When most people think of motorcycles, they imagine huge American Harley-Davidson style cruisers, agile Japanese and Korean sport bikes, and perhaps an elegant Italian bike or two. We’ve even talked about various aspects of bike financing and ownership before in posts that discuss sorting out bike licensing, whether to choose a new or a used bike, and safety tips for motorcycle riders. However, we haven’t yet talked about something a lot of Australians take seriously: how to find an Australian-made motorbike and why we should care about that in the first place.

Buying Australian Made

The Aussie Motorbike Scene

We Have a Motorcycling History

Though they are no longer a huge part of our national identity, Australian motorbikes were pretty famous in the middle of the twentieth Century. Some classic Australian motorcycle brands, like Tilbrook and Alron, are legends. At one time, Australia had quite a few bike manufacturers. These companies were typically founded by craftsmen who wanted to create their own “ideal” motorbikes, which means that the companies typically remained small and didn’t survive after their founders stopped building motorcycles.

Motorcycles are also a pretty effective way to travel through our cities and even cross-country, and if you’re looking for a reason to do so, you can take a look at our post on the best places in Australia to see from the back of your motorbike. Motorbikes are an extremely fuel efficient means of travel and many cruising and off-road models are surprisingly durable, able to stand up to extended use through rough country roads or even off-road in the outback.

Finding an Australian Motorcycle Today

Those classic Australian motorcycle brands can demand a pretty hefty price these days. They’ve always been rare, and now they hold a unique and interesting place in our culture and collectors love them. Those bikes are iconic and are nothing short of works of art. They’re hard to find and individually crafted, and collectors appreciate that more than anything. If you’re a bike connoisseur looking for one of these old classics, then 360 Finance can help you find the bike finance you’ll need to buy it.

Unfortunately, present-day motorcycle manufacturers are not a common sight here in Australia. Due to their relatively small size and weight, motorbikes are cheaper to import than, say, cars and utes. However, our motorcycle industry is far from dead! Makers of traditional bikes like Barbarian V8 Motorcycles’ hot muscle bikes, Drysdale Motorcycle Company’s hand crafted v8 Cruiser super-bike, and high-tech electrically-powered motorcycles like Stealth Electric Bikes, are being designed and built by growing businesses in Australia. That demonstrates that there’s room for domestic bike manufacturers to succeed here in the twenty first century.

We think that if you’re in the market for a bike loan, you should know all of your options. Because imported motorcycles are well known and easy to come by, many people overlook Australian-made motorcycles. They may not know they exist, and they may not trust an unfamiliar brand. So, make the effort and do some research on the motorbikes Australians are designing and building today. Who knows? You might find a unique bike that you’ll love.

Don’t forget, you can also find Australian Made Caravans, and we can help you find financing for those, too.