Motorcycle sales rose 6.6% in March

Motorcycle sales rose 6.6% in March

JAKARTA: Sales of new motorcycles in Indonesia rose 6.6 percent to 299,820 units in March from 281,136 in February due mostly to a decline in interest rates, Gaikindo, a car assemblers' association, said Thursday.

Market leader PT Astra International said it sold 163,203 motorcycles in March, up 8.8 percent from 150,065 the previous month.

Astra, which makes and sells Honda motorcycles with Japan's Honda Motor Co., said its Honda motorcycle sales rose 9.2 percent to 150,444 units in March from 137,762 units in February.

In the first three months of this year, Astra sold 464,422 motorcycles, up 18 percent from 392,504 a year earlier.

Cycle & Carriage Ltd. of Singapore holds a 37 percent stake in Astra International. -- Dow Jones