Import of motorcycles, new and used, registered a sharp increase while arrivals of second-hand cars tumbled during the first 10 months of this fiscal year.
Rising interest of young generation towards used heavy bikes propelled imports thus pushing the two leading bike assemblers to introduce brand new bikes.
In contrast, imports of used cars have been falling due to cut in age limit to three from five years and reduction in depreciation limit by the government.
Figures released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed 374 per cent jump in bike imports to $4.6 million in July-April 2013-2014 as compared to $971,000 in same period last fiscal year.
On the contrary, imports of cars (over 90pc used cars), plunged by 43.6pc in July-April 2013-2014 to $159.6m from $283m in the corresponding period last fiscal.
Atlas Honda introduced brand new imported 150cc and 500cc bikes at Rs660,000 and Rs1.25m respectively.
Pak Suzuki Motor Company’s imported Inazuma 250cc, Intruder 800cc and Hayabusa 1,300cc bikes, which were priced Rs675,000, Rs1.5m and Rs2.4m respectively in four to five months back, now carry price tags of Rs725,000, Rs1.6m and Rs2.5m.