August 17, 2021

02:08

Cassandra Castro – from Cenarium

BRASÍLIA (DF) – Competitive, robust, popular transportation vehicles or a dream of consumption. Motorcycles are present everywhere, in capital cities, rural areas, and cities in the countryside of Brazil. In the case of the State of Amazonas, two-wheeled vehicles, which include not only motorcycles but also bikes, scooters, and mopeds, are also a source of employment and income for thousands of people.

In the case of motorcycles, nine of the ten companies associated with the Brazilian Association of Manufacturers of Motorcycles, Mopeds, Scooters, Bicycles and Similar Vehicles (Abraciclo), an entity that represents the manufacturers of the two-wheel segment in Brazil, have plants located in the Industrial Complex of Manaus. Two of them, with more than 40 years of activities in the capital of Amazonas: Yamaha, active since 1974 and Moto Honda da Amazônia, installed in 1976 and employing alone 7 thousand workers, according to data from the companies on the Abraciclo website.

Guarantee of sustenance and locomotion in the countryside of Amazonas

The two-wheeled vehicles are very popular not only in the capital Manaus, but also in the countryside cities of Amazonas. According to information from the Amazonas State Traffic Department (Detran-AM), by July of this year, the fleet of two-wheeled vehicles in the interior of the state was 144,494 vehicles, with motorcycles predominating, followed by scooters. After Manaus, the cities of Itacoatiara, Parintins and Manacapuru stand out in the quantity of this type of transportation:

Manaus: 231,444

Itacoatiara: 20,236

Parintins: 17,280

Manacapuru: 13,083

Frank Seixas Lima, 37, works since 2016 as a mototaxi driver in Parintins, a city 369 km from Manaus. He says that in the city the motorcycle is a very used vehicle and it is difficult to see a family that does not have at least one motorcycle in the garage or in the backyard. “People here use a motorcycle for many things, their own transportation, passenger transportation and even for loads, they put a cart on the back and earn a living,” says Frank.

The mototaxi driver says that in the association of the category there are 400 professionals able to work, all with their own vehicles, licensed and with a clean police record. “In the past, it was very messy, anyone could get a motorcycle and go for a ride, but then crime increased and they decided to organize everything so that the activity could be done with tranquility and safety for the mototaxi driver and the passenger.

The seductive machines that “fly” on the road

In Manaus, there is also the factory of the legendary Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a true icon born in the United States and that won the hearts of speed lovers all over the world. Businessman Mário Alfredo Merhy, 59, has been passionate about motorcycling for at least 40 years. He tells that the feeling of freedom is fantastic when riding a motorcycle and says that the “fall” for Harley-Davidson motorcycles started when he joined the Moto Bodes do Asfalto Club, in Manaus.

The urban architect Deusdedith Monteiro, 48, has been living a romance for two years with his “Lady Black II”, the affectionate name given to the Yamaha Midnight Star 950 cc motorcycle. For him, the motorcycle really gives him this feeling of freedom, without having to worry about going long distances.

Passion reflected in numbers

With so many lovers of two-wheeled vehicles, the forecasts could not be more optimistic. Abraciclo revised the motorcycle production projections for 2021 and estimates that the factories installed in the Manaus Industrial Complex will produce 1,220,000 units, which corresponds to a growth of 26.8% compared to last year. The initial perspective presented by the Association was 1,060,000 motorcycles.

The president of Abraciclo, Marcos Fermanian, believes that with the new forecast the sector should be close to the level of 2015, when 1,262,708 motorcycles were manufactured. “We are still far from the 2011 record, which had more than 2 million units produced, but the important thing is that the industry is consolidating its recovery and the signs indicate the beginning of a new expansion cycle.”