In 2025, against the backdrop of a sluggish global economic recovery and heightened external uncertainties, China’s motorcycle industry has continued to move forward steadily under pressure. With the 9^th General Assembly of the China Chamber of Commerce for Motorcycle convened in Chongqing on December 25, the industry’s operating trends, structural shifts, and future development path have become increasingly clear: exports have emerged as a key driver of stable growth, while structural upgrading has become the core pillar supporting high-quality development.

Domestic Demand Under Pressure, Structural Opportunities Emerging

From the perspective of the Chinese market, China’s motorcycle industry faced no small challenges in 2025. A slower pace of consumption recovery, combined with restrictions in certain usage scenarios, led to a temporary decline in demand for traditional commuter motorcycles. At a deeper level , however, this round of adjustment does not signal a disappearance of demand, but rather a rebalancing of demand structure.

On the one hand, a riding population of more than 400 million provides the market with a solid and resilient foundation. On the other hand, driven by consumption upgrading and evolving lifestyles, motorcycles are gradually shifting from being “essential means of transportation” to platforms for leisure, recreation, and personal expression. Mid-to large-displacement leisure motorcycles, along with new products featuring intelligent and electric technologies, have continued to outperform the industry’s average growth rate, becoming a key force underpinning domestic demand.

Exports Sustain Rapid Growth, Becoming the Industry’s “Stabilizer”

In sharp contrast to the cyclical adjustment in domestic demand, China’s motorcycle exports continued to post strong growth momentum in 2025, emerging as the core engine underpinning the industry’s overall performance.

Amid the deepening implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese motorcycles—supported by mature and reliable technology systems, steadily improving product quality, and a strong overall value proposition—have maintained rapid growth in traditional stronghold markets such as Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. At the same time, Chinese brands are accelerating their breakthroughs into high-end markets including Europe, overcoming technical, certification, and branding barriers, with the export mix steadily extending toward mid- to high-end products.

Zhang Hongbo, Secretary General of the China Chamber of Commerce for Motorcycle, noted at the meeting that “the achievements of high-quality development in China’s motorcycle industry are becoming increasingly evident, with foreign trade exports continuing to lead globally.” In 2025, China’s motorcycle exports are expected to reach a new record high, with export volumes likely to exceed 13 million units (based on incomplete chamber statistics; customs data are projected to surpass 18 million units), representing year-on-year growth of approximately 21%. Exports to Europe, Africa, and other markets are expected to post growth of more than 40%. Within the global motorcycle industry supply chain, the role of Chinese manufacturing as a stabilizing “ballast stone” is becoming increasingly prominent.

Upgrading Product Structure, Reshaping the Industry’s Growth Logic

If the expansion of export scale reflects growth in “volume”, then the continuous optimization of product structure signals a fundamental shift in the industry’s growth logic.

In 2025, the competitiveness of Chinese brands in the mid- to large-displacement leisure motorcycle segment improved markedly. Companies such as CFMOTO, QJMOTOR, Zonsen, and Loncin have achieved a combined Chinese market share of over 80% in this segment, while the proportion of exports has simultaneously risen to more than 17%, underscoring China’s accelerated move up the mid-to high-end of the value chain.

New energy motorcycles have also emerged as a key lever for structural upgrading. In 2025, the Chinese market penetration rate of new energy motorcycles increased to 51%, making the transformation of motorcycles from single-purpose transportation tools to a blend of “green mobility and lifestyle” increasingly evident. As relevant standards and regulatory frameworks continue to improve, electric motorcycles still possess substantial potential for sustained growth and further market expansion.

As the 15th Five-Year Plan Begins, the Industry Enters a New Window of Transformation

Looking ahead to 2026, with the full rollout of China’s 15^th Five-Year Plan, the motorcycle industry is standing at a critical juncture in a new round of transformation and upgrading.

From a policy perspective, the central government’s overarching priorities—expanding domestic demand, fostering emerging industries, and driving high-quality development through innovation—provide clear strategic guidance for the sector. From an industrial standpoint, the trends toward intelligence, green development, and premiumization have become irreversible.

The accelerated rollout of new energy motorcycles, leisure and recreational models, and intelligent connected products is not only reshaping product forms, but also redefining the competitive logic of enterprises. At the same time, overseas markets remain a vital arena for China’s motorcycle industry to leverage its scale and technological advantages. Coordinated efforts across both Chinese and international markets will enable the industry to maintain stable growth while achieving comprehensive improvements in quality, efficiency, and brand strength.

Conclusion

Against a backdrop of cyclical fluctuations alongside structural upgrading, China’s motorcycle industry in 2025 has moved beyond a simple pursuit of “scale expansion,” instead consolidating the foundations for high-quality development through resilient exports, product upgrading, and industrial transformation. Standing at the new starting point of the 15^th Five-Year Plan, the next phase of competition for the industry will no longer be defined merely by “selling more,” but by “going further and reaching higher.”