When you hear “best-selling vehicles,” your mind probably jumps to the Toyota Corolla or the Ford F-150. But if we expand the definition of “vehicle” to two wheels, the list of all-time champions looks completely different.
Interestingly, some of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers in the world also build cars (looking at you, Honda, BMW, Suzuki, and Yamaha). Meanwhile, other legendary brands are two-wheeled purists.
Whether they have four wheels or two, these manufacturers have produced machines that defined generations, conquered global markets, and racked up mind-boggling sales figures.
Here are the best-selling motorbikes of all time from the world’s most iconic manufacturers.
🏆 1. Honda: The Super Cub (The Best-Selling Motor Vehicle in Human History)
Estimated Sales: Over 100 million units (and counting)
The Car-Maker Connection: Honda is the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and a top-10 global car maker.
The Car-Maker Connection: Honda is the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and a top-10 global car maker.
If there is one motorcycle that deserves the crown, it’s the Honda Super Cub. Introduced in 1958, this simple, step-through, 50cc machine was designed with a single, revolutionary goal: to be easy enough for anyone to ride, even in a skirt.
With its iconic “Underbone” design, bulletproof engine, and semi-automatic transmission, the Super Cub conquered the globe. From Tokyo to Tehran, from New York to Nairobi, it became the ultimate tool for commuters, delivery drivers, and everyday people. It is not just the best-selling motorcycle of all time; it is the best-selling motorized vehicle of any kind in human history, surpassing the Volkswagen Beetle and the Toyota Corolla.
🎵 2. Yamaha: The Mio (The Scooter That Conquered the East)
Estimated Sales: Over 20 million units
The Car-Maker Connection: Yamaha is famous for its cars (like the legendary Supra partnership and the Yaris GR), but its heart beats in engines and music.
The Car-Maker Connection: Yamaha is famous for its cars (like the legendary Supra partnership and the Yaris GR), but its heart beats in engines and music.
While Westerners might guess a sportbike like the YZF-R1, Yamaha’s true volume king is the Yamaha Mio. Launched in 2004 as a stylish, affordable, and fuel-efficient 110cc automatic scooter, the Mio revolutionized urban transportation in Southeast Asia. It sparked a massive trend of premium automatic scooters and has consistently been the best-selling two-wheeler in countries like Indonesia and the Philippines for nearly two decades.
(Honorable Mention: The Yamaha YBR125, a rugged, simple commuter bike that has sold millions globally.)
🏍️ 3. Suzuki: The GN125 (The Global Workhorse)
Estimated Sales: Over 5 million units
The Car-Maker Connection: Suzuki makes fantastic, compact cars (like the Swift and Jimny), but its motorcycle division is a global powerhouse.
The Car-Maker Connection: Suzuki makes fantastic, compact cars (like the Swift and Jimny), but its motorcycle division is a global powerhouse.
While the Suzuki Hayabusa gets all the glory for speed, the Suzuki GN125 is the brand’s silent, unstoppable sales juggernaut. Introduced in the early 1980s, this simple, air-cooled, 125cc standard motorcycle was cheap, incredibly reliable, and easy to maintain. It became the default choice for learners, commuters, and delivery services across Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Its design is still being licensed and produced in various forms around the world today.
🥷 4. Kawasaki: The Ninja 250R (The Sportbike for the People)
Estimated Sales: Over 1 million units
The Car-Maker Connection: Kawasaki Heavy Industries builds trains, ships, and aerospace components, but they leave the cars to the competition.
The Car-Maker Connection: Kawasaki Heavy Industries builds trains, ships, and aerospace components, but they leave the cars to the competition.
Before the Ninja 250R (and its successors, the 300 and 400), sportbikes were largely expensive, intimidating, and unforgiving. Launched in the late 1980s (and massively revamped in 2008), the Ninja 250R changed the game. It offered the aggressive, head-turning looks of a liter-class superbike, but with a manageable, twin-cylinder engine that was perfect for beginners and commuters. It single-handedly created the modern “entry-level sportbike” category and remains one of the best-selling motorcycles in North America and Europe.
🦅 5. Harley-Davidson: The Sportster (The Backbone of a Legend)
Estimated Sales: Over 2 million units (since 1957)
The Car-Maker Connection: Pure motorcycle royalty. No cars here.
The Car-Maker Connection: Pure motorcycle royalty. No cars here.
