RI motorcycle sales up 35%

RI motorcycle sales up 35%

JAKARTA: Indonesia's motorcycle sales rose 35 percent in May from a year earlier, faster than April's 31 percent growth, said PT Astra International, the nation's biggest auto distributor.

Motorcycle sales rose to 419,608 units last month from 310,754 units in the same month last year, Astra said in a faxed report on Monday, citing figures from the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association.

Motorcycles sold by Jakarta-based Astra rose 34 percent on year to 219,358 units, the report said. Astra accounted for 52 percent of the country's total motorcycle sales in May, higher than the 50 percent share in April, the figures showed.

Faster economic growth and lower interest rates in the past two years are helping companies sell more cars and motorcycles in Indonesia, where most vehicle purchases are funded by loans. The economy grew 5.1 percent in 2004, the fastest since 1996. -- Bloomberg