The latest data released by JAMA (the automotive trade association in Japan, which includes representation of motorcycle manufacturers among its membership) shows exports of Japanese made motorcycles to Europe down by -24.82 percent in September (9,010 units), having been +2.10 percent in August (9,034 units) and running at -10.02 percent for the first nine months of 2018 (143,293 units).
Exports of Japanese made motorcycles to USA for September were +8.18 percent (6,019 units) and are running at +6.99 percent YTD (55,301 units). Total Japanese manufactured motorcycle exports worldwide are -5.62 percent YTD at 256,801 units.
PTW exports to Europe (motorcycles, scooters and mopeds combined) were -20.46 percent for September (10,352 units) and are 7.30 percent for the first nine months of 2018 (157,993 units); they are +6.91 percent YTD for USA (84,817 units) and were -3.83 percent worldwide (333,173 units).
The increasing number of units being made by Japanese manufacturers elsewhere in Asia, the US and South/Central America goes some way to providing historical context for 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.
Japanese made motorcycle and moped (all PTW) exports fell off a cliff in 2009 to 583,879 from over 1m in 2008 and have continued to decline most years since then (463,123 units in 2017); they peaked at 1,641m units in 2000.
