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In the month, 150,126 bikes were registered - the highest monthly figure since last July, as farmers' purchasing power has risen and more motorists are switching from cars to reduce their energy bills, said AP Honda sales director Thirapat Jiwapong.

"Since January, motorbike sales have been in positive territory," he said. "We're now in the high sales season. May is when schools start the new semester and parents need motorbikes to transport their children. Meanwhile, farmers, our major potential target, have gained more from the rise in agricultural commodities prices."

In May, Honda sold 103,553 units, or a 69 per cent market share. Trailing behind were Yamaha with 38,311 units (26 per cent) and Suzuki with 5,915 units (4 per cent). Half of the newly-registered bikes are for family use. Other players in the market include Kawasaki, JRD, Platinum and Tiger. In the first five months, a total of 709,143 motorbikes were registered, rising 2 per cent from the same period last year.

Thirapat noted that as oil prices are rising, more people are paying attention to motorbikes - particularly those with injection engines - to cut energy bills.