Q1 2026 brought the first meaningful structural shift at the top of the Australian motorcycle brand rankings in several quarters, with Honda moving past Kawasaki into second place and Triumph extending a quiet but consistent upward run. Underneath those headline moves, the data points to a market where accessible, character-driven, and family-oriented platforms are generating a growing share of consideration, even as aspirational superbikes continue to anchor the top of the model rankings.
The BMW S 1000 RR reasserted its position following a modest Q4 2025 correction, the CFMOTO 450MT posted its strongest adventure touring result yet, and the Honda Grom continued to appear across multiple categories in a way that few models of its size have managed.
Read on for our full category breakdown and the brand movements that mattered most in Q1 2026.
A Note on Methodology
Our dataset for Q1 2026 included 39 brands, approximately 28,000 relevant keywords, and more than 5.4 million searches across the quarter. Brand performance was analysed across seven categories: All Brands, All Models, LAMS, ATV/UTV, Discontinued, Dirt Bikes, and Road Bikes.
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 (Q1 2026)
The Top 10
Honda moved from 13.9% in Q4 2025 to 14.4%, pushing past Kawasaki into second position overall. Kawasaki eased only modestly from 13.7% to 13.5%, making this Honda’s gain rather than Kawasaki’s loss. Yamaha held first at 15.1%, down fractionally from 15.2%, narrowing the gap between the two brands to 0.7 percentage points. The three Japanese brands collectively account for 43.0% of all brand-level consideration.
Harley held fifth at 7.1%, a slight uptick from 7.0%, while BMW held fourth at 8.1%, easing from 8.2%. The gap between the two is the narrowest it has been in the dataset. Ducati slipped from 6.5% to 6.3%, and KTM held at 5.9%.
Triumph rose from 5.2% to 5.4%, extending a run that began at 4.8% in Q2 2025. Four consecutive quarters without a pullback suggest an audience that is building rather than fluctuating. Suzuki eased from 4.9% to 4.7%, and CFMOTO softened from 5.1% to 4.6%.
The Rest of the Top 20
Royal Enfield edged from 1.8% to 1.9%, continuing an upward trend consistent across the full dataset. Indian held at 1.7%, Can Am eased from 1.6% to 1.5%, and Aprilia held flat at 1.4% for a third consecutive quarter. Polaris improved from 1.2% to 1.3%, and Vespa edged from 1.1% to 1.2%. Husqvarna eased from 1.2% to 1.1%, while Kymco edged from 0.5% to 0.6%, and Moto Guzzi and John Deere each held at 0.4%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Honda’s move to second place is built on category breadth rather than a single strong result. The brand captures consideration across learner-approved, farm, road, and off-road segments simultaneously, and no rival currently matches that spread.
Triumph’s consistent four-quarter rise reflects genuine enthusiasm for specific platforms rather than broad market coverage. If Q2 2026 brings another gain, the brand will merit closer comparison with those immediately above it.
CFMOTO’s pullback from 5.1% to 4.6% follows a period of strong growth through 2025. One quarter does not confirm a reversal, but its LAMS and adventure touring positioning make it worth watching in Q2.
The Most-Searched Motorcycle Models in Australia (Q1 2026)
The Top 10
The BMW S 1000 RR recovered from 3.8% in Q4 2025 to 3.9%, halting a gradual decline from 4.4% in Q2 2025. The gain is modest, but Q1 is not typically a strong period for high-performance search activity as post-holiday budget resets dampen discretionary purchase research. The stabilisation is more meaningful than the decimal point suggests.
The Yamaha YZF-R1 held at 1.5%, unchanged from Q4 2025, while the Yamaha YZF-R7 eased slightly from 1.5% to 1.4%. The Yamaha YZF-R6 held at 1.3%, sustained by enduring relevance in the used and aspirational segment despite its discontinued production status in many markets. The Honda Grom edged from 1.2% to 1.3%, now sitting level with the YZF-R6. That a compact urban mini-bike and a full-displacement supersport command the same share of consideration speaks to how broadly the Australian motorcycle research funnel has widened over the last twelve months.
