Brandwave

Harley-Davidson vs Kawasaki:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Harley-Davidson had more branded searches than Kawasaki among motorcycle brands in New Zealand. Harley-Davidson had about 7,970 branded searches, while Kawasaki had 4,340. Harley-Davidson made up 27.6% of all motorcycle brand searches we track, and Kawasaki accounted for 15%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about motorcycle brands, Kawasaki appeared in all four answers and Harley-Davidson in two. Kawasaki was mentioned before Harley-Davidson in every answer.

Among motorcycle brands in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Harley-Davidson, about 84% more searches than Kawasaki

Harley-Davidson 8K searchesKawasaki 4.3K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Kawasaki, mentioned in every answer we collected

Kawasaki in 4 of 4Harley-Davidson in 2 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Kawasaki, named ahead of Harley-Davidson in every answer

Kawasaki first in 4Harley-Davidson never first

Follow Harley-Davidson vs Kawasaki and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top motorcycle brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Kawasaki appeared in all four answers. Harley-Davidson was mentioned in two out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Kawasaki was listed before Harley-Davidson in every answer.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Honda Motorcycles1st
  2. Kawasaki2nd
  3. BMW Motorrad3rd
  4. KTM4th
  5. Triumph5th
  6. Yamaha Motor6th
  7. Royal Enfield7th
  8. Ducati8th
  9. Harley-Davidson9th
  10. CFMOTO10th
  11. +1 more

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Kawasaki4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Honda Motorcycles4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Triumph3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Harley-Davidson2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Ducati2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Royal Enfield2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • KTM2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • BMW Motorrad2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • CFMOTO1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Suzuki Motorcycles1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

+1 more

See every answer about motorcycle brands

4 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is Harley-Davidson or Kawasaki more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Harley-Davidson and Kawasaki by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 motorcycle brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Harley-Davidson and Kawasaki among motorcycle brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthHarley-DavidsonKawasakiDucatiCFMOTORoyal EnfieldKTMHonda MotorcyclesTriumphSuzuki MotorcyclesBMW MotorradYamaha Motor
Oct 202527%15.1%13.6%9%9.4%8.7%6.1%4.4%2.9%2.5%1.4%
Nov 202528.4%15.3%12.3%9.5%8.1%9.6%5.5%3.8%3.3%2.8%1.3%
Dec 202532.8%12.7%14.5%7.9%8.1%8.1%5.4%3.8%3.3%2.3%1.1%
Jan 202629.2%13.4%12.9%9.9%8.6%8.5%5.5%4.6%3.6%2.9%0.97%
Feb 202628.8%12.6%12.6%9.6%8.2%11%5.7%3.8%3.4%2.9%1.3%
Mar 202627.1%14.2%13.2%11%7.7%9.1%6.2%3.8%3.9%2.9%0.98%
Apr 202625.6%15.3%11.9%12.2%10%8.2%5.7%4%3.6%2.6%0.87%
May 202629.7%14.8%11.2%9.7%8.6%9.4%5.4%4.2%3.2%2.8%1.1%
Jun 202629%15.3%11%13.6%7%8%5.6%4.4%2.8%2.4%0.82%
Jul 202633.9%13.4%10.8%12.1%7.3%7.5%4.7%5%2.5%2.1%0.76%
Aug 202633.6%15.1%11.1%11%6.8%7.2%4.8%4.5%2.9%2%1%
Sep 202627.6%15%13.2%9.6%9.5%9.3%5.2%4.7%2.9%2.1%0.87%

How has the Harley-Davidson and Kawasaki comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for New Zealand motorcycle brands in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Harley-Davidson lost share of searches among motorcycle brands in New Zealand, from 33.6% to 27.6%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Kawasaki in New Zealand fell 18.9% over 12 measured months, from 5.3K to 4.3K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

22 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Harley-Davidson’s and Kawasaki’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Harley-Davidson

14 branded search terms

  • harley davidson
  • harley davidson 48
  • harley davidson bike
  • harley davidson cycle
  • harley davidson dyna
  • harley davidson fxr
  • harley davidson hoodie
  • harley davidson motorcycle
  • harley davidson scooter
  • harley davidson sportster
  • harleydavidson
  • harleydavidson bike
  • harleydavidson motorcycle
  • harleydavidson scooter

Kawasaki

8 branded search terms

  • kawasaki
  • kawasaki 650r
  • kawasaki bike
  • kawasaki hr
  • kawasaki mc
  • kawasaki mule
  • kawasaki scooter
  • kawasaki vn

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among motorcycle brands

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free