Honda has announced the "new" adventure bike, the VFR800X and the question is, will it sell? You see, Honda has a big problem, and a nuber of smaller ones, that means it has to act now or abandon the European market altogether.
The issues:
* For years it lead the way on technology and build quality, but now the Europeans have taken over
* For years it was a Grand Prix & WSB winner, but Yamaha and Ducati have closed those doors
* For years the UK lead the European thirst for sports motorcycles, but since RWD & LWR sales have dived and continue to do so
* For 2 decades Honda quenched our thirst for new models, in the last decade they have managed 1 a year and nothing REALLY new until...
* The VFR1200 was annouced with all the latest gizmos, but, it's the bike nobody wants, not quick and light enough to be a sports bike, too small a range to be a proper tourer/sports tourer.
And here's the final issue.
* Honda have lost contact with their customers, they don't "know" their client base or what they want.
If you ride a Harley, BMW Ducati, Buell (before they got shut down) Aprillia, Benelli, MV Augusta you are absorbed into "The Family". You get invites to events, sent special offers and are treated as more than a customer. It's the modern way to do business. Contrast that to Honda, until very recently you'd ride/walk in, buy a bike and ride away -- That was it! If you returned nobody knew or cared who you were. So why shop somewhere where you aren't recognised when you can spend your money where you feel "valued"? Honda couldn't even be bothered with attending the UK motobike shows, better to cut costs was their short sighted view.
And now they are paying the price with falling sales. Now they are out to get YOUR name and address so that they can send you details by post, email and SMS, but there's another problem. Honda forced dealers to become SOLUS Honda dealers, and those same dealers don't see the need for this new attitude of customer contact and contact details beyond prising open the wallet for the initial sale.
So now we have a quick "gap filler". A parts bin special based on a bike that WAS iconic and which the press loved (until they rode 200 miles in one stint on it) using proven mechanicals in a "latest, must have" package. Will it be enough to save Honda in Europe? It had better be because otherwise Honda will be left producing basic motorcycle transport for emerging markets such as Brazil and the South Americas where Honda sell enormous volumes of locally produced machines on the smallest of profit margins.
It's still Honda - but not as we know it.
4 comments:
I think you hit the nail on the head. My local Honda dealer is shutting down soon, even though they are small and own the property.
They told me that the Honda line can't compete with the others. They've been open since the 1960s and were one of the first Honda stores in the U.S.
I think you hit the nail on the head. My local Honda dealer is shutting down soon, even though they are small and own the property.
They told me that the Honda line can't compete with the others. They've been open since the 1960s and were one of the first Honda stores in the U.S.
Glad I found your blog. Interesting that you can in one breath dismiss the VFR1200 and in the next breath argue the virtues of your "Dullsville". It's a bit hypocritical. I would invite you to read my blog and test ride a VFR1200 before you label it as a "miss"
Hi Firstly as a non car owner I use a Deauville 700 for my daily 75 mile round trip to work. This is my 3rd the previous 2 being 650s. An excellent bike for the job.
Until yesterday I had a VFR 1200 DCT which I found to be an excellent bike. I am only having to part with it due to the weight & riding position agrivating a knee injury. It's replacement is a Crossrunner so you see we agree on 1 bike and disagree on 2. The great vaiety of machines/riders is one of the thinks that I find make motorcycling such fun
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