The BMW S 1000 R held at 1.3%, and the Honda CBR650R improved from 1.0% to 1.2%, one of the stronger model-level gains in Q1 2026. The Suzuki Hayabusa eased from 1.3% to 1.2%, while the Kawasaki Ninja 400 edged from 1.0% to 1.1% and the Kawasaki Ninja H2R held at 1.1%. The BMW R 1100 S rounded out the top 10 at 1.0%.
It is worth noting the BMW R 1100 S appears in both the All Models Top 10 and the sports touring rankings. The model is discontinued, and its search presence reflects a secondary market audience. Its share does not translate directly to dealer enquiry for new product and should be accounted for when benchmarking against active models.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Yamaha MT-07 held at 1.0%, and the Yamaha YZF-R3 remained at 0.9%. The Honda CRF250R eased from 1.0% to 0.9%, and the Yamaha PW50 softened from 1.0% to 0.8%. The Harley V-Rod eased from 1.0% to 0.8%, and the Yamaha YZ250 held at 0.8%. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R held at 0.8%, and the Honda CRF150R slipped from 0.9% to 0.7%. The Triumph Bonneville T120 remained at 0.7%, a consistent presence that reflects a steady used-market audience as much as new-bike consideration.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
The Honda CBR650R’s improvement from 1.0% to 1.2% is the strongest model-level gain in the All Models top 10 this quarter. It appears across road bikes, sports touring, and LAMS-adjacent research, making it one of the more versatile models in the Honda range from a dealer standpoint.
The Honda Grom’s cross-category presence across road bikes, naked bikes, and discontinued rankings suggests an audience researching the model across different use cases rather than a single one. Its total search footprint across this report is broader than any other single model. It straddles both active and discontinued product lines depending on model year and market, which likely explains its appearance across multiple segments.
The Most-Searched LAMS Brands in Australia (Q1 2026)
The Top 10
Honda held first in the LAMS category at 31.7%, its fourth consecutive quarter within a tenth of a point of 31.8%. That kind of flatline at the top of a category suggests a brand that has effectively saturated learner consideration rather than one that is still building it. The position remains formidable, but the growth story is elsewhere in the rankings.
Kawasaki eased from 20.3% to 19.9%, and Yamaha recovered from 16.5% to 16.8%. Royal Enfield edged from 4.3% to 4.7%, continuing a multi-quarter upward trend. Its character-driven range appears to be finding an audience among learner riders looking for something beyond a purely functional entry machine. KTM eased from 4.5% to 4.3%, Suzuki held at 3.7%, and CFMOTO improved slightly from 3.2% to 3.4%.
Aprilia softened from 2.5% to 2.3%, BMW eased from 2.4% to 2.1%, Husqvarna eased from 2.0% to 1.9%, and Triumph held at 1.8%.
The Rest of the Top 20
Ducati held at 1.7%, while Kymco gained from 0.8% to 1.0%. Harley held at 0.9%, Vespa edged from 0.5% to 0.6%, Benelli held at 0.6%, and Piaggio edged from 0.4% to 0.5%. Moto Guzzi, Beta, and Can Am each held at their prior positions with minimal movement.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
Royal Enfield has moved from 4.1% in Q2 2025 to 4.7% in Q1 2026 across four consecutive quarters. At that trajectory, it could challenge KTM for fourth place within the next quarter or two.
Kymco’s improvement from 0.8% to 1.0% is worth noting after several flat quarters. Q2 will indicate whether it is a trend or a one-quarter move.
The Most-Searched ATV and UTV Models in Australia (Q1 2026)
The Top 10
The John Deere Gator extended its lead, moving from 7.5% in Q4 2025 to 8.5%. A gain of that scale in a single quarter is unusual at this share level and may reflect seasonal farm planning activity alongside the Gator’s entrenched position as a default reference point for Australian property buyers. Whether it holds in Q2 will indicate if this reading is structural or seasonal.
