Latin America Bought So Many Motorcycles Last Year

South of the border is fast-becoming the motorcycling capitol of the world.

By: Jonathon Klein

Oct 12, at 9:12am ET

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The world gets around on two wheels. No, seriously, for much of the world's population, two-wheeled transportation is the dominant method of travel, as countries like India, Japan, China, and the countries around the Gulf all rely on them more than they do on cars, trucks, and SUVs.

It's why whenever you see a travel show anywhere outside of America and Europe, motorcycles, scooters, and other two-wheeled machines dominate the landscape. The world revolves around motorcycles, which is how I like it.

But for a long time, those Eastern countries were the biggest markets around due to a host of factors, including having the biggest population densities around. That's fast-becoming old news, though, as despite India and China having the largest populations around, the fastest-growing locale for motorcycle adoption—which, yes, includes scooters—is Latin America.

In fact, our friends south of the border have seen such rises; Mexico alone has seen its motorcycle-driving population quadruple in the span of the last decade. That's not just growth, it's explosive growth, and it could lead the whole industry into some interesting places as those countries gain priority within the manufacturers.

According to a new story published by The Economist, Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil have led the charge in terms of new two-wheeled transportation sales, with annual sales going from about 3 million per year in 2019 to 6 million in 2025. " In 2010 there were just five registered motorcycles for every 100 people," states the outlet, adding, "by 2024 there were 14. Mexico’s motorcycle fleet more than quadrupled in the decade to 2025, from 2.6m to 10.5m."

The story goes on to relay that motorcycles and scooters have been favored by the country due to their inexpensive nature, especially among poorer workers, gig workers, young people, and others, as they represent mobility without debt. Likewise, they're easier to work on if anything goes wrong, and parts tend to be cheaper.

Moreover, The Economist details that governments in the region have been pushing their uses, stating, "Governments have added fuel to the boom by encouraging their use, in part to support growing domestic industries. In Colombia, where more than 90% of motorcycles sold are assembled locally, bikes of up to 125cc are exempt from vehicle tax; none pay any road tolls. In June, Brazil launched subsidised loans for delivery workers to buy locally made bikes."

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But those sales numbers are staggeringly large, as they dwarf anything Europe or North America provide. Yet, so many still think the world revolves around those two markets, when it truly just doesn't. What's more, though Asia, India, and the Middle East have taken some priority in motorcycle offerings around the world, who knows what will be a priority with a rising class in South America? Will it be the same cheap transportation or something altogether different.

Moverover, will the big names in the industry continue to prioritize Europe and North America when everywhere else seems to be more lucrative? And what can we do to promote ridership here?