Sales of 125cc motorcycles are soaring in Spain after the government passed a new that allows car drivers to hop on bikes without needing an extra permit.
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Sales leapt 350% in October and are expected to rise to that tune every month until the end of the year, a spokesman for Suzuki’s Spanish franchise told just-auto.
The Japanese company sold 1,329 units in October compared to 706 units in the year-ago period, and plans to sell 2,300 units of its Burgman scooter, up from 300 in 2003.
Suzuki is “working very hard” to increase capacity at its Gijon, Spain factory, the spokesman said. The plant makes motorcycles for sale in Spain and Europe.
The fledgling legislation is fuelling sales of other motorcycles. According to the Spanish Traffic Bureau, bike sales totalled 22,000 units between September and October, up from 13,000 in the same period last year.
They are expected to “greatly surpass” the 77,496 units sold in 2003, industry observers said.
The government’s intentions were revealed this summer, prompting early buying. The law was officially approved on 19 October to increase urban mobility in traffic-clogged Spanish cities, the Traffic Bureau spokesman said.
In common with Suzuki, other dealers are scrambling to meet demand, with Honda and Yamaha acknowledging that their stocks have run out. Yamaha ‘owes’ 2,000 motorcycles to clients, according to a report in Cinco Dias newspaper.
Ivan Castano