The Kawasaki Mule recovered from 3.0% to 3.4%, drawing level with the Polaris Ranger, which also improved from 3.1% to 3.4%. The Kubota RTV edged from 2.7% to 2.8%, and the Can Am Defender held at 2.8%, up from 2.5%. Can Am’s three tracked models combined held approximately 7.9% in Q1 2026. Polaris’s combined model presence across the category reached approximately 10.2%, the broadest multi-model footprint in the ATV/UTV rankings this quarter.
The CFMOTO UFORCE 1000 eased from 3.5% to 2.4%, giving back its Q4 2025 spike. The CFMOTO CFORCE more than doubled from 0.9% to 2.0%, and with the CFORCE 1000 holding separately at 1.7%, the rise has not come at the expense of other CFMOTO models. The data suggests the brand may be reaching new buyers across different model lines rather than simply shifting attention within its own range.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Polaris RZR XP 1000 Sport EPS improved from 1.8% to 2.0%, while the Kubota RTV-X900 held at 1.9%. The Honda Pioneer 1000 recovered from 1.7% to 1.9%, and the Polaris Ranger 500 held at 1.9%. The Can Am Maverick X3 eased from 1.8% to 1.7%, and the CFMOTO CFORCE 1000 softened from 2.2% to 1.7%. The Polaris RZR slipped from 1.9% to 1.6%, and the Yamaha YFZ450R held at 1.6%. The Polaris Ranger 1000 improved from 1.2% to 1.3%, while the Yamaha Viking eased from 1.4% to 1.3%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
The CFMOTO CFORCE is one to watch in Q2. Whether its Q1 gain reflects a genuine shift in buyer awareness or a seasonal lift will become clearer as the year progresses.
The Polaris Ranger 500 sat at 0.7% in Q2 2025, climbed steadily to 1.7% in Q4 2025, and has held at 1.9% in Q1 2026. That kind of sustained movement across three consecutive quarters carries more weight than a single-quarter spike and suggests a model that is quietly building a defined audience.
The Can Am Defender has also moved gradually upward over the period, reaching 2.8% in Q1 2026. Consistent gains without a standout quarter can be easy to overlook, but the trajectory is worth monitoring heading into Q2.
The Most-Searched Discontinued Motorcycle Models in Australia (Q1 2026)
The Top 10
The Honda Grom and Yamaha YZF-R6 shared the top position in the Discontinued rankings at 5.3% each in Q1 2026, a result that has not appeared in the dataset previously. The Grom’s rise from 4.8% continues its multi-quarter appreciation, while the YZF-R6’s recovery from 5.1% confirms the model retains a strong secondary market audience in Australia.
The BMW R 1100 S held at 4.1%, and the Harley V-Rod eased from 3.8% to 3.3%, a noticeable correction after several quarters of sustained gains. The Triumph Bonneville T120 continued its gradual upward movement from 2.8% to 2.9%, and the Harley Breakout edged from 1.9% to 2.1%. The Honda CBR600RR improved from 1.5% to 1.7%, and the Honda CBR1000RR held at 1.6%. The Honda CB125 edged from 1.4% to 1.6%, a slight but consistent gain that aligns with growing interest in small-capacity entry machines in the LAMS-adjacent space. The Kawasaki KLX110 eased from 1.4% to 1.3%.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Kawasaki Vulcan slipped from 1.3% to 1.1%, and the Harley Forty-Eight held at 1.1%. The Yamaha V-Star XVS650 and Suzuki Boulevard both edged to 1.0%, and the Triumph Street Triple 765 held at 1.0%. The Ducati Streetfighter V4 eased from 1.0% to 0.9%, and the Harley Street Bob held at 0.9%. The Honda CRF125 rounded out the top 20 at 0.9%, down from 1.1%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
The Honda Grom straddles both active and discontinued product lines depending on model year and market, which explains its appearance across multiple rankings. Its search footprint is broader than any other single model in this report and should be read with that context in mind.
