Valk production

[bigfish_Oh]

I ran into a guy(I live near Honda) that said his BIL was an engineer at Honda. When production was moved/stopped??? he saw new Valk's being crushed.

any other known info?.   I will see this guy again

[R J]

I think he is full of sheet on the crushing.   The Japanese are smarter than that unless it has one hell of a defect in it.

[BradValk48237]

He could be right...

Motor companies have test mules that cannot be sold or used again... Live in Detroit area and see them all the time and they all end up in the crusher (Had a friend that was a road tester for GM)...... Many of the Auto Show Concepts/one offs end up that way too..... 

Could have been sitting in storage.......

B

[MacDragon]

It's just a shame... but a lot of manufacturers do it to the overproduction.

[designer]

Most Japanese motor companies have import rules. If a bike is defective, or car for that matter, and is not purchased by the american holding company they could be destroyed. I've seen cars that was cheaper to destroy then repair. Some might be kept for transportation on the grounds but can't take them out of the foreign trade zone.  Honda would never crush because of over production. Neither would Nissan.  I've never seen a crusher on Honda property. 

[scoot]

Typically they can not sell a vehicle it most likely does not have a VIN. Used to be a time when auto manufacture's would then donate these type of vehicles to Votech or other educational institutes.

[Jess from VA]

I've seen cars that was cheaper to destroy then repair.

Seen them?  Shoot, I've owned at least four of those bad boys.  

At 16-17 I thought the world of Brit sport cars, and got an old Austin Healey Sprite.  Some months later the trans, center bearing and clutch all seized/died.  The cost to repair was twice what I paid for it.   I could not afford the repair, so I mailed the mechanic the title in trade for his diagnostic tear down (the only shop was 70 miles from home, and my dad towed me there on an 8 foot chain.  LOL).  I kept cars a long time, so it evened out, but several got to the point it cost more to fix than than the car was worth.

[designer]

Typically they can not sell a vehicle it most likely does not have a VIN. Used to be a time when auto manufacture's would then donate these type of vehicles to Votech or other educational institutes.

Well, because the vin is riveted early on in the process it's likely the vins already been assigned.  They won't go back and reapply the vin so that number is lost. We dropped the pan on one vehicle and run it around the track til it blew. That little car went a lot further then I thought it would.  Vehicle was later scrapped for parts for their fleet of loaners to the employees. if they were crushing motorcycle it's most likely a preproduction prototype that was never meant for road.

[bigfish_Oh]

I have been at a scrap yard in Columbus, Oh(while vending) and watched new/test? Honda cars being crushed/shredded. There were several suits with clip boards watching.

[designer]

I have been at a scrap yard in Columbus, Oh(while vending) and watched new/test? Honda cars being crushed/shredded. There were several suits with clip boards watching.

That would answer why I've never seen a crusher onsite.  During development they will make around 30 or so vehicle for testing that can't be sold. I would guess that could be some of them, they have vins as well.

[f6rider]

they were probaly mules.. be cause Honda just builds bike and if they don't sell the warehouse them.
Some of you may remember in late 99 and 2000 Honda cleared out all of the 1500cc goldwing and valkyrie over stock. they had black interstates new for 9900. I had a 99 Standard I bought used , in 2002, with a date of first use in 2001.
they recently did it with Runes, you could pick up a 04 without chrome wheels for 16k..

About ten years ago a old salvage yard in michigan owners died, and they found about ten motorman cars that were contracted to be crushed,
And I remember reading a Colectible Car Mag that car a earlier 50s vintage cadillac convertible that was documented and destroyed that someone came across.

But I digress..

[bigfish_Oh]

1982 CBX was $5698 in 1982, in may of 1985 the warehouse was cleaned out, me and my brother had ours for $3K out the door. In 1979 my 79 CB750F was $2750 out the door with helmet and tshirt.

They were crushed at Buckeye, 8-9 years ago when I saw them.

[Paxton]

It is true and Sad. 

"Never overestimate the wisdom of a Traffic Cop." 

[YoungPUP]

Friend of mine went to northwestern in Lime Oh. Has mentioned on a few cases the Instruction cars and motors that had no or weird serial and VIN plates.  He was there on a day when they scrapped a CAT marine diesel by running it to the point where the turbo was glowing, and then just turning it off and walking away. The next morning it was going back into a crate and you could see daylight if you looked at the seam where the head meets the block. Serial number on that one? 005

[bigfish_Oh]

For those of you that do not know the CBX was 79-80-81-82. 1981 came out as a sport tourer with sport fairing and hard luggage, sales were very bad, price was 4998-5298 I forget. MANY of those were unsold and went to vocational schools to never be titled. "school" bikes still pop up. A 81 title/vin plate is worth $$$$.  any CBX title/roller for that matter is near 1K

[bigdog99]

the valks that were crushed were probably the ones with fuel injection and 6 speeds, they would not have known how to tell the public the goldwing has been replaced.