Poor bike selection U.S.

[coast range rider]

A generation ago, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki flooded the U.S. with cheap, reliable, easy to service, practical motorcycles, which performed close enough or better than their higher dollar Euro counterparts.

In 2010, Ducati introduced the $20K Multistrada. Look at it's electronics, hp, suspension travel, and weight. Since then the Japanese have had 3 years to introduce their copy. But nothing from them compares. Anywhere, not just in the U.S.

The U.S. market demanded sport bikes and cruisers from Japan. Japan still has not recovered.

[LUVMYDR]

Maybe Im simple minded, but I really like my DR650. Tried the KLR and Ktm and Im luvin my DR.

[snakebitten]

Originally Posted by LUVMYDR

Maybe Im simple minded, but I really like my DR650. Tried the KLR and Ktm and Im luvin my DR.

Not simple minded. Just simple to please. That's a good thing.
I guess there are bikes not available that I would like. Check that. I KNOW there are bikes not available that I would like. How do I know?

I just like riding bikes. And although I always have a "favorite" at the time, (currently the S10 reins supreme for 18 month running) I enjoy them all. I love DR350's that have been tuned well with a pumper carb. I love RC51's. I even rented a big fat Harley for a weekend. It was a unique experience.

Having said all that, I do want to ride a Tenere 660. But I have to fly to GrahamD's island to do so. Might just do it someday too.

[High Country Herb]

Originally Posted by burmbuster

Is that a '68 Camero behind your bike? Awesome!

Yup. That was the first car my wife and I bought together in 1996, the year we were married. After using it as a daily driver for 8 years, she and I turned it into a pro touring car. She likes drifting, I prefer autocross.

[Meter Man]

I would be curious to know how many KLRs, DR650s, XRL650s, KTM690s etc are sold each year in the US.

I would imagine, with the exception of the KLR, that the big thumper market is peanuts.

[High Country Herb]

Originally Posted by Meter Man

I would be curious to know how many KLRs, DR650s, XRL650s, KTM690s etc are sold each year in the US.

I would imagine, with the exception of the KLR, that the big thumper market is peanuts.

I would agree. The number of KLR's I see is probably equal to all the XL/XR, DR, and XT's put together. All of those thumpers together are about 1/4 of how many BMW GS11XX I see. All of the GS bikes are about 1/4 of the number of HD cruisers I see.

So yes, peanuts in the eyes of the manufacturers. Now I see why Ducati made the Diavel (not that HD fans will give it the time of day).

[burmbuster]

Originally Posted by High Country Herb

Yup. That was the first car my wife and I bought together in 1996, the year we were married. After using it as a daily driver for 8 years, she and I turned it into a pro touring car. She likes drifting, I prefer autocross.

Very nice. One of my best friends has a 1969 SS with the 396 big block. I built the roller motor he has in it. He fell on hard times and personal struggles years ago. He never sold it but just parked it in his dads field. Its just rusting away but he refuses to sell it to anyone.

[kirb]

Originally Posted by High Country Herb

Now I see why Ducati made the Diavel (not that HD fans will give it the time of day).

The only time a HD guy has seen one is parked. It might be a case they got a good look when it was passing them.

[d2wing]

Lack of adv bike? Europeans actually ride bikes for transportation. Not so much the squid factor or cruiser mentality. Very few riders actually really buy the big dollar trail bikes. Riders of Adv bike fall into very different catagories. There is no one bike fits all. Bikes that are road bikes capable of moderate trail riding like the Vstrom, Versys etc are actually how bikes are used and what most people buy. And every one of those has alot of buyers that want to lower them. Others want a true dirt bike that is street legal. another small market. what people think they want and what they buy are two very different things. We dream we will make that big trip but not enough of us do. Let's see how long we will get the Tenere before it fades away.

[burmbuster]

The best market right now in the US for adv bikes is the middle weights. Lots of BMW owners making the switch now that there are more choices. We will see how long it lasts. But the DR's, KLR's, and Wee will continue to be good sellers.

[ph0rk]

Originally Posted by coast range rider

A generation ago, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki flooded the U.S. with cheap, reliable, easy to service, practical motorcycles, which performed close enough or better than their higher dollar Euro counterparts.

In 2010, Ducati introduced the $20K Multistrada. Look at it's electronics, hp, suspension travel, and weight. Since then the Japanese have had 3 years to introduce their copy. But nothing from them compares. Anywhere, not just in the U.S.

The U.S. market demanded sport bikes and cruisers from Japan. Japan still has not recovered.

how many multistradas have sold again? and why, exactly, are bikes like the versys 650 and 1k not enough like a multistrada?

you're talking like the big four are hurting - they aren't.

[iridemotorbikes]

Originally Posted by RaY YreKa

Just to flip this, in the UK you can't buy a KLR650. No idea why, I think Kawasaki would sell them in good numbers (though perhaps they won't meet Euro emissions test?).

Crazy to me they don't offer the KRL650 for sale over there??? Maybe there's not enough cheapskates in England?!! LOL

[Bama]

"I purchased a Glee (2012 DL650) because it offered the most of what I was looking for. If one of the three bikes mentioned in the middle class would have been available, that would have been my play. "







So you bought a bike that offered most everything, and you still whine about no selection.......Hell man ain't that what the aftermarket industry is for?

[burmbuster]

Originally Posted by High Country Herb

I think these two factors sum it up pretty well. There simply isn't enough market share for every model of adventure bike. As the cruiser group ages, and the price of fuel rises, people may become interested in other types of transportation. That will undoubtedly lead to more awareness of the adventure segment. We are seeing it now with all of the BMW, KTM, and Triumph offerings. There are some other offerings as well, but they seem to be mostly testing the waters.

I used to be (and maybe still am) a Honda nut. I am into reliability, and don't care about refinement. I got tired of waiting for them to produce a middleweight adventure bike, so I went elsewhere.

I'm in the process of adventurizing my Aprilia Dorsoduro 750. It doesn't have very much suspension travel, but it suits me fine. I'm almost done assembling the luggage kit, I've added an aluminum skid plate Ram1000 made, and changed the gearing.

Of coarse, Honda now comes out with the NC700. That's OK, because I don't think it would have suited me as well as the Aprilia anyway, and I still have my old XL600 for the tough trails.

Originally Posted by Bama

"I purchased a Glee (2012 DL650) because it offered the most of what I was looking for. If one of the three bikes mentioned in the middle class would have been available, that would have been my play. "







So you bought a bike that offered most everything, and you still whine about no selection.......Hell man ain't that what the aftermarket industry is for?

Nah. That makes too much damn sense for this thread.

[ArmSC]

I have noticed the lack of not just adv bikes but other more standard type bikes too. Just look at the uk sites for the big.four and you will see what I mean. I like the bikes that arent SS/RR or cruiser oriented and we don't have that many. That bring said I am really enjoying my wee...