Motorcycle registrations and production data from Japan
Japan has a built-in love of motorcycling. Spread across more than 14,000 islands, the country has a population of 124 million, which is around 77% greater than the UK. However, the motorcycle market last year was considerably larger than the UK’s, registering more than three times as many PTWs.
Despite that, the market got off to a rocky start in 2024, with the first four months of the year (Jan-Apr) all down compared to the same months in 2023.
Of the four capacity sectors Japan’s trade association (JAMA) divides the market into, the moped market has fared least-badly so far this year, but historically it has been hardest hit. Up until 2007, the sub-50cc sector made up more than half the total PTW market, but after the global financial crisis of 2008, not only were overall sales permenently reduced by around a third, mopeds lost their shine and have consistantly lost market share since.
The 2008 crisis also hit Japan’s bike factories hard, with production falling by more than 60% and never recovering as cheaper to run production sites were opened abroad.