Japan’s motorcycle market remains in structural decline, pressured by aging demographics, weak youth demand, and limited EV adoption. After falling 4.9% in 2025, the market deteriorated further in early 2026, with registrations down 13.0% through April.
Motorcycle Market Trend and Perspectives
Following the 8.9% decline recorded in the previous year, the Japanese two-wheeler market failed to recover in 2025, with total sales falling another 4.9% to 348,400 units.
Motorcycle usage continues to decline among younger generations, reflecting broader demographic and lifestyle shifts. Although electric mobility adoption is increasing, it remains insufficient to offset the structural weakening of consumer demand.
In 2025, the electric segment still posted moderate growth (+6.5%), driven by the L1 category (+11.7%), while the larger L3 electric segment declined 9.1%, highlighting the limited appeal of higher-performance electric motorcycles in the domestic market.
After three consecutive years of decline, expectations for a recovery in 2026 are increasingly at risk. Through April, registrations were again sharply negative, down 13.0% year-on-year at just 101,771 units.
Even the EV segment has reversed course, declining 16.7% after the positive momentum seen last year.
Performance of Leading Manufacturers
The market remains heavily concentrated, with Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki controlling over 90% of total sales—yet all three are struggling:
- Honda: -15.0%
- Yamaha: -2.7%
- Suzuki: -28.3%
Among the smaller players:
- Kawasaki was broadly stable (+0.1%)
- BMW gained 10.9%, overtaking Harley-Davidson (-4.3%)
- Triumph declined 13.2%
- Ducati fell 22.6%
- Moto Guzzi posted a sharp rebound (+294%), albeit from a very low base