Yamaha for the first time ever surpassed fellow Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Honda in monthly sales in Indonesia, local press said Wednesday.

Yamaha booked sales of 159,035 units in March, or 7,961 more than decades-long leader Honda, reported leading economic daily Bisnis Indonesia.

Moped models and scooters accounted for the vast majority of Yamaha sales, which grabbed 43.7 percent of the market share last month, against Honda's 41.5 percent.

The two rivals have been in fierce battle over the last few years.

Last year, Yamaha was the only manufacturer to make gain, with sales totaling 1.48 million units. Honda's local subsidiary PT Astra Honda Motor (AHM) led the 2006 motorcycle market with 2.3 million, but sales fell sharply.

"We need to work harder to improve our business performance. We are confident to regain (the lead) in the near future," AHM marketing director Johannes Loman said.

Source: Xinhua