It was a good ride for Yamaha Motor Co. as it increased its two-wheeled sales in 2010 compared to the year before but evidently its view of 2011 wasn’t what stockholders wanted to hear.

According to financial information recently released Yamaha sold 19.2% more motorcycles worldwide in 2010 than it did the previous year which resulted in a 10.9% increase in sales revenue.

Yamaha Company sold 6.96 million motorcycles in the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2010, a record high and an increase from the 5.84 million units sold in 2009. Most of the increase came from the Asian market where Yamaha sold 6.1 million units, compared to the 5.0 million units sold in 2009.

In fact, the 1.1 million unit increase was greater than Yamaha’s total sales from the rest of the world combined, a testament to the strong growth in nations such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Unfortunately, North American sales continue to decrease, with the 53,000 units sold in 2010 representing a 42.4% drop from the 92,000 units sold in 2009.

Increased sales and dramatically reduced costs helped Yamaha return to profitability in 2010 with motorcycles and ATVs representing 70% of Yamaha’s business which also includes marine products and power products.

The increased sales enjoyed by the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer follow industry-wide trends of overall improvement and a more positive outlook for new motorcycle sales.

But it was Yamaha’s 2011 outlook that got them in trouble with shareholders.  For 2011, Yamaha forecasts continued growth in emerging markets while sales in Europe and the U.S. are expected to continue to struggle.

Japanese motorcycle maker Yamaha Motor saw its shares plunge by more than 10 percent on the Tokyo stock exchange Tuesday after the released forecasts fell short of expectations.

And the simple answer may be surprising to many American riders familiar with motorcycle manufacturers heading to Asian markets in high gear.

Financial experts noted while Yamaha is strong in Asia's emerging markets, the stock may not be attractive versus its peers as investors are focusing on how companies can tap into the North American auto market recovery.