Has anyone else noticed?

[mikesim]

Is it just me, or does it seem that Honda is letting the other manufacturer's eclipse them with new model intro's whilst they sit on the sidelines. With the exception of the Africa Twin, Honda hasn't introduced much to excite the customer. Yamaha has done well with the FZ/FJ 07/09 and have received numerous plaudits in the press. Kaw has made a splash with the new Versys and Vulcan's along with the HP sportbikes and the Ninja's. BMW seems to have something new every other month along with Ducati. Triumph fans will have a new Bonneville to drool over shortly, but we Honda fans are left with the dregs. The CB/X/R 500's are nice bikes but they came several years ago along with the NC700. The CTX700 along with the V4 monstrosity who model designation escapes me at the moment is also several years old by now. They have totally abandoned the Sport touring market with no replacement for the NT or the ST1300. None of the mags have new product reviews for Hondas anymore 'cause there ain't any new products! <sigh>.... what's a Honda lover to do?

Mike

 

[Warren]

Honda is the number one selling brand in the world. Most of their volume is in small motorcycles sold to developing countries. Selling big bore bikes in North America no longer seems to be their primary strategy. If you consider that motorcycle sales in the US are 1/2 what they were at their peak you can see why that might be the case. Fortunately there are other great brands to choose from unless your heart is forever with Big Red.

 

[RedLdr1]

what's a Honda lover to do?

Get a divorce or a mistress.... :smile: Life is too short to be fawning away over someone who dumped you....

 

[mikesim]

Get a divorce or a mistress.... :smile: Life is too short to be fawning away over someone who dumped you....

<gasp!> You mean there's an Ashley Madison for motorcyclists! Naw..... with my luck, I'd wake up in bed the next morning with a Low Rider or sumpin'

;^)

Mike

 

[charlie b]

You think Honda is behind? Try Moto Guzzi

 

[MacDoc]

Honda CB500x is super popular and the CB300 should be popular.

They've fumbled on the 700 series.

They did bring back the VFR800 to their credit.

There is a lot of buzz for the Africa Twin ....Honda very late to that adventure segment tho the CB500x makes up for a lot. Brilliant intermediate machine.

 

[DirtFlier]

About 10-to-15 years ago, Honda motorcycle sales in the US made up just under 2% of their worldwide total. That has dropped to 1.2% or 1.3% which is a significant drop. There is no cause for alarm because the motorcycle division of Honda is still racking up large profits due to substantial sales in India, Southeast Asia, Brasil, etc.

For about 98% of the people in the US, a "motorcycle" is made in Milwaukee and powered by a loud V-twin engine. :-(

 

[RedLdr1]

There is no cause for alarm because the motorcycle division of Honda is still racking up large profits due to substantial sales in India, Southeast Asia, Brasil, etc.

No cause for alarm? Well I guess if you are an investor instead of a rider there isn't. But Third World sales numbers do nothing for North American riders.

 

[JohnC]

<sigh>.... what's a Honda lover to do?

Buy a Yamaha.

 

[JQL]

You think Honda is behind? Try Moto Guzzi

The updated Norge is quite good. It needs fairing pockets and the panniers stick out way too far.

If I was only touring, I'd buy one but, for commuting in Paris, she's a bit too Kim kardashian

 

[artemedes]

I really like what Moto Guzzi is doing with the V7. The new version II stone is on my to "check out" list. the II has improved HP and range. I am just worried that it might be too small for me.

 

[Chucksklrst]

Buy a Yamaha.

+10 on that. Or a Suzuki Wee Strom.

 

[Warren]

Chuck, Dont tell me you bought a new V-Strom just so it would color match your FJR

 

[Chucksklrst]

Chuck, Dont tell me you bought a new V-Strom just so it would color match your FJR

yep

got the 09 wee up for sale.

 

[Lorien]

For those who have not seen the Honda Powersports web site lately they do have a 2016 NM4 under the touring bikes

 

[tawilke46]

For those who have not seen the Honda Powersports web site lately they do have a 2016 NM4 under the touring bikes

And they show a ST1300 too, but it isn't new. Adding the NM4? to the touring group. Can't figure that one out.

 

[junglejim]

About 10-to-15 years ago, Honda motorcycle sales in the US made up just under 2% of their worldwide total. That has dropped to 1.2% or 1.3% which is a significant drop. There is no cause for alarm because the motorcycle division of Honda is still racking up large profits due to substantial sales in India, Southeast Asia, Brasil, etc.

That sure puts it into perspective. I always knew the US market was a minor player, but I didn't know it was that minor (unless you are HD).

 

[Chucksklrst]

For those who have not seen the Honda Powersports web site lately they do have a 2016 NM4 under the touring bikes

...................

 

[DirtFlier]

[I always knew the US market was a minor player, but I didn't know it was that minor]


It wasn't always that way because in the mid-60s to early-80s, I'd guess the USA sales numbers for Honda were 40-50% of worldwide totals, perhaps even higher. If you owned a USA Honda dealership in 1966-76, it was like having your own money printing press! Several things happened between then and now to cause the change.

One factor was Honda building factories in other countries to service that region or country. The factory in Brasil actually predates the US factory by one year and was up and running in 1977. I'm not sure about the launch date of the factory in Belgium but it existed in the mid-70s and they teamed with Montesa in Spain in the early-80s to get into the Euro market. I believe all of our beloved 2010-11 NTs came from Barcelona. They also paired with Hero in India but around 2013 that co-op ended with Hero going its own way. And there is a fully functional factory in Thailand that has been building Honda cars & bikes since the mid-80s. That's about the same time the factory in Mexico was built.

I would say that overall the traditional motorcycle market in the US is gradually disappearing as X & Y gen kids seem to have no interest in motorcycle or even cars. Conversely, "developing countries" are still scooping up basic transportation models (50-150 cc) as fast as they come off the assembly line. People here complain about our high gas prices but they have no idea what it costs abroad where people make much less than we do: $6-to-$8 per gallon has been common for years now.

In the US, the disinterest by X & Y gen is worrisome to all motor vehicle makers but especially H-D which is one reason they may have developed the lower cost 500/750 V-twins but so far those models are almost invisible. Trying to attract those young people raised on electronic toys is the major reason all the car makers are adding lots of touchscreen features - most of which only cause trouble!

Of all the makers, Yamaha has probably done the most to bite into Honda US market share with lots of new, innovative models being sold for reasonable dollars but the sales bite is only a guess on my part. Honda lost sales but perhaps not money by not getting into the adventure bike segment earlier so we'll have to see how that turns out with their new Africa Twin. People said the same thing ("too late") about the Odyssey mini-van and it is and has been on top of the minivan world in the US for many years.

 

[artemedes]

yep

got the 09 wee up for sale.

Do you still have your DR650? What are you going to do if they update the color scheme on that model?