With a growth of 14%, the motorcycle industry has had an extremely good year. A total of 19,900 new motorcycles were sold in 2024, the highest number since 2000, when 19,626 motorcycles were sold. For the first time in history, Kawasaki is the market leader, Team Green recorded a growth of 39.7%.
We have not yet been able to get all the figures out, but based on the available data, a new sales record was set last year, coming within a hair’s breadth of breaking the magical barrier of 20,000 new motorcycles. The 19,900 engines sold is more than double the number in 2013 at the height of the credit crisis, when only 9,244 new engines were sold.
The total sales figure is not the only record set last year. After years of being in second or third place, Kawasaki became the market leader for the first time in 2024, with an increase of no less than 894 units compared to 2023 to now 3,147 units.
With the smallest difference of 13 motorcycles, Kawasaki has displaced Yamaha from first place, although a small comment must be made about this. Yamaha tried hard in the last days of the year to hold on to that first place. For example, on December 31, Yamaha registered 116 motorcycles, but that was just not enough to remain the market leader.
On the other hand, Kawasaki had already started its final sprint earlier, with 233 registered motorcycles in December compared to 189 registered Yamahas and 154 registered BMWs. Harley-Davidson also made a final sprint in December with 106 units, more than 10% of the total figure of 941 units.
Sales figures 2024
| Brand | 2024 | share | 2023 | share | difference |
| KAWASAKI | 3147 | 15.81% | 2253 | 12.90% | 39.7% |
| YAMAHA | 3134 | 15.75% | 2728 | 15.62% | 14.9% |
| BMW | 2691 | 13.52% | 2267 | 12.98% | 18.7% |
| HONDA | 2456 | 12.34% | 2509 | 14.37% | -2.1% |
| SUZUKI | 1316 | 6.61% | 1164 | 6.67% | 13.1% |
| KTM | 1102 | 5.54% | 1248 | 7.15% | -11.7% |
| HARLEY DAVIDSON | 941 | 4.73% | 774 | 4.43% | 21.6% |
| TRIUMPH | 896 | 4.50% | 740 | 4.24% | 21.1% |
| DUCATI | 533 | 2.68% | 620 | 3.55% | -14.0% |
| ROYAL ENFIELD | 455 | 2.29% | 356 | 2.04% | 27.8% |
| VESPA | 369 | 1.85% | 421 | 2.41% | -12.4% |
| APRILIA | 354 | 1.78% | 283 | 1.62% | 25.1% |
| BENELLI | 342 | 1.72% | 229 | 1.31% | 49.3% |
| CFMOTO | 338 | 1.70% | 93 | 0.53% | 263.4% |
| MOTO GUZZI | 289 | 1.45% | 264 | 1.51% | 9.5% |
| PIAGGIO | 193 | 0.97% | 186 | 1.07% | 3.8% |
| HUSQVARNA | 166 | 0.83% | 229 | 1.31% | -27.5% |
| INDIAN MOTORCYCLE | 142 | 0.71% | 152 | 0.87% | -6.6% |
| ZERO MOTORCYCLES | 120 | 0.60% | 82 | 0.47% | 46.3% |
| MOTO MORINI | 85 | 0.43% | 95 | 0.54% | -10.5% |
| OTHER BRANDS | 831 | 4.18% | 770 | 4.41% | 7.9% |
| TOTAL | 19,900 | 100.00% | 17,463 | 100.00% | 14.0% |
As far as the market for motorcycles above 125cc (also excluding scooters) is concerned, there is no difference in the top 10, but we do see quite large differences in numbers. Kawasaki is now the market leader with 3,121 units, 443 more than Yamaha (2,678 units), which in turn has now sold 168 more motorcycles than BMW (2,514 units).
Sales figures for motorcycles above 125cc (excl. scooters):
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The best-selling model last year was the BMW R 1300 GS/Adventure, of which 774 were sold and the vast majority of which will be the GS, the GS Adventure has only just hit the market. Adding to the 446 units of the R 1250 GS/Adventure (the majority of which will be GS Adventure), BMW has sold almost twice as many Boxer GS’s (1,220 units) than numbers 2 and 3, the Yamaha MT-07. (650 units) and Kawasaki Z900 (631 units).
But there are more remarkable things to discover. Honda has sold no fewer than 302 X-ADVs, only a fraction less than the NC750X, which has always been Honda’s top seller and of which 337 were sold last year. At least as remarkable are the Kawasaki Vulcan S and Ninja 650, both models saw enormous growth (+40% and +103% respectively), while CFMOTO recorded an enormous growth of 263% (from 93 to 338 units, with the 450MT as the best model sold).
Not all brands have benefited from the popularity of motorcycling. KTM, which is on the brink of financial collapse, saw sales decline by 11.7%, but the biggest blow fell to Husqvarna, which sold 27.5% fewer motorcycles. Sales figures also declined at Ducati (-14%), Moto Morini (-10.5%) and Indian (-6.6%).
Best-selling models:
| Make/model | 2024 | 2023 | Difference | |
| 1 | BMW R 1300 GS/ADVENTURE | 774 | 113 | 584.96% |
| 2 | YAMAHA MT-07 | 650 | 498 | 30.52% |
| 3 | KAWASAKI Z900 | 631 | 575 | 9.74% |
| 4 | YAMAHA TRACER 900 | 560 | 457 | 22.54% |
| 5 | YAMAHA MT-09 | 526 | 421 | 24.94% |
| 6 | KAWASAKI Z650 | 473 | 442 | 7.01% |
| 7 | BMW R 1250 GS/ADVENTURE | 446 | 788 | -43.40% |
| 8 | YAMAHA TENERE 700 | 382 | 408 | -6.37% |
| 9 | KAWASAKI VERSYS 650 | 343 | 272 | 26.10% |
| 10 | HONDA NC 750 | 337 | 336 | 0.30% |
| 11 | VESPA GTS 300 | 305 | 362 | -15.75% |
| 12 | HONDA X-ADV 750 | 302 | 174 | 73.56% |
| 13 | SUZUKI V-STROM 800 | 289 | 186 | 100.00% |
| 14 | SUZUKI GSX-8S | 278 | 144 | 93.06% |
| 15 | KAWASAKI VERSYS 1000 | 273 | 254 | 7.48% |
| 16 | KAWASAKI NINJA 650 | 240 | 118 | 103.39% |
| 17 | HONDA CB750 | 236 | 238 | -0.84% |
| 18 | YAMAHA TRACER 700 | 225 | 209 | 7.66% |
| 19 | BMW F 900 R | 214 | 177 | 20.90% |
| 20 | HONDA XL 750 TRANSALP | 205 | 167 | 100.00% |
| 21 | YAMAHA X-MAX 300 | 198 | 127 | 55.91% |
| 22 | KAWASAKI VULCAN S | 181 | 129 | 40.31% |
| 23 | TRIUMPH TIGER 900 | 170 | 121 | 40.50% |
| 24 | SUZUKI V-STROM 650 | 157 | 237 | -33.76% |
| 25 | ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 450 | 152 | 0 | 100.00% |
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.