Those out of the know might assume that Harley-Davidson is the best-selling brand in the US, but anyone who has any clue about the industry knows its sales are plummeting. Riders in the know might assume that Honda is the best-selling brand, as it is in many countries, and as it was in the US in 2024, and you'd have been right if Kawasaki hadn't had such a phenomenal sales year. But how did this seemingly come out of nowhere for Team Green?
Those of you in the know won't be surprised that the drama surrounding Harley-Davidson in the boardroom and elsewhere was going to hurt the brand, but just how much might surprise some of you. Harley went from being the second-best-selling brand to the third-best-selling manufacturer. Harley just lost out on being the best-selling manufacturer after losing 15.9% in sales compared to the same time last year.
Honda looked poised to be the top-selling brand in the US, as it was in 2024, despite recording an 8% drop in sales. Now, an 8% sales drop is significant, but only half that of its closest rival, Harley-Davidson, which was just shy of 16%, and close to the market average of a 6.5% drop when compared to last year. It would've taken a monumental year from another top brand to knock Honda off the top spot. Enter Kawasaki.