If you picture a Harley-Davidson, you’re probably picturing a Sportster. Introduced in 1957, the Sportster (originally the XL model) was designed to be a lighter, more agile alternative to Harley’s massive “Big Twin” cruisers. With its iconic 883cc or 1200cc Evolution V-twin engine, it became the best-selling motorcycle in Harley’s history. For over 60 years, it served as the entry point for generations of riders, cementing its place as an absolute icon of American motorcycling before being replaced by the new Sportster S and Nightster lines.
🌍 6. BMW: The R1200GS (The King of Adventure)
Estimated Sales: Over 500,000+ units (with the entire GS family surpassing 1 million)
The Car-Maker Connection: BMW is a luxury automotive giant, but its Motorrad (motorcycle) division is equally prestigious.
The Car-Maker Connection: BMW is a luxury automotive giant, but its Motorrad (motorcycle) division is equally prestigious.
Before the 1980s, motorcycles were either for the street or for the dirt. BMW changed everything with the introduction of the GS (Gelände/Straße, or “Off-road/Street”) line. The R1200GS (produced from 2004 to 2018) became the definitive modern adventure motorcycle. With its bulletproof boxer-twin engine, shaft drive, and electronic suspension, it proved you could comfortably ride across continents and handle a dirt trail. It is the best-selling motorcycle in BMW’s history and the bike that spawned an entire industry of “Adventure Touring” clones.
🇮🇹 7. Ducati: The Monster (The Bike That Saved the Brand)
Estimated Sales: Over 300,000 units (since 1993)
The Car-Maker Connection: Ducati is now part of the Audi/Volkswagen Group, bridging the gap between Italian supercars and superbikes.
The Car-Maker Connection: Ducati is now part of the Audi/Volkswagen Group, bridging the gap between Italian supercars and superbikes.
In the early 1990s, Ducati was on the brink of bankruptcy. Designer Miguel Angel Galluzzi sketched a radical idea: a motorcycle with no fairings, exposing the trellis frame and the iconic L-twin engine. The result was the Ducati Monster. It was cheaper to build than a superbike, incredibly fun to ride, and looked like nothing else on the road. The Monster was a massive commercial success that literally saved Ducati from financial ruin, becoming the best-selling model in the company’s storied history.
🇬🇧 8. Triumph: The Bonneville (The Eternal Classic)
Estimated Sales: Hundreds of thousands across multiple generations (continuous legacy since 1959)
The Car-Maker Connection: Pure British motorcycle heritage (though now with investment from India’s Bajaj Auto).
The Car-Maker Connection: Pure British motorcycle heritage (though now with investment from India’s Bajaj Auto).
The name “Bonneville” is synonymous with Triumph. Originally named after the Bonneville Salt Flats where Triumph set land-speed records, the first Bonneville debuted in 1959. It became the definitive British standard motorcycle, ridden by everyone from Steve McQueen to The Beatles. Though the original factory closed in the 1980s, the modern Triumph Motorcycles company revived the nameplate in 2001. The modern Bonneville lineup remains the absolute core of Triumph’s global sales, proving that timeless style never goes out of fashion.
🛵 9. Piaggio (Vespa): The Vespa PX (The Icon on Two Wheels)
Estimated Sales: Over 19 million Vespas total (PX is the best-selling single model line)
The Car-Maker Connection: Piaggio also owns Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, and historically dabbled in small commercial vehicles.
The Car-Maker Connection: Piaggio also owns Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, and historically dabbled in small commercial vehicles.
You can’t talk about best-selling two-wheelers without mentioning the Vespa. While the Vespa brand has sold nearly 20 million units across all models, the Vespa PX (introduced in 1977) is the longest-running and best-selling single model in the lineup. With its pressed-steel unibody, classic round headlight, and bulletproof two-stroke (and later four-stroke) engine, the PX became a global pop-culture icon, featured in Roman Holiday, Quadrophenia, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
What Makes a Motorcycle a Legend?
Looking at this list, a clear pattern emerges. The best-selling motorbikes of all time aren’t necessarily the fastest, most expensive, or most technologically advanced machines.
They are the ones that are accessible, reliable, and solve a problem. Whether it’s the Honda Super Cub giving a developing nation a cheap way to get to work, the Ninja 250R making sport riding safe for beginners, or the Vespa PX offering stylish urban mobility, the true champions of the motorcycle world are the ones that welcome everyone to the ride.
Which of these legendary motorbikes is on your dream garage list? Do you think an electric motorcycle will ever crack the “best-selling of all time” list? 🏍️💨
