MOTO X VOLUME 2 NUMBER 5

Also available is the
exciting GS range
For your Suzuki
requirements
GS550
come to
ONTINENTAL
MOTORCYCLES
Yamaha international and South
African motor cycle sales roaring into
top gear.
According to figures recently made
available in Japan, Yamaha was the
only motor cycle manufacturer to
show a gain in itsshafeof the Japanese
export market in 1977 while, in South
Africa, the company was up 45.8 per
cent on sales by the end of October.
"The figures for January - December,
1977, are not yet availabl~ but, by the
end of October last year, the total
motor cycle market in this country had
increased by 18.4 per cent in comparison
with the same period in 1976,"
said Yamaha's Bruce Johnstone. "At
the same time our sales were up 45,8
per cent!"
In Japan Yamaha exported 1 280 953
motor cycles in 1977, compared with
795 34 1 in 1976 and its share of the
Japanese export market rose from
27.2 per cent to 32,7 per cent. In 1978
the company has set its sights on total
export sales of more than two million.
In the same period Honda's share of
the Japanese export motor cycle
market was 39,8 per cent compared
with 42,1 per cent in 1976, Suzuki went
to 19,6 per cent in 1977 from 21,7 per
cent the year before and Kawasaki to
7,9 per cent from 9,0 per cent in 1976.
Yamaha figures did not include 'exports'
to Taiwan and Korea as the
company maintains a manufacturing
facility in Taiwan to which eKO
(completely knocked down) motor
cycles are sent. If these production
figures are added to the Yamaha export
total, the company believes it is
now 'neck and neck' with Honda in the
international sales race.
"We have high hopes of being No. 1
internationally in 1978," said Mr. Johnstone.
"In South Africa we are pushing
ahead with our sales drive and believe
that our 1977 growth can be attributed
to our recently expanded and now exceptionally
good model range, the
incredible co-operation and support
we have received from Yamaha,
Japan, who are vitally interested in our
market, and our solid dealer network.
"The expansion of our dealer network
with key new dealers in important
areas and the knowledge that we place
so much importance on our customer
technical service and parts availability,
has played a major role.
"On thlsthema we are running, during
1978, a continual series of dealer orientated
service seminars. We will also be
showing new bikes during the year and
171 ELOFF STREET EXT JOHANNESBURG 833-6960 so we feel confident that 1978 should
I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~proveto be a mo~ exc~ng year for
• us."
GWAds