clear consumer interest leaning toward practical versatility in the current market.
The Most-Searched Discontinued Bikes in Australia
The Honda Grom continues to lead the Discontinued Bikes category, showing a significant gain in Q3 2024, increasing its search share from 13.3% in Q2 to 15.0%. This represents a notable 12.9% relative increase quarter-to-quarter, further solidifying its dominance in the category as consumer interest in this model remains strong.
In second place, the Aprilia RS 125 also saw a modest gain, increasing from 5.8% in Q2 to 6.1% in Q3, a 5.0% relative increase. This model has been gradually climbing in interest over the past few quarters.
On the other hand, the Harley Iron 833 experienced a slight decline, dropping from 6.1% to 5.9% in Q3, representing a 3.8% relative decrease. Similarly, the Harley V-Rod saw a small dip, falling from 4.8% to 4.7%, a 1.7% relative decrease quarter-to-quarter. Together, these losses suggest that consumer interest in these models (or even Harley more broadly) might be waning.
The Suzuki GSXR 600 posted a strong gain, rising from 3.5% in Q2 to 4.0% in Q3, marking a 12.2% relative increase and renewed interest in this model.
In contrast, the BMW R 1200 GS saw a slight decline, dropping from 4.2% in Q2 to 4.1% in Q3, a 3.9% relative decrease quarter-to-quarter.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Kawasaki Ninja 250R grew from 3.3% to 3.5%, a 5.4% relative increase, while the Kawasaki KX 125 also posted a small gain, increasing from 1.8% in Q2 to 1.9% in Q3, a 4.2% relative increase. On the downside, the BMW F 850 GS experienced the largest drop, falling from 1.4% to 1.2%, a 15.3% relative decrease quarter-to-quarter, followed by the BMW F 650 GS, which experienced a 10.4% relative decline.
Meanwhile, the Suzuki Bandit fell slightly, dropping from 1.8% to 1.7%, marking a 9.5% relative decline. The Ducati Multistrada 1200 and Suzuki DR650 both experienced declines as well, each falling by 6.6% quarter-to-quarter.
The Most-Searched Dirt Bikes in Australia
The Yamaha YZ250 remains the most-searched dirt bike model in Q3 2024, holding a 7.0% share. However, this represents a slight decline from 7.1% in Q2, marking a 0.8% relative decrease quarter-to-quarter. While still leading, the Yamaha YZ250’s share is down substantially from the high of 7.8% that it held in Q1, and only a hair over the 6.9% search share it held a year ago.
Meanwhile, the Honda CRF250R maintained its 5.5% search share, unchanged from Q2. This consistency reflects stable consumer interest in Honda’s performance-oriented models, and marks a 10% relative increase over the past 12 months.
The Yamaha YZ125 saw a notable decline, dropping from 5.0% in Q2 to 4.6% in Q3 2024, a 7.0% relative decrease. Despite this drop, it remains a popular choice in the category, securing third place.
On the rise, the Honda CRF150R increased its share from 4.2% to 4.5%, marking a 6.6% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. This growth indicates growing interest in smaller, more versatile dirt bikes.
The Suzuki DL650 also posted a strong gain, rising from 2.7% in Q2 to 2.9% in Q3 2024, a 6.9% relative increase, and a positive sign for a model that continues to build momentum in the category.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Honda CT125 posted the largest gain within the top-20, increasing from 1.7% to 1.9%, a 10.7% relative increase quarter-to-quarter. Meanwhile, the Kawasaki KX 125 also grew from 1.6% to 1.7%, a 5.2% relative increase.
On the downside, the Husqvarna 701 Enduro saw the steepest decline, dropping from 2.6% in Q2 to 2.4% in Q3, representing an 8.8% relative decrease. However, it is worth noting that interest in the 701 Enduro appears seasonal, with its search share fluctuating between 2.7% and 2.4% from quarter-to-quarter over the past year. The Suzuki DR650 also fell from 1.3% to 1.2%, marking a 5.7% relative decline.
Overall, the Dirt Bikes category reflects strong competition, with notable gains in compact and versatile models, while some of the more performance-oriented bikes, such as the Yamaha YZ125 and Husqvarna 701 Enduro, are seeing slight drops in consumer interest.
The Most-Searched Road Bikes in Australia
As might be expected, the results in the Road Bikes category look much the same as the All-Models. The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is predictably on top, holding a 3.0% search share, unchanged from Q2. However, this represents a notable year-on-year decline from 4.6% in Q4 2023, suggesting a long-term reduction in consumer interest.
Meanwhile, the Kawasaki Ninja H2R saw a slight increase, rising from 2.4% in Q2 to 2.5% in Q3 2024, marking a 3.6% relative increase. This model continues to hold a strong second position, reflecting steady consumer interest, though as we have noted in previous reports, this is largely built on the Ninja H2R’s status as a flagship sports bike.
In third place, the KTM 390 Duke maintained its search share at 2.3%, showing stability in the market quarter-to-quarter. In contrast, the Yamaha YZF-R1 experienced a more significant drop, falling from 2.6% in Q2 to 2.3% in Q3, representing a 10.9% relative decrease. The Yamaha YZF-R6 followed suit, dropping from 2.3% to 2.0%, a 12.9% relative decline, reflecting declining interest in these high-performance models.
On the rise, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R posted a 6.1% relative increase quarter-to-quarter, growing from 1.7% in Q2 to 1.8% in Q3. Additionally, the Ducati Panigale V4 saw a 12.0% relative gain, rising from 0.9% to 1.0% quarter-to-quarter, marking notable growth for this high-end performance bike.
The Honda Africa Twin also saw a significant gain, growing from 0.8% to 0.9%, a 12.4% relative increase, as did the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, which posted a 13.9% relative increase, the greatest gain of all models in the top-20.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Kawasaki Z900 posted a 6.9% relative increase, rising from 1.5% in Q2 to 1.6% in Q3. Meanwhile, the BMW R 1100 S grew from 1.7% to 1.8%, marking a 3.5% relative increase.
On the downside, the Suzuki Hayabusa saw a 3.3% relative decrease quarter-to-quarter. The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 also dipped slightly, experiencing a 1.8% relative decline.
Overall, while high-performance super sports models still dominate the top-10 of the category, the notable declines in the Yamaha YZF-R1 (-10.9%) and Yamaha YZF-R6 (-12.9%) point to shifting consumer preferences away from these particular high-performance models. In contrast, adventure and straightforward production bikes like the Honda Africa Twin (+12.4%) and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R (+13.9%) are seeing increased attention, suggesting a growing trend towards more practical yet powerful motorcycles.
Trust Retain Media for Industry-Leading Insights
Overall, the Q3 2024 report highlights both stability and subtle shifts in the Australian motorcycle market. While key brands like Yamaha and Honda continue to lead across segments, rising interest in versatile models such as adventure and off-road bikes indicates evolving consumer preferences.
Additionally, performance-focused brands and models are seeing some fluctuations, with new contenders gaining ground in both discontinued and road bike categories.
As the market continues to evolve, we’ll keep a close eye on these changes and provide insights each quarter, helping you stay ahead of the trends. Be sure to check out our other market reports for a broader view of the Australian automotive landscape, including our Q3 RV Market Brand Consideration Report, Q3 TMA Sales Summary, and Q3 FCAI Sales Summary.
