1.5 million motorcycles sold in 2022 by Big 4, scooters reign supreme

Despite the economic slowdown and industry challenges faced by motorcycle manufacturers in the previous year, the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association Inc. (MDPPA) still managed a 9% annual sales growth in 2022, with a total unit sales of 1,564,827.

The MDPPA is an organization of the so-called “Big 4” motorcycle brands in the country, namely, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha.  

Out of the MDPPA total sales last year, 58% were Automatic Transmission (AT) motorcycles, with 904,343 units sold. Most commonly known as scooters, these motorcycles initially gained popularity among first-time motorcycle buyers because of their ease of operation. Still, it has recently been in high demand in the delivery services industry.

Following at 21% are the Business Unit (BU) motorcycles, with 334,671 units sold. As the name suggests, motorcycle models in this segment are traditionally intended to be used for commercial purposes, as most of these units are converted into tricycle units to ferry passengers.

Mopeds (MP) make up 16% of last year’s sales, with 253,783 units. Save for a few sport-oriented models, the MP or Commuter Underbone is the most affordable type of motorcycle in the local market. MP sales plateaued in the previous years before demand gradually declined. While this indicates motorcycle buyers’ capacity and willingness to spend more for technological features and convenience of usage, the MP remains the most viable option in the price-sensitive commuter market segment. 

On the other hand, Standard (ST) motorcycle models sold a consistently conservative 57,941 units. STs are considered a step up from the entry-level commuter bikes and an entry point to the Big Bike (BB) segment. BBs are high-displacement (400 cc and up) motorcycles that cater to the leisure rider market. 12,662 BB units were sold last year, along with 1,427 recreational off-road vehicles (Others).

Now, let’s put things into proper perspective

So that you know, these figures only represent the reported sales of the four brands above. Numbers from other brands and distributors are not included in this tally, so theoretically, the number of motorcycles sold last year is higher than the figures provided by the MDPPA.

After reaching its one-million-unit sales milestone in 2016, the MDPPA underwent a growth spurt and registered annual sales of 1.3 million, 1.6 million, and 1.7 million units in 2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively.

When the global pandemic hit, the MDPPA suffered a -29.2 % growth in 2020, with unit sales plummeting to 1.2 million. Yet, the organization soldiered on and bounced back with 19% growth in 2021, achieving a whopping 1,435,677 unit sales.

Despite my monosyllabic surname, I am not a fan of numbers, but these always excite me yearly. The MDPPA is not yet keen on giving a sales projection for 2023, but with the current rate, will we see double-digit growth this year?