The Triumph Bonneville T120 has moved from 2.4% in Q2 2025 to 2.9% in Q1 2026. Its presence in both the discontinued and overall model rankings suggests it is generating consideration as both a used purchase target and a new-bike aspiration.
The Most-Searched Dirt Bike Models in Australia (Q1 2026)
The Top 10
The Honda CRF250R led at 4.4%, down from 4.8% in Q4 2025 but still ahead of the field. The Yamaha PW50 held at 4.2%, its sustained presence near the top of the rankings reflecting the role youth entry machines continue to play in overall off-road consideration. The Yamaha YZ250 advanced from 3.7% to 4.0%, while the Honda CRF150R slipped from 4.3% to 3.6%.
The Yamaha WR450F continued a gradual climb from 2.9% to 3.1%, and the Yamaha WR250F recovered from 2.3% to 2.7%. The Yamaha YZ450F edged from 2.3% to 2.6%, the Honda CRF110F eased from 2.9% to 2.5%, the Honda CRF250F softened from 2.7% to 2.3%, and the Yamaha YZ250F improved from 2.1% to 2.3%.
Yamaha placed six models in the dirt bike top 10 against Honda’s three. Where Honda dominates the brand-level LAMS and overall rankings, Yamaha’s enduro and motocross depth generates stronger model-level penetration in dirt. The divergence is worth noting for dealers operating across both segments.
The Rest of the Top 20
The Honda CRF450R improved from 1.8% to 1.9%, while the Kawasaki KLX110 held at 1.7%. The Honda CRF300L edged from 1.4% to 1.6%, and the Yamaha YZ125 also moved from 1.4% to 1.6%. The Yamaha YZ85, TT-R110, and TT-R125 each held at 1.5%. The Honda CRF50F eased from 1.9% to 1.4%, and the KTM 450 EXC-F and Kawasaki KLX140R each held at 1.3%.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
The Yamaha YZ250’s move to 4.0% is its strongest quarter in the dataset and runs against a broader trend of four-stroke platforms gaining ground. In the motocross subcategory, the Yamaha YZ125 reached 4.8%, also its strongest result in the dataset. Two-stroke Yamaha platforms peaking simultaneously across different segments suggests a market-wide shift in interest rather than movement in a single model. Whether that reflects a genuine resurgence or a seasonal pattern will be clearer in Q2.
The Most-Searched Road Bike Models in Australia (Q1 2026)
The Top 10
The BMW S 1000 RR held first at 5.2%, recovering from 5.1% in Q4 2025. Its lead over the Yamaha YZF-R1 at 2.0% remains substantial, and no other model appears at the top of both the road bike and supersports category rankings this quarter.
The Yamaha YZF-R1 held at 2.0%, the YZF-R7 eased from 1.9% to 1.8%, and the YZF-R6 held at 1.8%. The Honda Grom edged from 1.6% to 1.8%, matching the BMW S 1000 R, which also held at 1.8%. That a sub-125cc urban machine and a premium performance naked BMW hold identical road bike search share reflects a widening of how Australian riders approach the market. Aspirational performance sits at one end; accessible, character-driven riding at the other.
The Honda CBR650R improved from 1.4% to 1.5%, the Suzuki Hayabusa eased from 1.7% to 1.5%, and the Kawasaki Ninja 400 held at 1.5%. The Kawasaki Ninja H2R rounded out the top 10 at 1.4%.
The Rest of the Top 20
The BMW R 1100 S held at 1.4%, and the Yamaha MT-07 eased from 1.5% to 1.3%. The Yamaha YZF-R3 held at 1.2%, and the Harley V-Rod eased from 1.3% to 1.1%. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R softened from 1.1% to 1.0%, and the Triumph Bonneville T120 held at 1.0%. The Ducati Panigale V4 eased from 1.1% to 1.0%, and the CFMOTO 450MT held at 0.9%.
