Japan's domestic shipment of motorcycles appear to have hit a 23-year high in 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic led to surging demand for the vehicles that allow people to practice social distancing when riding.
People of different age groups have been riding two-wheelers as a leisure activity or transportation method, even though such vehicles had become less popular before the pandemic partly due to restrictions on exhaust gases.
According to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, 233,059 motorcycles with displacement of 51 cc or more were shipped nationwide from January to November of 2021, up 20.6% from the corresponding period in 2020.