Honda Neowing?

After several demo rides on other brands,I'm convinced my next bike has not been built yet. It will most likely be a Honda as have the six before it. Creating new markets should not involve abandoning ones that you already have.
 
2turbos said:
I'm with you WJ.
It kind of reminds me of GM in the 80's. Look what happened to them.
Honda seems to be going down the same road, building products for markets that don't exist under the guise of "creating new markets".
"Just build as a fricken new ST". Now that's an existing market, although small.
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The size of the market is small in Honda's myopic eyes because, 1. They never promoted either the ST1100 or the ST1300, 2. They never updated the 1300 from day one (colors don't count). 3. Then don't seem to listen to or incorporate any customer feedback.

Text book way to create a small market for yourself. Meanwhile, BMW, Triumph, Yamaha, Kawasaki, even Motoguzzi (and I'm hearing Ducati) are active in this space and seemingly doing fine saleswise.
 
ST Gui said:
In corporate circles it's known as expanding market share. That doesn't happen by catering to the same old customers.
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A corporation can easily own 100% of a market for a product no one wants, other than bragging rights what's the point?
 
Byron said:
Kind of makes me think Honda would rather explore a new market area than try and keep loyal riders happy by replacing/upgrading an aging existing market.
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the aging existing market, us, will be gone soon. Time marches on
 
wjbertrand said:
A corporation can easily own 100% of a market for a product no one wants, other than bragging rights what's the point?
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What's the point of fighting to owning a fraction of a niche market? If that niche was making big money for Honda we'd have that upgraded ST pronto. Like years ago pronto. It's not. So it's on the back burner or off the stove entirely.

It would seem Honda can afford to experiment and is not afraid to do so. Other companies are sticking with the "if it ain't broke" giving us the same-old same-old with new tweaks here and there. Nothing new or great came from playing it safe.

If Honda whiffs a few times at bat so what. Honda has a lot of irons in the fire besides motorcycling. For Honda motorcycles small specialty markets are almost like pet projects. They're looking forward whether we like it or not. Other companies are staying in the present which in some cases is already the past. If that's where anyone wants to be not a problem. Just recognize. The outrage and ire says more about riders than Honda.



Al st1100 said:
the aging existing market, us, will be gone soon. Time marches on
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+1 Honda isn't content with catering to a bunch of old guys. They want to be relevant to riders:
who don't know what two-stroke engine is
who don't know that cassettes and records are
who think a kick-starter is crowd-sourced funding
who think your father's Oldsmobile looks like crap
who think your ride doesn't look any better
who are a generation or two removed from most of the riders here.

Right or wrong a whole lot of younger people see the world differently than those here.
Honda knows this and isn't afraid to do something about it.

When Honda closes it's doors in a few years we can all sit around the campfire saying I told you so!
 
Al st1100 said:
the aging existing market, us, will be gone soon. Time marches on
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Your comment doesn't address Honda's failures like the DN-01, NM-4 or CTX. They weren't for us and no one else liked them either.
 
Re: New Honda 3-wheeler

I think the aftermarket retailers are working on a handy rack to hang your walker on.... may come in handy!
 
Honda has already morphed the GW powerplant into a few models, and I hope they use the same engine with the production model of this reverse-trike and ditch the hybrid idea altogether. Need a big engine to push what would be a heavier non-car. Bigger engine, more seating (passenger), touring options (bags & trunk ... or trunks fore & aft), and I think they'll have something that'll sell.
 
The Piaggio MP3 has been very successful in Europe since its' 2006 debut. With the doubled front end contact patch and the added weight, front-end washouts, or ANY crashes on a Neowing would be a thing of the past.

I ride on a rural road that is downright treacherous when wet, more so when cold because of all the gas/oil industry traffic the past 5 years and fluids spilled. I'm almost shocked at how slimy Route 89 (Proctor WV) has become when wet.
I have a Motus that has never been on that stretch of road.........I simply won't enjoy it, the road I grew up on.

A Piaggio type ride would be more enjoyable than what I have now. I agree, Hondas' motorcycle division has gone off the deep end with what they have put to market recently. This bike in a DCT would have my interest.
 
The NeoWing may possibly be a hybrid; Honda has made significant strides developing their automotive Earth Dreams power plants.
The US Accord hybrids tout 50 MPG city while the newest Accord hybrid in Japan claiming 70 MPG. The ion battery pack improvement, driving the (electric) motor, is the catalyst behind this increase, not the (gasoline) engine.
A GW powered NeoWing getting 50+ MPG city would be nice. I would not be surprised if hybrids show up in the motorcycle division.
 
hoowasat said:
That would be a huge disappointment IMHO. I would continue to buy used bikes before buying a hybrid.
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Lithium ion battery technology is moving much quicker than that of fossil fuel powered vehicles; the 70 MPG Accord attests to that.
The days of the muscle car simplicity are long gone. The electronic/electric systems of even fossil powered bikes are very complex.
I'm afraid hybrids are going to be the majority eventually.....but not in my lifetime?
 
ST13Fred said:
Lithium ion battery technology is moving much quicker than that of fossil fuel powered vehicles; the 70 MPG Accord attests to that.
The days of the muscle car simplicity are long gone. The electronic/electric systems of even fossil powered bikes are very complex.
I'm afraid hybrids are going to be the majority eventually.....but not in my lifetime?
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I've got no argument at all with what you've said. There are some hybrid cars which get better MPG than I often get around town with my ST1300. But I am not concerned about miles per gallon when riding an iron horse ... I'm more interested in SMILES per gallon.:D
 
hoowasat said:
I am not concerned about miles per gallon when riding an iron horse ... I'm more interested in SMILES per gallon.:D
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The Motus V-4 has a firing order with 2 cylinders, #1 #4 and #3 #2, 90 firing degrees apart and a 195 degree separation between sets; all this going into a set of Akrapovic cans.........talk about smiles.
Hybrid powered vehicles run a smaller gasoline engine that would have more character (smiles) if the cans were simply opened up more, as the 2016 NC supposedly will.
 
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