The latest data released by JAMA (the automotive trade association in Japan, which includes representation of motorcycle manufacturers among its membership) shows exports of 250cc+ Japanese made motorcycles to Europe up by a massive +61.44 percent in April 2017 (29,867 units), having been up by +4.48 percent in March (23,853 units) to make them +24.69 percent for the first four months of the year (101,810 units).
For the full year 2016 exports of 250+cc motorcycles to Europe were +18.83 percent at 180,290 units – the best full year performance experienced by the Japanese factories in Europe since the 201,000 exported in 2010, but still a long way south of the 420,000 exported in 2007 and 461,000 in 2000.
Japanese manufactured total PTW exports to Europe were +24.88 percent in February (28,767 units), “flat” for March at +0.05 percent (24,201 units) and up by +55.01 percent in April (30,510 units), putting them at +21.35 percent for the first four months of 2017 (104,064 units in total so far). They had been +17.83 percent for the full year 2016 at 201,182 units in total - the best annual number for Japanese made PTW exports to Europe since 2010 (228,722 units).
Motorcycle shipments from Japan to the USA were -20.48 percent for the first four months of the year at just 27,057 units, having been -9.36 percent for the full year 2016 at 72,458 units; worldwide Japanese made 250+cc motorcycle exports were +9.64 percent for the same period (157,075 units – the highest since 2012), having been +2.34 percent for the full year 2016 (322,602 units).
Total worldwide Japanese manufactured PTW exports were +4.81 percent for the first three months of 2017 (185,863 units), having been +2.61 percent for the full year 2016 at 428,619 units – their second lowest in the 21st century, having bottomed out at 417,000 in 2015; they peaked at 1.641m units in 2000.
The increasing number of units being made by the Japanese manufacturers elsewhere in Asia, the US and South/Central America goes some way to explaining the data, though the majority of higher value, larger displacement Japanese brand machines, especially those being sold in Europe, are still made in Japan.
Their overseas factories are primarily engaged in making and selling scooters and smaller capacity units in 'emerging' markets (where import tariffs are high) and in making ATV/UTV units, especially in the United States, where demand for such machines is strongest.
www.jama.org
