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Originally Posted by woodsrat
I'd personally like to see Honda bring these in as an alternative to scooters and as an "entry-level" bike. Interestingly enough there are old guys in the U. S. who either physically can't ride or financially afford anything bigger so there's a market they're totally ignoring as well.
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Scooters seem to be easier to market, due to their "urban mobility" appeal that makes them be seen as a "lifestyle" vehicle instead of a povertry feature.
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Sadly a nice lady from American Honda, who called me one Saturday in response to my letter pleading for them to get back into the small bike business, told me that "Honda is after a more affluent buyer.". Reading between the lines I gathered this to mean they'd adopted the H-D business model, i. e., big bikes=big profits.
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Had Honda tried a similar approach in most of the world, it would most likely lose its already-consolidated leadership.
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A conversation with a local long-time Honda dealer backed this up when he told me there was no profit in small bores.
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Maybe the lack of a tiered licensing scheme, which is used in markets such as Japan, Australia, Europe and on its way to be implemented here in Brazil too, leads to the small-displacement being seen as "less profitable". Plus its riders are less likely to buy expensive official merchandise and aftermarket accessories which may also account for much of said profit.
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When I asked him what beginners were to ride he took me over to the CTX-700 and said "...these are the new beginner bikes." A $7000, 500 lb. bike that would easily run a hundred miles an hour a "beginner bike"? Hardly.
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From my 3rd-world perspective, I wouldn't consider a motorcycle that costs nearly as much as some low-mileage subcompact a "beginner bike".
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In my own case after riding for 46 years and owning everything the market offers simple 125's just make sense for the way I ride. I'm really tired of complicated bikes and now enjoy something lightweight and easy to work on. That they're inexpensive is just icing on the cake.
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Gotta love the old-school ones?
And what about this? At least 15 years-old, and they're still easily seen on the job.
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A high tech 125 would be great but I'm not sure I want to spend that much at this stage of the game.
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Considering that size and displacement are often seen as a "prestige" feature, it's understandable that a hi-tech small motorcycle could be regarded less cost-effective.
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A CG-125, sold for well under $2000, is a whole 'nuther story.
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This is a version meant for couriers.
