Top-brand motorcycles dominate automotive expo
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Motorcycles are no longer just for those people who can't afford cars, but also for the well-to-do.
The two-wheeled mode of transportation is not only useful in zipping through Jakarta's notorious traffic jams, but can also make a strong statement about your lifestyle.
Or this might be what those at the Jakarta Motorcycle and Motor Show 2002 might tell you. The show is being held at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) from Saturday through Sunday.
Indeed, the expo is dominated by "lifestyle" motorcycles produced by top international names like Harley Davidson, Duccati, Cagiva, Apriilia, Honda and Suzuki.
The prices range from Rp 390 million (about US$44,000) for Harley Davidson's latest V-Rod to Rp 400 million for Duccati's street fighter version of the Superbike 2002 -- roughly twice the price of a Kijang minivan, the most popular family car in the country.
Top-brand motorcycle importers participating in the event said Indonesia was a promising market for expensive completely-built- up (CBU) motorbikes, despite the lingering economic crisis that has brought millions of people into poverty.
"We are expecting to sell 12 units of our motorcycle during the exhibition. We are sure that wealthy customers have no problem spending a great deal of money to get their preferred bike," said the general manager of Harley Davidson Indonesia, Willy A. Condrodiputro.
Aside from expensive motorbikes, the exhibition also features the latest models of locally assembled motorbikes produced by Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. The prices for these are set at between Rp 9 million to Rp 30 million -- much more affordable prices that put these bikes in the reach of tens of millions of people in the country.
Many visitors who went to the exhibition on its opening day confided that they were looking for the latest bikes with the cheapest prices.
One visitor, Djunaedi, said he came to the event to find a motorcycle priced between Rp 9 million and Rp 12 million for his food catering business.
"For me a motorcycle is not for pleasure or my lifestyle. I need it for my catering business. I heard that this event offers a lot of discounts, so I decided to visit," said Djunaedi.
The event, which was opened by Vice President Hamzah Haz, was co-organized by the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI) and PT Dyandra Promosindo.
AISI vice chairman Gunadi Sindhuwinata said the exhibition was meant to help promote the growth in motorcycle ownership, with sales this year projected to increase to 2.5 million units from 1.25 million last year.
"This exhibition is the first and the largest motorcycle show in the country," Gunadi said.
According to Gunadi, if this year's 2.5 million sale target is reached, Indonesia will become the world's third largest motorcycle market. It will trail only China, which projects sales of 12.5 million units this year, and India, with projected sales of 5 million units. Japan could become the fourth largest motorcycle market with projected sales of 2.3 million units.
In the first semester of the year, the country's production of motorcycles reached 1.2 million units, comprising 949,783 units of the cheapest bebek type, 21,633 units of the business class type, 87,425 units of the sports class type and 2,985 scooters.
Also participating in the event are top car producers like Toyota, Honda, Ford, BMW, Bentley, Jaguar, Peugeot, Ssangyong and Mitsubishi, which are showcasing their latest products models.
About 150 companies are participating in the event, occupying some 30,000 square meters of the JCC venue.
The event also includes audio and video equipment for cars and other automotive accessories.
The exhibition is expected to attract 300,000 visitors, and Gunadi estimated the total transaction value during the exhibition would reach Rp 400 billion (US$45 million).