Brazil is the largest motorcycle market in South America. The country is also a large production base for motorcycles, with an output of 1.413 million machines in 2022, making it the seventh biggest producer of PTWs globally, according to motorbike and bicycle trade association Abraciclo. Brands building bikes in the country include Honda, BMW, KTM, Triumph and Harley-Davidson, all taking advantage of a skilled workforce and comparatively low cost base. Most of these machines are for domestic consumption, but some are subsequently exported – 55,300 in total for 2022, an increase of 1.8% over 2021. These were shipped to Argentina, Columbia, the USA, Australia and Canada.
In terms of market share, the out-and-out best-selling brand is Honda, with the Japanese brand’s Brazilian arm claiming an amazing 75% of the total market. Yamaha makes a valiant bid for second but is well down in terms of volume. Following on are a flotilla of Chinese and Brazilian brands – Outros, Shineray, Haojue and Mottu.
Small capacity machinery rules the roost on the streets, with the under 160cc category taking more than 82% of the market. Large capacity bikes (in Brazil’s case this means anything over 450cc) take up a meagre 3.2% market share, but that still represents a total of 37,500 for the January to September period of 2023: a significant market for big-bike specialists like Triumph, Harley and BMW to fight over. In terms of styles, Street is the biggest selling category by a country mile, with Trail bikes appearing as Brazil’s second favourite way of enjoying a two-wheeled trip.