Indonesia motorbike sales fall in Feb

JAKARTA: Indonesia's sales of motorcycles, an indicator of consumer consumption in Southeast Asia's largest economy, fell 2.5 percent in February from a year ago, but were up slightly on a monthly basis, industry data (AISI) showed on Friday.

February sales were 649,434 motorbikes, up 0.5 percent from January, led by Honda Motor Co Ltd, Yamaha Motor Co Ltd and Suzuki Motor Corp.

Sales of motorbikes are driven by emerging middle class consumers, who are sensitive to the level of deposit they need to pay.

The authorities in June increased the downpayment for purchases of motobikes and cars to slow loan growth.

According to the central bank, January consumer loans grew 19.8 percent year-on-year from 20 percent the previous month.