Do Asian Motorcycle Sales Top Pre-Pandemic Levels?

According to reports by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, motorcycle sales – similar to bicycle sales – are increasing worldwide due to growing demand for “socially-distanced” travel modes. In Asia, where the motorcycle is a preferred mode of travel because of its low-cost and ability to move through blocked-up traffic, Taiwan and China have seen monthly sales increase above 2019 levels in September. Japan could record an increase of year-over-year sales of 7 percent in July, but saw August sales drop below those in the same month in 2019 again.

While China saw sales dip and recover due to the crisis, Taiwan – which managed to keep its economies mostly open during the pandemic – actually saw sales pick up without much of a slump beforehand.

The picture is quite different in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia (one of the biggest sellers in the region) where sales are still suffering majorly due to the crisis. June and July figures were the latest available for some of the countries so a recovery – or even exceeding of expected sales figures - could still happen there in the months to come. Economist have long predicted strong comebacks after virus-induced slumps, but the edge motorcycle sales have had over decimated car sales hints at virus advantage.

In Europe, which shows the same mixed picture so far, market analysts are expecting gains to still emerge in some locations in the coming months. According to the Wall Street Journal, motorcycles – as well as scooters, bicycles and even skateboards – will be among the winners of the pandemic.