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NEWS
BRIEFS
Germany- According to B & B, the Federal Motor Transport Authority( KBA) in Germany says the number of motorcycles in use continued to increase in 2025, to over 5.07 million. This is 0.2 % more than in the previous year. Of these, around 693,567 motorcycles were registered to women( a share of 13.7 %).
BAJAJ Mobility AG in Austria has hired former BMW Motorrad Development VP Christof Lischka as the new Chief Technology and Product Officer of KTM AG.
Indian conglomerate TVS Motor Company- owner of Norton Motorcycles since 2020- has passed Yamaha to become world ' s third-largest motorcycle manufacturer by annual unit volume. TVS sold approximately 5.46 million motorcycles and scooters in 2025, a 20.7 % increase from 4.52 million units the previous year. Yamaha recorded roughly 5 million units, up just 0.8 % year over year. The change marks one of the most notable reshuffles in the global motorcycle industry in recent years. Honda, meanwhile, retained its dominant position with 16.44 million units sold globally in 2025, while Hero MotoCorp remained second with 6.25 million units.
Chinese motorcycle manufacturer CFMOTO has completed the acquisition of a 51 % stake in the Bavaria, Germany based racing chassis and frame manufacturer Kalex Engineering, becoming the company ' s controlling shareholder( December 2025). The transaction was carried out through CF Moto ' s European subsidiary Helmsmen Europe. Kalex founders Alex Baumgaertel and Klaus Hirsekorn have retained the remaining 49 % stake. Kalex has a leading position within the MotoGP racing ecosystem, being especially dominant in the Moto2 class. Observers are saying that the acquisition is a significant step in CFMOTO ' s strategy to deepen its involvement in top-tier international motorcycle racing.
Indian conglomerate Hero MotoCorp reported record-breaking financial results for its full 2025-26 financial year( FY26- April 2025- March 2026). The company sold 5,842,549 motorcycles(+ 6.68 %) and 626,285 scooters(+ 53.19 %), exporting 402,786 units, marking international a growth of + 40.13 %.
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combined with advantageous foreign exchange effects, led to higher profits for the period. Yamaha does not report regional unit sales data, but ' Motorcycles Data ' reports that it sold 4.8 million PTWs globally for its 2025 fiscal year( ending December 31, 2025) which was " essentially flat " compared to 2024.
For its FY ending March 31, 2026, Honda reports a 7.4 % increase in global motorcycle unit sales- up by 1,529 units at 22.101m compared to 20.572m for the year ago 12-month period. Unit sales in Europe were down by 68,000 at 407,000 units from 475,000 for the year ago 12-month period. North America was down by 10,000 units( 538,000 vs. 548,000 for the year ago) and its Japanese home
Honda Group Unit Sales( in thousands)
Region |
FYE 31 March 2025 |
FYE 31 March 2026 |
Change |
Japan |
224 |
205 |
-19 |
North America |
548 |
538 |
-10 |
Europe |
475 |
407 |
-68 |
Asia |
17,478 |
18,738 |
+ 1,260 |
Other regions |
1,847 |
2,213 |
+ 366 |
Total |
20,572 |
22,101 |
+ 1,529 |
market was down by 19,000 units( 205,000 vs. 224,000). Honda ' s major growth market continues to be Asia(+ 1.260m vs. 17.478m for the year ago period). Total sales revenue for motorcycles was up by 11.9 % for the full year compared to the year ago, including + 13.1 % in the fourth quarter- January to March 2026. Operating profit increased by + 10.3 % mainly due to higher sales volumes in Asia and South America. Operating margin for its Motorcycle Business was essentially flat at 18.2 % on sales revenue of 4,018 bn yen( from 18.3 % for the year ago of 3,626.6 bn yen).
Yamaha has again scooped a Red Dot design award in the design Concept category( 2026) for its MOTOROiD: Λ( lambda) iteration. It is now ten years since Yamaha picked up its first such award since the debut of ' Andy 01 ' in 2017- the progenitor of the Android series. This latest version is described as a proof of concept model, and is designed to learn autonomously as Yamaha continues to " explore new possibilities for human-machine relationships ". " This vision is realised through three key elements: AI-based reinforcement learning, a design and colours that embrace even failure as a value, and a chassis engineered to enable movements that go beyond imagination. Through MOTOROiD: Λ, Yamaha Motor is proposing a new perspective on durable goods in which products gain greater value over time through longterm companionship.
Reporting its 2025 / 2026 full financial year( to 31 March) for Europe the company says that for " following the bottoming out of the post pre-registration [ the EURO 5 + transition effective January 2025 ] demand pullback, the European market is gradually recovering. We expanded market share through strengthened sales promotions and new model introductions ". Kawasaki also reports a market share that " remains strong " despite a softening retail market in the United States and cites ongoing concerns over the impacts that tariffs are having on demand. For Southeast Asia, the company says that the sports segment " remains at a low level overall, although some regions are showing signs of recovery ". Writing in May when its results were released, Kawasaki noted that the situation in the Middle East represented a " heightened production risk due to procurement difficulties for solvents and other materials " but that it was working to mitigate the impacts through " enhanced procurement coordination across global sites ". The company did however point to the potential for demand slowdown due to higher fuel prices, " mainly in emerging markets ". In unit terms, Kawaski reported a + 4 % increase in global wholesale unit volume( 239,000 units from 234,000 for the year ago) with + 6 % in Europe( 88,000 units from 81,000). The Philippines remains the largest emerging market and largest single national market with a + 24 % unit growth for the year to 211,000 units( up from 186,000 units from the year ago). Global motorcycle revenue for 2025 / 2026 FY( Powersports and
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Described as " the bike that builds champions ", the KX327X and KX327 will make Kawasaki ' s re-entry into the off-road adult two-stroke category, with Kawasaki ' s first fuelinjected 2-stroke single-cylinder engine.
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