Motorbike production volume in Japan 2014-2023

In 2023, manufacturers produced approximately 680.86 thousand motorcycles in Japan, decreasing from around 694.86 thousand units in the previous year. The majority of the motorcycles had a cylinder capacity of over 250 cubic centimeters - and many are bound for export to Europe or North America. Most, Japanese manufacturers produce and sell their bikes overseas.

Motorcycle demand in Japan

Most domestic motorcycle sales are motorized bicycles, referring to two-wheelers with an engine displacement of 50cc and below or an equivalent electric motor (0.6kw and below). These compete with the popular pedal-assist electric bicycle (pedelec), whose demand has increased. Although pedelecs are slightly lower-powered, they are cheaper and easier to use as they do not even require a license. Despite a decreasing number of license holders, the demand for motorcycles above 50cc has experienced a slight upwards trend.

Road safety and motorcycles

Typically, motorcycles entail a higher accident risk. If considering the few license holders, motorcycle casualties are certainly overproportionate: more than one in ten casualties due to traffic accidents is a (motor)biker. Moreover, the case fatality rate of motorcycle riders is higher than those of other road users. While motorized bicycles (moped 1st class) still had a rate slightly above the average of 0.73 percent in 2023, the rate for motorcycle riders stood at 1.65%. Fortunately, Japan has a relatively low number of road accidents per capita overall.