Honda will suspend production on 11 models of atv's and off road motorcycles. In fact the only 2010 dirt bikes will be the 250 and 450 R.
Not for 2010. The fact that Honda is struggling in the ATV market speaks volumes about the state of the powersports industry.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilvBo3OxHX0 Watch it quick cause I have a feeling once Honda sees this corperate video on youtube it will come down.
I watched it, clearly it was intended for the Honda dealers. Yes it will probably be taken down. The person in the video said they would not be making the 2010 bikes but they think there are enough 2009 bikes to cover the needs of the consumers. So there really is no major change (yet) to the consumer cause they can still buy a wide variety of bikes.
You are right and I think suspending production is an accurate statement. The future will most likely see continued production of some models.
I don't know? It might be the beginning of Honda's push to exit the off-road market. To say they're focusing on the Farm market with side x side and utility models might have some validity, but I question that, because they don't have a diesel model of the Big Red side x side which all of the other major players in that segment have... and in farming diesel is where it's at. Not many farmers keep a separate supply of gasoline on their farms. Also Honda is still spending big money on Hybrid Technology for auto market even though the estimated growth in this area of the market is well below what the US Government is predicting and Washington doesn't have a very good track record as of late on predicting anything. I think what we are witnessing is a major player pulling up stakes in a market so they can focus on a GREEN COMPANY MODEL.
Kawasaki/Polaris have been so much faster going for what the consumer wants it is sort of funny. Honda is about 5 years too late in the side by side industry and then when they do come out it looks like a Tractor Supply Model. Seriously in the video they have a "exciting Green Model for 2010". Has anyone taken a spin in a Polaris Razor? Dealer News is forecasting a 49% decrease in unit sales for Honda, that is huge. I don't believe they are stepping out of the off road market but I do think they stopped trying to be innovative a long time ago. I see them just cutting there losses until the next up swing in the motorcycle market.
They continue to be very aggressive in their CRF development and just announced a all new CRF250R with EFI, new motor, new frame. Seems like they are still on it to me. I bet it is more of a slowing down than an out right "getting out of off road" but who knows. Sad times.
Motocross is a prestige sport for the Japanese manufactures, just like Baja use to be. The motocross bikes have to be production based so they have to produce those models so that they can compete in that category. If Honda was a allowed to run factory Prototypes like back in the 70s I'd almost be willing to bet that you wouldn't see them producing production motocross bikes at all. Yep, I think this is the beginning of Honda's exit strategy in the woods off-road category... and Honda donates substantial amounts of money to green cause like the Sierra Club, the Natural Lands Trust and many, many more through the Honda Foundation. If you read Honda's Environmental Reports you'd be hard pressed to find anything Motorcycle related: http://corporate.honda.com/images/b..._2007_North_American_Environmental_Report.pdf http://corporate.honda.com/images/b..._2008_North_American_Environmental_Report.pdf
Here is the first video in the Honda dealer series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL7ZhYobPTU The 2nd video is listed here again for convenience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilvBo3OxHX0
Im with Blip. Honda has been conflicted for years now. They started out a bike company, and will always make motorcycles--its where their new engineers get experience. But dirt bikes? For a company desperate to market itself as the greenest car company? Dirt bikes are a liability for Honda. Within their company there are strong voices against dirt bikes. I know, Honda contacted me for a dirt bike focus group!! Honda started pulling out of dirt bike racing few years ago. First at GNCC, then in Baja, and for sure in many other series all over the world. We all grew up on XR's, and had a warm and fuzzy spot for Honda. Now its a dirt bike brand for guys with tatoos and piercings who roost each other on the internet and at the local MX track, and dont buy hybrids-they didnt even buy the Honda pick up, so its a dead end in terms of big picture marketing, in more ways than one.
So, to bring this all down to a more useful level to me, '09 MY Honda motorcycles still left on the floor are probably going to be cheap.....SOON.
