BERLIN, Germany - Brose SE has completed the transfer of its e-bike drive business to Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. For the Japanese company, this acquisition is part of its efforts to establish a strong position for competitiveness and achieve the business growth outlined in its management plan. Yamaha paid approximately €30.6 million in cash for the e-bike operation.

SHIZUOKA, Japan - The situation for the Japanese bicycle industry becomes even more challenging now that sales and production numbers for 2024 have turned out to be lower again for the consecutive year. For the first time in decades, domestic production fell below the 700,000 unit mark. Import volumes saw single-digit growth, but remained below the 5 million unit mark.

OSAKA, Japan - The impact of the shift in trade policies announced earlier this year on the financial performance of the bicycle industry was not long in coming. As the main OEM supplier, Shimano reports a shift in trade flows and notes that the outlook remains uncertain due to the impact of global trade policies.

SHIZUOKA, Japan - The launch of the MyCanyon custom-made programme to the Asian-Pacific countries and the simultaneous opening of a branch in the upcoming sports market in China, might make people almost forget that the D2C brand Canyon has been operating in Japan successfully for more than a decade. How did the German company manage to establish a D2C brand in a service-minded nation like Japan? Yukikaze Ishiyama, Canyon market manager Japan, explains to Bike Europe.

Shimano has introduced Q'auto, a new electronic shifting system utilising its existing Cues component line, designed for everyday bikes. What sets it apart is that it doesn't rely on an external battery, drawing power from a rear hub with an integrated dynamo. Q'auto also offers the option for automatic shifting.

SAKAI CITY, Japan - Component manufacturer Shimano points to "signs of recovery starting to appear in sales of completed bicycle sales" as it releases its first quarter consolidated financial results for 2025. In a welcome sign for the industry, the company reports a 15.6% increase in bicycle component sales in Q1, compared to the sluggish start of the year in 2024.