Philippine motorcycle market is in great shape. The start of 2026 was almost positive with first quarter sales reported at 870.975, up a robust 8.8% from the correspondent period last year. Honda dominates while the EVs segment is still basic.
Motorcycle Industry: Trends and Outlook
The impact of the broader economic slowdown has so far had limited effect on the Philippine two-wheeler market, which is the fifth-largest in the world and among those with the most attractive long-term growth potential.
Driven by rapid urbanisation and strong underlying demand, the market expanded sharply over the past decade to exceed 2 million annual units. Although the Covid-19 crisis caused a temporary disruption, demand rebounded quickly in 2021, and the market has since stabilised at around 2.3 million units, with further growth potential.
In 2025, sales increased to 2.37 million units, up 2.8% year on year, and a further +0.7% increase is expected in the current year.
In contrast, the electric two-wheeler segment continues to underperform expectations. While still marginal in absolute terms, EV sales saw initial growth following the entry of several Chinese OEMs. However, the absence of meaningful government support has prevented the creation of sustainable demand, particularly in a market where value for money is the primary purchase driver and EVs remain significantly more expensive than ICE alternatives.
The start of 2026 was almost positive with first quarter sales reported at 870.975, up a robust 8.8% from the correspondent period last year.
However, the electric segment is still languishing and sales increase less then the industry at a mere +4.0%.
Market Leaders and Performance
In the competitive landscape, Honda remains the dominant force and is on track to surpass the milestone of 1 million annual sales again, with first-quarter data showing robust growth of +11.1%.
Yamaha holds second place, posting solid growth of +7.4%, though with a wide gap versus competitors further down the ranking.
The local manufacturer (using Chinese technology) Rusi grew up 10.4% (after the -16.4% reported last year) consolidating the third place.
In fourth place there is Kawasaki (+7.5%) followed by Suzuki (-+9.1%).
