Replacement for Honda ST1300 in 2015?

dduelin

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
9,633
Location
Jacksonville
Bike
GL1800 R1200RT NC700
2024 Miles
006739
STOC #
6651
Let's face it, Honda's marketing strategy is not apparent to most of us. How many millions have they wasted on the DN-01, NM-4, Valkyrie, CT-1300 and their chopper lineup? How many of you have actually seen any of these bikes on the road? I haven't seen any and I ride 40,000 miles a year. They won't they bring the Crosstour or Crossrunner to the US, but import the naked CB1000? We all know how well naked bikes like that sell here. Yet the big adventure bike market, the one that is actually growing in the US, is ignored. The new Africa Twin comes over next year and again, it's a tweener that doesn't have the amenities of a full bore adventure bike and is too heavy and road oriented to be a real dirt bike.
Despite making all those mistakes Honda more or less crushes the market. Competitors carve out their niche of a few ten thousands bikes, a few hundred thousand bikes, even a few million bikes while Honda rolls on its way to nearly 20 million unit annual sales and they just might have beat Harley for #1 in the USA FY14. If they didn't they are right behind and between HD and Honda they have nearly half the US sales last year. (Not saying much, still below numbers of 10 years ago and projected to further decline as 60 year old males soon start eyeing wheelchair and hover-round purchases) Does Honda miss a few thousand of this, or tens of thousands of that? Maybe........... but if the reason to be in business is to grow and make money Honda seems to do OK.
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Messages
1,493
Location
Texas
Bike
2013 Triumph Trophy
Despite making all those mistakes Honda more or less crushes the market. Competitors carve out their niche of a few ten thousands bikes, a few hundred thousand bikes, even a few million bikes while Honda rolls on its way to nearly 20 million unit annual sales and they just might have beat Harley for #1 in the USA FY14. If they didn't they are right behind and between HD and Honda they have nearly half the US sales last year. (Not saying much, still below numbers of 10 years ago and projected to further decline as 60 year old males soon start eyeing wheelchair and hover-round purchases) Does Honda miss a few thousand of this, or tens of thousands of that? Maybe........... but if the reason to be in business is to grow and make money Honda seems to do OK.
I couldn't care less how Honda ranks in world wide sales, I only care about what kind of bikes that interest me. They have two old platforms that need upgrading, the Wing and ST-1300, and two interesting models they don't sell in the US in the Crosstour and Crossrunner. My point is, they diddle around with odd bikes, funky cruisers, and naked bikes that have never sold well in the US, yet they won't upgrade two models that have had a modicum of sales success in the US and two bikes in a category that has exploded the last five years. You don't think they'd make more money off a lineup that included a new Wing, new St-1300, and two adventure bikes instead of the Valkyrie, CT-1300, Fury, and VFR-1200?
 

JQL

Growing old disgracefully :)
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
207
Location
Essonne, France
Bike
NT700VA
"Plot lost have Honda the" Rearrange this well known phrase or saying.

Just my opinion.
 

dduelin

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
9,633
Location
Jacksonville
Bike
GL1800 R1200RT NC700
2024 Miles
006739
STOC #
6651
'
I couldn't care less how Honda ranks in world wide sales, I only care about what kind of bikes that interest me. They have two old platforms that need upgrading, the Wing and ST-1300, and two interesting models they don't sell in the US in the Crosstour and Crossrunner. My point is, they diddle around with odd bikes, funky cruisers, and naked bikes that have never sold well in the US, yet they won't upgrade two models that have had a modicum of sales success in the US and two bikes in a category that has exploded the last five years. You don't think they'd make more money off a lineup that included a new Wing, new St-1300, and two adventure bikes instead of the Valkyrie, CT-1300, Fury, and VFR-1200?
Sometimes it just isn't worth it any longer.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 16, 2010
Messages
1,260
Location
Rochester Mn
Bike
2014 FJR ES 2009 WEE
I like my Honda dealers....one is the second oldest Honda dealer in the country....I would hate to see them go out business because they don't have saleable products....they'd love the Crosstourer and Crossrunner, and they desperately need an updated Wing....the dealers need love too...........:D.........ff
 

Muchmore

Train killer
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
807
Age
16
Location
Greenwood, Mo
Bike
13 BMW K1600GTL
I like my Honda dealers....one is the second oldest Honda dealer in the country....I would hate to see them go out business because they don't have saleable products....they'd love the Crosstourer and Crossrunner
Honda's own annual report say's "on the demand of the new "fun size" Grom <400cc and the success of the CB500 along with the *cough*cough* key flagship model Goldwing power by their proprietary flat 6 engine......where made in response to our diversifying customer needs.... http://world.honda.com/investors/library/annual_report/2014/honda2014ar-all-e.pdf
 

dduelin

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Site Supporter
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
9,633
Location
Jacksonville
Bike
GL1800 R1200RT NC700
2024 Miles
006739
STOC #
6651
Honda's own annual report say's "on the demand of the new "fun size" Grom <400cc and the success of the CB500 along with the *cough*cough* key flagship model Goldwing power by their proprietary flat 6 engine......where made in response to our diversifying customer needs.... http://world.honda.com/investors/library/annual_report/2014/honda2014ar-all-e.pdf
To those of you that have stopped at TWO in Suches, GA on a nice summer or fall weekend and know the numbers of bikes that gather to ride those roads I was there a couple of Saturdays ago. Out of maybe 40 motorcycles there were 5 Honda CB500Xs, a new CB650, an NC700X, and while talking to one of the 500 owners a CB500F pulled in. There were several GSs and big KTMs, the rest cruisers, a few dual sports like DR350s and 650s, a Wee or two, and one solitary sport tourer. Not very scientific sampling of course but my local Honda dealer can't get enough 500s. They aren't fancy and don't cost much but they were well represented that day.
 
Top Bottom