[The CyberPoet]

I think people would be more likely to buy proper entry level bikes if they all looked as nice as the new Ninja 250.

I fully agree. The dealer who gave me the dates for the various mnf-dealer meetings told me a month ago that Kawasaki USA sold out every single Ninja 250 in the USA -- to get one, you'd have to wait for the '09 models, unless you got really, really lucky and found one in a podunk dealership. He didn't even know of any dealers in the net that their dealership could acquire one from as a transfer at any price.

Oh yeah and the Sprint ST is about due for an update too.

It got one last year (for '08 - not visually, but in a lot of ways that mattered -- metal gas tank, better rubber on the footrests, new ways of dumping heat that don't heat-soak the rider as much).

And Honda??? New VFR???

I didn't get a date for the Honda meeting because this particular dealer isn't a Honda shop (their sister-dealership in the next town is though). I'll ask around... I know it traditionally occurs sometime between the start of August and the end of September for all the major Japanese and most of the major European brands.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[SweetLou]

Automatic motorcycles.... HOSH POSH!!!!!

[hardlydangerous]

I fully agree. The dealer who gave me the dates for the various mnf-dealer meetings told me a month ago that Kawasaki USA sold out every single Ninja 250 in the USA -- to get one, you'd have to wait for the '09 models, unless you got really, really lucky and found one in a podunk dealership. He didn't even know of any dealers in the net that their dealership could acquire one from as a transfer at any price.


Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Yep
We started searching in March last year for the Ninja 250 and found out they were nearly sold out and an all black one was nearly impossible to find by then. All they had was a green show room model and a red one.
Lucky for us come April the dealer that we scored the Ninja from was holding a black one for a customer who was looking for financing... It was the last black Ninja in Ontario. The next closest 250 ninja by then was a Blue 08 in Buffalo. ( blue was not avaialble in canada )
Now keep in mind here in Canada we still had NEW 2007 ZZR-250s left over and they have all been sold out as well. Two models of Kawasaki's 250 sold out in 6 months.
Anybody NOT jumping on that HUGE market is an idiot. Suzuki is a great company and builds fine bikes but they are the smallest japanese company for a reason.... they have squat for entry level machines. No small street or sport bikes Just the cuisers like the Savage and way under powered Murauder 250. No small lightweight scooters either.

[StevieB]

...What I'd really love to see is a build-to-order option straight from the factory -- check off the options you want, give the deposit to your dealer, then wait 4-6 weeks for delivery. They could really drive demand that way as a limited-availability hyper-desirable choice, but it could also bite them in the arse (none in the dealerships for impulse buyers, which many bikers are, or even for non-impulse buyers to sit on & straddle).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

I don't think that (highlighted part) would happen- dealers could order one or more in the trim they think/know would sell best.

And Suzuki needs to brings out a sport bike under 500cc just like Honda and Kawasaki.

Not gonna happen, IMHO. Suzi is selling the heck out of the GS500 now that they put a fairing on it. It was not a great bike, and a bit o' plastic won't somehow transform it into one-but it IS a GOOD bike, priced well, and meets the almost-needs* of that part of the market, with the fairing it meets the boy-racer wants, too. I don't think a 400 or 500cc true sportbike would sell nearly as well, given it would certainly cost more. Oh, sure, the US market SHOULD have more 400-500 sportbikes, and many buyers SHOULD be buying/riding them, but just ain't gonna happen.

* Nobody NEEDS a motorcycle. Nobody. We need air, water, food, shelter. Then acceptance, love, etc. Motorcycles are so high up on Maslow's scale as to be OFF the scale.

[thetable]

* Nobody NEEDS a motorcycle. Nobody. We need air, water, food, shelter. Then acceptance, love, etc. Motorcycles are so high up on Maslow's scale as to be OFF the scale.

But alas, I do need a motorcycle, to get to work to be able to afford such niceties as water, food, and shelter.

[soulpatch]

But alas, I do need a motorcycle, to get to work to be able to afford such niceties as water, food, and shelter.

Let's be real. You need the thrill of riding the bike to work to stop from blowing a gasket and tearing the place apart.....

That is how I feel at times.

[whitecl0ver]

Let's be real. You need the thrill of riding the bike to work to stop from blowing a gasket and tearing the place apart.....

That is how I feel at times.

AWW finally some one who feels the way I do lol

I NEED A MOTORCYCLE FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS!!!

[The CyberPoet]

Not gonna happen, IMHO. Suzi is selling the heck out of the GS500 now that they put a fairing on it. It was not a great bike, and a bit o' plastic won't somehow transform it into one-but it IS a GOOD bike, priced well, and meets the almost-needs* of that part of the market, with the fairing it meets the boy-racer wants, too. I don't think a 400 or 500cc true sportbike would sell nearly as well, given it would certainly cost more. Oh, sure, the US market SHOULD have more 400-500 sportbikes, and many buyers SHOULD be buying/riding them, but just ain't gonna happen.

If you were sitting in a board room in Hamamatsu and looking at the fact that Kawasaki just cleared out their entire 250 production in the USA & numerous other countries (i.e. - were UNABLE TO MEET DEMAND in this market-segment), selling primary to first-time riders who will be apt to form a brand-loyalty, what would you do? You'd have to be a fool not to pursue the market segment.
I'm not saying they will exploit that segment in '09, or that they have already put in the work required to have an answer ready to go in that segment (typically, there is a 4-production-year lag between initial conception and actual production), but they'd have to be fools not to fast-track at least one solution for the segment. Whether that means a massive restyling on the GS500, or a whole new GS250R/GS400R (even if they had to do it with the single-cylinder from the DRZ400 to get it through EPA fast enough), the loss of first-time buyers in a newly-popular market segmenet to other companies is a way of shooting yourself in the foot.

* Nobody NEEDS a motorcycle. Nobody. We need air, water, food, shelter. Then acceptance, love, etc. Motorcycles are so high up on Maslow's scale as to be OFF the scale.

Unless you factor it in as a version of a required tool to fulfill the bottom layer of the Abraham Maslow's pyramid in a modern society (esp. in places like Florida, where it is a cost-viable alternative to a car).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[BradsKat]

Let's be real. You need the thrill of riding the bike to work to stop from blowing a gasket and tearing the place apart.....

That is how I feel at times.

Wow, thought it was just me!

[squiggy]

Wow, thought it was just me!

That's also why I consider my motorcycle as therapy.


Nurse: Ben, Dr. Suzuki will see you now.

[ThAzKat]

My interest is what Honda might do now that all motorcycle manufacturing is moving back to Japan. I am also very interested if they will finally bring out the CB?

I am also interested in Pictures, maybe some undercover pix of testing new models?



on the motorcycle theropy, that is why I like riding atleast 10k a year. This has been a tough year because I only have 100 miles on the bike.