The Yamaha MT-09 edged from 0.8% to 0.9%, its fourth consecutive quarter of gradual gains from 0.7% in Q2 2025. Alongside the MT-07 and Honda CBR650R, the mid-weight naked segment is one of the more consistent growth stories in this dataset, reflecting a rider base that is increasingly researching practical, everyday bikes alongside aspirational ones.
Notable Movers and Brands to Watch
The CFMOTO 450MT’s sustained presence in the road bike top 20 at 0.9% is worth noting. The model has held or grown its position across four consecutive quarters and now sits as the highest-ranked CFMOTO road bike in the category, suggesting it has built a defined buyer audience rather than benefiting from short-term curiosity.
Across the Subcategories: What Else Stood Out
Beyond the seven primary categories, the subcategory data produced a handful of movements worth highlighting for Q1 2026.
Adventure Touring
The CFMOTO 450MT extended its adventure touring lead to 8.8%, its strongest result in the dataset, sitting well ahead of the Honda Africa Twin at 6.5% and the Kawasaki KLR 650 at 6.2%. The KTM 390 Adventure also improved from 4.6% to 5.1% in the same period. Both are sub-500cc platforms, and their simultaneous gains point to a structural appetite for smaller-capacity adventure bikes that larger-displacement rivals are not well positioned to address without new product.
Naked Bikes
The Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Interceptor 650 both reached 1.5%, each recording its strongest quarter in the dataset. Two models from the same brand peaking simultaneously suggest its character-driven positioning is finding a defined audience that the Japanese mid-weight segment is not fully capturing.
Sports Touring
The Honda CBR650R overtook the BMW R 1100 S as the sports touring category leader for the first time, reaching 26.4% against the R 1100 S at 23.5%. The CBR650R is an active production model with current dealer availability; the R 1100 S is discontinued. An active platform leading a category over a discontinued one is a more meaningful result for dealers than the share numbers alone convey.
Fun and Youth
The Yamaha PW50 held at 15.9% in the fun and youth category for a second consecutive quarter. At that level of consistency, the model is a structural feature of Australian off-road consideration rather than a quarterly data point. Its role as the likely first bike for a significant proportion of Australian families makes it a structural fixture of the category rather than a quarterly data point.
Scooters
The BMW CE 04 edged from 2.0% to 2.3%. As the most-considered electric two-wheeler in the dataset by a visible margin, its continued quarter-on-quarter appreciation is worth noting as a leading indicator of where electric consideration may be heading in this segment.
Trust Retain Media for Industry-Leading Insights
The Q1 2026 data presents a market that is consolidating at the top while showing genuine movement in the middle and at the accessible end of the spectrum. Honda’s move to second overall reflects the compounding effect of broad category coverage across learner-approved, farm, road, and off-road segments.
Triumph’s continued rise is a different kind of momentum, built on a narrower but apparently loyal and growing audience. CFMOTO’s correction at the overall brand level, alongside the CFORCE’s notable ATV/UTV gain, is consistent with a brand whose audience may be shifting toward its utility and value-positioned models, though one quarter is not enough to confirm a structural shift.
Across the model rankings, the clearest trend is the sustained rise of accessible, character-driven platforms alongside aspirational ones. The BMW S 1000 RR and Honda Grom occupying equivalent positions in the All Models rankings is the most visible expression of this, but the same pattern appears in naked bikes, road bikes, and adventure touring.
For OEMs, dealers, and marketers, Q1 2026 reinforces the need to calibrate strategy to the category. In core superbike and aspirational road platforms, the audience is concentrated, and the incumbent positions are well entrenched. In adventure touring, LAMS, youth off-road, and mid-capacity naked bikes, the consideration funnel is wider and more responsive to well-timed digital activity and local search presence.
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 comprehensive insights into the broader Australian vehicle landscape, including the agricultural market, truck market, marine market, and caravan market.
