Chinese bike expo highlights country’s moto dominance
China’s flagship annual moto show took place this weekend, underlining just how dominant the country has become in motorcycling.
The 23rd annual Chinese International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition, aka CIMA 2025, kicked off Friday, with first-day attendance figures rivalling those for the whole of Motorcycle Live.
Some 86,000 people showed up at the Chongqing International Expo Center on day one of CIMA 2025, according to China Daily, with this year’s event wrapping up today. Compare that against the roughly 90,000 people who visited Motorcycle Live across its full nine-day run last year.
OK, sure, China’s just a little bigger than the UK, so it makes sense that its flagship moto show should draw more attendees. And 86,000 is still well short of the roughly 100,000 people a day who showed up for last year’s EICMA. But these numbers clearly highlight how dominant the Chinese motorcycle industry has become in a very short space of time.
According to Chinese statistics, motorcycle exports hit 36.76 million units in 2024. That meant that bikes from China accounted for 55 percent of the global market last year. Things seem set to increase, with the country reporting that from January to July of this year, year-on-year exports had increased more than 31 percent.
CIMA was first launched in 2002. It’s grown considerably over the years.
These days, it draws attendees from across the globe - both in terms of folks who just love motorcycling and exhibitors. The event boasts more than 950 exhibitors this year, with many coming from as far afield as the United States, Italy, Germany, France, and Japan.
Perhaps one way in which CIMA really differs from, say, EICMA, is a greater emphasis on electric vehicles. The Chinese and many other Asian countries have been far quicker to take an interest in electric two-wheelers than some of us in the stodgy West.
“The electric mobility segment is gaining increasing importance: electric motorcycles, e-scooters, e-bikes, and urban mobility solutions vividly illustrate the ongoing shift toward sustainable transportation,” explains official CIMA media materials.
China Daily also points out that “electric vehicle exports grew by 25.9 percent” in 2024.
Like other moto shows, however, the event also offers live entertainment and an opportunity for attendees to peruse the latest and greatest in accessories and gear. Digging through the official CIMA website, one of my favourite events was something that translated to “Livetown of Motorcycles and Hipsters.”
That will be my new nickname for The Bike Shed in Shoreditch…
This year’s CIMA also managed to gain the distinction of being home to the launch of at least one new model. Honda pulled the cover off its new CB500 Super Four on the first day of the event.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
