Off-road Motorcycle Market

The global off-road motorcycle market was valued at $8.5 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach $16 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2022 to 2031.

An off-road motorcycle also known as a trail or dirt bike is a lightweight motorcycle specialized for riding on rough terrains like rocks, unsurfaced tracks or roads, mud, and dirt. Like regular motorcycles, off-road motorcycles are two-wheeled and have way more rugged suspensions and tires than traditional bikes. It is a non-road licensed motorcycle used for recreational and different off-road motorcycling events. These types of motorbikes are heavily used in competitions, racing courses, and adventure. Perhaps the most common type of off-road motorcycle is the motocross bike. A motocross bike is designed primarily for off-road racing and is built to be fast and robust without adding too much to the bike's overall weight.

In addition, some categories of off-road motorcycles include dual-sports, adventure bikes, raid bikes, motocross, trials bikes, and play bikes among others. Currently, the demand for technologically advanced motorcycles is raising owing to the increase in the interest of youth consumers in an off-road motorcycle races. Consumers are eager to welcome innovations in the automobile industry regarding rough, strong, and high-speed vehicles. For instance, in June 2021, Torrot Electric Europa S.A. announced the launch of a new generation of motorcycles in the Motocross, Trial, Enduro, and Supermotard models. The motorcycles featured a simple and intuitive battery exchange system, without connectors or cables, which allowed the motorcycle to be ready to run again in less than 15 seconds.

The factors such as rise in popularity & evolution of motocross events, rise in disposable income, and technology advancement in off-road motorcycles supplement the growth of the off-road motorcycle market. However, high purchase and maintenance cost of off-road motorcycles and uncomfortable seating structure are the factors expected to hamper the growth of the market. In addition, rising focus by manufacturers in the automobile industry on superior performance & comfort and adoption of electric off-road motorcycles creates market opportunities for the key players operating in the off-road motorcycle market.

The off-road motorcycle market is segmented into type, application, price range, engine capacity, and region. By type, the market is divided into motocross motorcycle, enduro motorcycle, trail motorcycle, and track-racing motorcycle. By application, it is categorized into commercial, personal, industrial, and others. By price range, it is further classified into low to mid and high. By engine capacity, the market is divided into less than 500 cc, 500 cc to 1000 cc, and more than 1000 cc. By region, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

The leading players operating in the off-road motorcycle market are Benelli, Betamotor S.p.A., BMW AG, Bultaco, Christini AWD Motorcycles, Cobra, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Husqvarna Motorcycles, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., KTM AG, Kuberg, Piaggio & C. SpA (Aprilla), Polini Motori , ROKON International Inc., Scorpa, Sherco, SSR Motorsports, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Torrot Electric Europa S.A., Triumph Motorcycles, TRS Motorcycles, Ural Motorcycles, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., and Zero Motorcycles, Inc.

Rise in popularity & evolution of motocross events

Motocross racing was first introduced in the UK. This type of motorcycle racing takes place on physically demanding off-road tracks. Motocross racing events are held in almost all-weather conditions making it more difficult for the participants. Currently, motocross has evolved as a major sport worldwide, and riders or racers need to focus on different aspects of this sporting event. For instance, motocross has garnered more fans in China after the Motocross World Championship, the most influential of the sport's events globally, hosted its annual showcase at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai for two consecutive years from 2020 to 2021. The event entered China for the first time in 2019, filling the gap in first-class motocross events in the country. Also, increased focus on R&D in the off-road motorcycle and their ability to improve their reliability and safety, especially regarding the safety of the riders and the spectators, supported the market’s growth. Hence, the rise in popularity & evolution of motocross events primarily drive the growth of the off-road motorcycle market.

Technology advancement in off-road motorcycles

With the growing popularity of off-road motorcycles, new technologies on off-road motorcycles have been appearing every day. They are getting more and more advanced every year. The goal is to one-day make a solar-powered off-road motorcycle. Hence, consumers are eager to welcome innovations in the automobile industry regarding rough, strong, and high-speed off-road motorcycles. Also, female consumers are inclined towards off-road bike riding. Therefore, raising technological innovation in the automobile industry increases the demand for off-road motorcycles which helps to drive the growth of the market. For instance, in September 2021, Kawasaki launched two of its updated off-road motorcycles, Kawasaki KX250 & Kawasaki KX450 in India. The price range of both motorcycles is $10,000. Kawasaki KX250 featured a 249cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, whereas the KX450 featured a 449cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine and both the motorcycles were equipped with a five-speed gearbox. Furthermore, off-road motorcycle manufacturers are also focusing on new inventions related to frame metals, riding styles, and shapes to make them more advanced. Thus, the continuous focus & improvement in off-road motorcycles owing to their demand propels the off-road motorcycle market.   

Uncomfortable seating structure

A common complaint with off-road motorcycles is the seats. The manufacturers make the seats a bit too high, making them uncomfortable for shorter riders at times, and it even prevents them from going for a long ride because it hurts their backside and buttock, which causes noticeably significant pain. This not only spoils the entire riding experience but can be dangerous as it distracts riders’ attention from the road. Furthermore, comfort also depends on the seat cover. Unlike vinyl, leather does not stretch, which makes for a more rigid seat surface and makes it uncomfortable for the rider. Hence, owing to all such factors related to the uncomfortable seating structure of off-road motorcycles hamper the market’s growth during the forecast period.

Rising focus by manufacturers in the automobile industry on superior performance and comfort

The trend of motorcycle riding is rising among youth globally owing to the movies in Hollywood and Bollywood related to car and bike racing. Also, the youth consumers are very selective about the performance and comfort of motorcycles, which leads to attractive marketing strategies by manufacturers with the launch of various designs of off-road motorcycles. For instance, in June 2021, Torrot Electric Europa S.A. announced the launch of a new generation of off-road motorcycles in the Motocross, Trial, Enduro, and Supermotard models. The motorcycles featured a simple and intuitive battery exchange system, without connectors or cables, which allowed the motorcycle to be ready to run again in less than 15 seconds. Therefore, increasing manufacturers' focus on superior performance and comfort increases the demand for off-road motorcycles, which is responsible for creating lucrative opportunities for the off-road motorcycle market during the forecast period.

Numerous industry leaders in the motorcycle sector are making considerable efforts in restructuring their supply chain and production line for the delivery of critical medical supplies. Also, owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, the motorcycle industry has had a significant impact due to stay-at-home orders and limited business operations in countries across the world. For instance, in 2020, the pandemic is compelling motorcycle makers to skip major motor shows & racing events in the year 2020 and turn towards alternative platforms like digital premieres. It started with Honda organizing, its virtual motorcycle show as the Tokyo Motorcycle Show, and Osaka Motorcycle Show was canceled because of COVID-19. However, many off-road motorcycle manufacturers such as KTM AG have assessed their overall strategy for the rest of 2020 and have decided to make several key decisions in the wake of COVID-19 with the withdrawal from global trade shows for the rest of the year, including INTERMOT in Cologne, Germany and the EICMA exhibition in Milan, Italy.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

• This study presents analytical depiction of the global off-road motorcycle market analysis along with current trends and future estimations to depict imminent investment pockets.
• The overall off-road motorcycle market opportunity is determined by understanding profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold.
• The report presents information related to the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the global off-road motorcycle market with a detailed impact analysis.
• The current off-road motorcycle market is quantitatively analyzed from 2022 to 2031 to benchmark the financial competency.
• Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the industry.

 Off-road Motorcycle Market Report Highlights