April 2026 marks a pivotal month for KTM as it completes its transition under the Bajaj Mobility AG umbrella. Following a challenging 2025, the company launched the 2026/27 Freeride E, its most advanced electric off-road motorcycle to date. Produced at the expanded E-mobility Hub in Mattighofen, the new model features a 5.5 kWh MX50 battery and a 26 hp motor, representing a major leap in power-to-weight ratio for the brand.
China’s Zhangxue Motorcycles team emerged as a dark horse in the 2026 FIM Super-bike World Championship (WSBK) Portuguese Round last month with its independently developed 820RR-RS race machine clinching back-to-back victories in both World SSP class races, dominating the field by 3.685 seconds.
This triumph marked the first-ever championship title for a Chinese motorcycle brand in this premier competition and also shattered the 29-year monopoly held by European, American, and Japanese manufacturers since the class’s inception in 1997.
Observers noted that this outcome demonstrates the rapid growth and technological breakthroughs of China’s motorcycle industry.
Some industry insiders believe that this breakthrough shattered the long-standing monopoly of European, American, and Japanese brands in this competition, and also signals that China’s motorcycle industry now can compete head-to-head with the world’s premier brands.
In 2025, the Vietnamese motorcycle market experienced strong growth, with sales increasing by 14.9% year-on-year to approximately 3.4 million units. This made it the second-largest market in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia. Indonesia maintained its top position as the region’s largest market with 6.55 million units sold, though its growth rate was limited to 0.6%. Meanwhile, the Philippines recorded 2.37 million units (+2.8% year-over-year), Thailand recorded 1.73 million units (+9.8% year-over-year), and Malaysia recorded 613,893 units (+3.5% year-over-year).
In Vietnam, the rapid expansion of electric motorcycles is reshaping the market structure. Alongside domestic companies, Chinese firms are accelerating investment in electric motorcycles, aided by stricter environmental regulations. Hanoi’s plan to restrict internal combustion engine vehicles starting in mid-2026 is further accelerating the shift towards electric vehicles.
India’s two-wheeler market has re-entered a phase of strong recovery, marking one of the most encouraging periods for the segment in the post-pandemic cycle.
After an extended stretch of muted retail activity—driven by rural income pressure, price inflation, and delayed replacements—the current upswing reflects deeper, broad-based improvements in consumer sentiment. The revival is being powered by a mix of macroeconomic stabilization, rural liquidity improvements, urban premiumization, and targeted OEM strategies.
South Korea’s Ministry of Environment is continuing the “Electric Motorcycle Subsidy Program and Battery Swap Charging Facility Support Program,” which was launched in spring 2025. Its effects appear to be gradually emerging in the market.
According to statistics from the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) and other motorcycle data, gasoline motorcycle sales are slowing while electric two-wheelers are expanding rapidly. In the third quarter of 2025, the five VAMM member companies (Honda, Yamaha, Piaggio, Suzuki, and SYM) sold a total of 620,000 units, which is a 9.37% decrease compared to the same period last year. Cumulative sales from January to September remained nearly flat compared to 2024, totaling 1.91 million units.
60,100 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Golf Cars expected to be produced in North America during 2025.
Golf Cars are small, motorized vehicles that transport golfers and their equipment around a golf course. They may also be used as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) to transport people within golfing communities or similar neighborhoods.
This product information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink™ , which provides information on engines, and OE Link™, a database of equipment manufacturers. PSR
For details, download the complete report above.
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operations, for Power Systems Research
India’s auto sector delivered a resilient performance in the first half of FY26 (April–September 2025), supported by healthy two-wheeler volumes, steady passenger-vehicle demand, and a modest recovery in commercial vehicles — even as the industry navigated EV market churn and shifting policy tailwinds.
Two-wheelers continued to underpin volume growth: production and domestic sales surged, with about 10,200,000 (1.02 crore) two-wheelers produced/sold in 1H FY26. This strength was driven by durable rural demand, improved affordability, and strong scooter and motorcycle cycles during the pre-festive and monsoon seasons.
Passenger vehicles showed robustness across the board, with roughly 2.05 million units recorded in the six-month period (Apr–Jun ~1.01m; Jul–Sep ~1.04m). OEMs benefited from a combination of steady urban demand, renewed festive spending and a partial easing of supply constraints. Strong export momentum — India recorded a record H1 export tally — also helped OEM plant utilizations.
2W mobility in India represents over 70% of all mobility in India and accounts for 60% of gasoline consumption. Motorcycle sales are twice the scooter sales in India. While scooters are seeing ~20% penetration of EV, motorcycles are at 0.1%. This implies that a very significant portion of 2W mobility remains untouched from electrifications.
The market is vast – The number of motorcycles in India is approximately 250 M and almost all are entirely petrol powered. Every year 20M new motorcycles are sold in India. Petrol’s share today is approximately 99.9%
Source: Clean Technica:Read The ArticlePSR Analysis. The most popular motorbikes in India are in the range of 100-125cc. These are the kind of class that electric motorbikes should be able to compete in; there are a lot of “125cc-equivalent” electric motorbikes around. The cost of purchase and the ease of charging are key drivers in the potential growth of 2W electric machines. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
481,000 units is the estimate by Power Systems Research of the number of Scooters expected to be produced in North America during 2025.
Scooters/Minibikes/Mopeds are motorized 2-wheeled vehicles used primarily for recreational.
This product information comes from industry interviews and from two proprietary databases maintained by Power Systems Research: EnginLink™, which provides information on engines, and OE Link™, a database of equipment manufacturers. PSR
For details, download the complete report above.
Carol Turner is Senior Analyst, Global Operationsfor Power Systems Research