Demand for motorcycle and quad oils is the sole bright spot in Russia’s otherwise stagnant automotive lubricant market, according to Moscow-based consultancy B2X.
Sales of two- and four-stroke oils rose by 26% year on year in 2025, driven by booming bike sales, an expanding active fleet and the growing off-road recreation trend, according to market data.
In its latest social media update, B2X found that motorcycle and quad oils remain among the few product categories showing steady growth this year. B2X tracks monthly retail lubricant sales.
New motorcycle registrations in Russia reached a post-Soviet record of about 43,000 units in 2024, up 58% from the previous year. The momentum carried through into 2025, with sales for the first eight months already approaching 42,000 units, a 17% year-on-year rise, according to the Autostat analytical agency.
“This essentially matches the full-year 2024 total with months to spare. Secondary transactions have also strengthened. Together, they expand the serviceable parc and bring more first-service oil changes into the cycle,” Autostat said in a recent news release.
The market has also been lifted by an influx of affordable Chinese brands, improved service availability, and a surge in outdoor recreation – spurred by growing traffic to domestic vacation destinations as most Western countries remain closed to Russian motorists. This turn inward is drawing new riders and keeping existing ones active. Russia’s registered motorcycle parc is estimated at around 2.2 million units, excluding a significant number of small all-terrain vehicles that often go unregistered but still consume two- and four-stroke lubricants through the aftermarket.
B2X estimates that Russia’s finished lubricant market totaled about 1.8 million metric tons in 2024, with approximately 1.05 million tons attributed to automotive products – virtually unchanged from the 2023 levels. The most popular engine-oil grades remain 5W-30 and 5W-40. The estimates are that consumption of two- and four-stroke motorcycle and quad oils reached around 23,000 tons in 2024, with strong potential for further growth in 2025 given the expansion of the vehicle parc and continued retail demand highlighted by the Compass panel.
“While the big pools hold steady, the retail shift favors categories with faster parc growth and higher service frequency. Although the motorcycle season is nearing its end, oils for this type of equipment continue to show steady growth, confirming their long-term market potential,” B2X said.
Analysts expect the segment to maintain double-digit growth next year as new imports and local assembly broaden model availability. Rising use of synthetic four-stroke engine oil blends and wider dealer networks in southern and Far Eastern regions could further lift demand for premium motorcycle lubricants.