Quote:
Originally Posted by Daschicken
Didn't someone here post that Honda was going for a more upscale market, and that there wasn't much profit in small bores? I wish it wasn't true, but without a major change in market attitude I don't think cool little bikes will sell here. It could be as simple as manufacturers MAKING cool bikes, and then having popular motovloggers test them out and they would probably(hopefully) rave about them. That seems like it would be a cheap and effective marketing strategy....
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That was me based upon a conversation I had with a nice lady from American Honda who called one Saturday regarding a letter I'd written them. The letter was over something totally different but while I had her on the horn I figured I'd get the straight poop on why they'd abandoned the small bore market.
A local Honda dealer, in the Honda business since around 1960, told me that there was no profit in selling small bore motorcycles. The problem here is that they saw how successful Harley-Davidson dealers were selling big bikes and tried to use the same formula (big bikes=big profits), the catch here being that there's only so many people who will buy a big Japanese motorcycle whereas that's H-D's specialty. Add in the collapse of the economy around 2008 and today you'll find Japanese dealerships empty. I've been to funerals that are more happening that most motorcycle dealerships nowadays.
Part of the problem is demographics and the baby boomers simply aren't buying bikes anymore. The other problem is that younger potential riders aren't interested in motorcycling--and after a lifetime spent on two wheels it's hard for me to understand why the youngsters aren't into them.
