Motorcycles are two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat, and the industry built around them operates at a scale comparable to the automobile trade, with about 58.6 million new motorcycles sold worldwide in 2021 against 66.7 million cars over the same period. In the 21st century the industry has come to be dominated by Japanese and Indian manufacturers, and in 2022 the top four producers by volume were Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. India's Hero MotoCorp has emerged as a dominant force in its own right, its Splendor model alone having sold more than 8.5 million units to date, alongside other major Indian producers Bajaj and TVS Motors. Production is concentrated heavily in Asia, with a large market for smaller-capacity motorcycles under 300cc centered on Asian and African buyers and manufactured chiefly in China and India.
Facts
SectorMotorcycle manufacturing 1 FAQs
When did motorcycles first go into series production?
Series production began in 1894 with Hildebrand & Wolfmüller.
In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle, and the first to be called a motorcycle (German: Motorrad). Excelsior Motor Company, originally a bicycle maker based in Coventry, England, began production of its first motorcycle model in 1896, and the first production motorcycle in the US was the Orient-Aster, built by Charles Metz in 1898 at his factory in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Connections
Companies In Industry
Source Brough Superior (Wikipedia)
Source Indian Motorcycle (Wikipedia)
Source Moto Guzzi (Wikipedia)
Source Norton Motorcycle Company (Wikipedia)
Source Vincent Motorcycles (Wikipedia)
In Sector
Additional Source Wikipedia: Global Industry Classification StandardGICS: Motorcycle Manufacturers
Sources
1. Wikipedia, Motorcycle
WikipediaLead sectionQuote, Lead section
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or, if three-wheeled, a trike) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat.
Wikipedia: Global Industry Classification Standard
WikipediaIn Sector: Consumer Discretionary, GICS: Motorcycle ManufacturersView the Source Wikipedia: Ducati
Companies In Industry: Ducati, Lead: operates-inQuote, Companies In Industry: Ducati, Lead: operates-in
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A (Italian pronunciation: [duˈkaːti]) is an Italian motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Bologna, Italy.
Vincent Motorcycles (Wikipedia)
Companies In Industry: Vincent Motorcycles, Lead sectionQuote, Companies In Industry: Vincent Motorcycles, Lead section
Vincent Motorcycles was a British manufacturer of motorcycles from 1928 to 1955.
Brough Superior (Wikipedia)
Companies In Industry: Brough Superior, Lead sectionQuote, Companies In Industry: Brough Superior, Lead section
Brough Superior ( BRUF) motorcycles, sidecars, and motor cars were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works on Haydn Road in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940.
Indian Motorcycle (Wikipedia)
Companies In Industry: Indian Motorcycle, Lead sectionQuote, Companies In Industry: Indian Motorcycle, Lead section
Indian Motorcycle is an American motorcycle brand controlled by the Los Angeles-based private equity firm Carolwood LP since February 2026.
Norton Motorcycle Company (Wikipedia)
Companies In Industry: Norton Motorcycle Company, Lead sectionQuote, Companies In Industry: Norton Motorcycle Company, Lead section
The Norton Motorcycle Company (formerly Norton Motorcycles.) is a brand of motorcycles headquartered in Solihull, West Midlands, (originally based in Birmingham), England.
Moto Guzzi (Wikipedia)
Companies In Industry: Moto Guzzi, Lead sectionQuote, Companies In Industry: Moto Guzzi, Lead section
Moto Guzzi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmɔːto ˈɡuttsi]) is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production.
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