Assume America and bikes, and virtually immediately, you’re sure to think about Harley-Davidson – such is the cultural weight the model has carried for greater than a century. However right here’s the shock: the Milwaukee-based bikemaker is not America’s top-selling motorbike firm. The truth is, it’s not even second.
That honor belongs to Kawasaki, of all producers, which now wears the crown, secured by means of a powerful 14.2% year-on-year gross sales improve.
Harley-Davidson’s current struggles had been all the time sure to harm the model, however not many would have predicted the extent of the impression. A big slump in revenue, coupled with the notorious boardroom drama, meant Harley slipped from the second spot to 3rd – all whereas shedding a staggering 15.9% in gross sales in comparison with the corresponding interval final yr.
So who’s in second? That spot is taken by Honda, final yr’s top-selling American motorbike model. Regardless of posting a 3% rise in the beginning of 2025 in contrast with the earlier yr, the Japanese producer in the end recorded an 8% drop in gross sales. It appears Harley wasn’t the one model seeing purple these days.
That is per a report from MotorCyclesData, which compiled year-to-date gross sales by means of September. It’s value noting that these numbers come throughout one of many hardest monetary intervals in current reminiscence.
US motorbike gross sales for the primary half of 2025 are down by greater than 9%, which the worst begin to a yr within the final decade. The third quarter remained within the purple, although at a slower tempo of -0.5%, with year-to-date gross sales by means of September down 6.5% from final yr. All this for a two-wheeler market that’s the 14th largest on the earth and traditionally some of the resilient.
Curiously, the US is among the few markets the place Kawasaki is performing nicely. Globally, the model has been dealing with declining numbers. Southeast Asia, which is accountable for almost 40% of Kawasaki’s worldwide market, noticed gross sales drop sharply by about 15% within the first half of 2025.
So what labored within the USA? The model’s Ninja and Vulcan vary of bikes proved pivotal. Each the Vulcan S and the small-bore Ninja sportbikes (500 and 650) have been in style decisions for an enormous chunk of the market.
Following carefully behind the highest three are Yamaha in fourth (down by 0.4%) and KTM in fifth (down by a mammoth 23.8%). Indian Motorcycle (up by 4.9%), Suzuki (down by 13.7%), and BMW (down by 10.8%) shut the rankings in sixth, seventh, and eighth spots, respectively.
Spot the pattern? Dependable Japanese producers occupy two of the highest three positions, and three of the highest 5. In whole, of the eight motorbike manufacturers within the examine, half are Japanese.
What does this inform us? Consumers look like prioritizing dependable, well-built bikes over homegrown manufacturers which will provide extra energy however sit at a considerably greater value level. All of the Japanese producers on this record provide inexpensive, reliable fashions that undercut their American and European rivals.
Living proof: the most affordable bikes from Kawasaki, Honda, and Yamaha – the Ninja 500, XR150L, and V Star 250 – price US$5,399, $3,299, and $4,799, respectively. Compared, Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorbike’s most inexpensive fashions, the Nightster and Scout Sixty, each begin at $9,999. In the meantime, BMW’s ageing G 310 R prices $5,195, has offered in modest numbers, and is prone to be discontinued subsequent yr.
Additionally value mentioning: manufacturers like Royal Enfield and CFMoto proceed to realize traction within the US for the exact same causes – strong construct high quality at a fraction of Western rivals’ pricing. And for patrons on the reverse finish of the spectrum, Ducati, MV Agusta, and the newly revitalized Norton stay robust choices for a real premium buy.
All instructed, American motorbike producers have to step up in the event that they need to stay aggressive in an more and more crowded market, or threat being forgotten within the annals of motorcycling historical past.
Supply: MotorCyclesData
