Whats going on with Honda ?

[EEEZZRIDER]

Went on a ride with Wupster for lunch Wed.  to Warsaw IN. On the way home we stopped at Lake City Honda in Warsaw just to window shop. After about 15 min I asked Tom "where are all the Hondas". Almost all the inventory was Kawasaki. Outside every all-terrain vehicle was Kawasaki and only 1 Honda. Headed back to Ft Wayne and yesterday went to Ft Wayne's biggest Honda dealer to get a filter. They also had become a Kawasaki dealer earlier this year and i saw the same thing as we saw in Warsaw. Kawasakis everywhere. The guy at the parts desk said they were selling Kawasakis 3-1 over Hondas and the factory deals from Honda were not even close to Kawasaki so people aren't even lookin at the Hondas. Two days in a row, two different Honda dealers and same observation. Hmmm !

[Hook#3287]

It's sad that Honda pays little attention to the vehicle that got them where they are today.  They seem to do it in little spurts now like adding a racing team for the Dakar and a new model to race.

What with HondaJets, industrial and personal robotics, ASIMO, emerging new tech in residential electricity generation and automobiles, etc, etc, it seems motorcycles have taken the back burner.

[f6john]

   Honda may have a master plan, we just don't know what it is. Our local dealer moved into a new building about 10 years ago and he added Kawasaki and Suzuki to the line up. The economy didn't help any, but Honda pulled out all his inventory and his dealership a few months ago. He had been a Honda dealer since the sixties. He recently sold the building to the local Nissan dealer and they are trying to get the Honda motorcycle dealership back. The Victory dealer who is also a Yamaha dealer looked into the Honda dealership and passed or was rejected, don't know which. The times, they are a'changin!

[The Anvil]

Honda hasn't built anything that excites me in years.

[old2soon]

Can't remember in which order it is on the sign but the dealer I frequent the most in West Plains Mo. has the Kawasaki Yamaha Honda And Can Am 4 wheeler stuff on his floor. The Suzuki dealer in West Plains is a stand alone Suzy dealer. The Honda dealer has brand new 12 Gold Wings available at a slight discount off new sticker price. Was in there yesterday and he has 2 new F-6s on the floor-finally. Including H-D I haven't seen a cursed thing motorcycle wise that has moved me in a few years. RIDE SAFE.

[Six-Cylinder Hooligan]

Honda hasn't built anything that excites me in years.

+1 

[alph]

Honda hasn't built anything that excites me in years.

i ride a honda that excites me every day......  i'm not out to find a new cycle, just enjoying the one i've got now.......  although, it's kinda like porn, it's fun to look at the new exciting sports models, but at the end of the day, you always seem to sleep with the old "model" in the bedroom.....

[Regis]

the old model is better anyway

[musclehead]

it might be due to the fact they are honda, and japanese business models are traditionally based on incrementalism. no home runs, just slow and steady wins the race.

but I have to admit I dunno 

[alph]

the old model is better anyway

uhm, how do you know what the "old model" is like in bed?  what are you saying about my wife??      ( )

[lacon]

I believe 2008 was the last Honda Hoot, & it was just a shadow of the previous ones.  Should have stopped with the 2007 rather than doing the low budget last one.  Don't know how much money Honda put into the Hoot, but I'll bet it was substantial.  Then Goldwings moved from Ohio to Japan, & you can tell that motorcycle R&D was cut a lot.
I know corporate Honda made wise business decisions when the economy dropped, but it was disappointing to see how quick they were to turn away from their roots when the dollars got tight.
By comparison, I wonder how long will Yamaha keep on making my old favorite "cult-nitch" V-Max for their faithful?   

[Moonshot_1]

Was at the local Honda dealer here. Said that Honda will unveil the new F6C in November. He didn't know a lot about it but was at a dealer mtg. where they announced it to the dealers and didn't say much else about it according to him. He thought this would be the new Honda Valk.

Looking forward to November.

[doubletee]

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but he most important thing I read in Ron's note is that Wupster is back on his bike! Glad to hear that. Tom, hope you and Laura are fully recovered.  

[solo1]

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but he most important thing I read in Ron's note is that Wupster is back on his bike! Glad to hear that. Tom, hope you and Laura are fully recovered.   

Quote by DoubleT

And to Ron also.

I was at the Honda dealer too.  A couple of 700's, one with auto tranny. three 500's, the F6, and the 1200F redo classic( nice bike but where does it fit in?)

I'll stay with my Susy Vstrom.

[NiteRiderF6]

Honda is in the ATV and lawn mower business now. My local dealer even sells trailers now. They have one GW, one F6B a Victory, and some smaller cruisers and dirt bikes. They have diversified!

[cookiedough]

You have to diversify in today's world to survive,  not too many strictly HOnda dealers I don't think around anymore.  Our local strictly HOnda dealer closed probably because they have like 1 customer come in once per week was all and that is for basically parts of which have to be ordered most likely anyways.  Can't make a living like that with 1 sales guy and 1-2 mechanics is all with inventory jacked up full retail.  They did though sell Honda lawnmowers and ATV's as well as cycles.  That is where I bought my Valk on consignment just happened to be at the right place at the right time, got lucky.  At first I though for sure to pass on it since layer of dust and sitting for 2 years not being ridden.  Got it going pretty well and haven't looked back since. 

[Michael K (Az.)]

Honda hasn't built anything that excites me in years.

+1 

[Tropic traveler]

The F6B got me mildly excited simply because it was a step in the right direction.
Still holding out a small amount of hope that the "Gold Wing F6C" may be something that will get my motor running. 

Still would like to see an in line 4 cruiser style bike. Think Shadow series styling with either a 750cc or 1000cc CB engine.
Maybe I'll just make my own..... I know where this Nighthawk 750 with 26K miles on the engine is..... Anybody got a cheap wrecked VT750DC??