It's a well-established fact that motorcycles dominate the roads in the Asian market, and are the preferred means of mobility for a sizable chunk of the population. Countries like India, Indonesia, and the Philippines rely heavily on two wheelers for the movement of the economy – both for personal mobility and the delivery of goods and services.
Speaking of Asian countries, motorcycle sales in the Philippines have seen a huge spike in the first half of 2023. Data provided by an article by Philippine Star cites a report by the MDPPA, or the Members of the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association Inc., an organization of motorbike manufacturers membered by the Japanese big four – Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. According to the data, a total of 932, 220 motorcycles from these brands were sold from January to July, 2023, a notable jump from the same period last year, which saw 890,720 brand-new bikes sold.
This translates to a noteworthy 4.7-percent jump in sales from January to July 2023, as compared to the same period in 2022. Furthermore, the members of the MDPPA set their goals for the remainder of 2023, targeting to achieve a steady five-percent growth rate. In total, it's forecasted that motorcycle sales from the big four manufacturers would total 1.6 million for 2023 – surpassing the impressive 1.5-million motorcycles sold in 2022.
It's important to note, however, that even though majority of motorcycle sales in the Philippines come from the member companies of the MDPPA, there are also several other large manufacturers that are building a rather strong presence in the Philippines. For example, CFMoto has garnered massive following in the Southeast Asian country, especially in the premium segment, where its affordable models like the 450NK have lowered barriers to entry into the big bike market. Other premium brands like KTM, BMW, and Ducati, also hold a major stake in the premium segment.
On top of that, the Philippines is also seeing growth in terms of local production. While all of the big four manufacturers have local manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, several newcomers have also set up shop in the country in recent years. KTM, for instance, produces its 200, 250, 390, and 790 series in the Philippines, and sells and exports them to nearby markets. More specifically, data from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Automotive Federation shows that the country's motorcycle and scooter production grew by 57.4 percent in the first half of 2023.
