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