07-25-2016, 12:14 AM
(07-24-2016, 10:54 PM)redbirds_imp Wrote: I don't know what the sales figures are outside my part of the country, but sport bike sales are way down here. A few years back most bikes sold here were cruisers and sport bikes. The cruisers still sell but sport bike sales are waning fast and those seeking a sport bike want the fastest so the 600 class is overlooked. It will be interesting to see if Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki decide to follow Honda.I would remark that this seems to be very true in this locale as well.
My local dealer is providing enormous incentives on many of the 600-class sportbikes on their showroom floor. These are in the range of $3,000 to $4,000 per bike.
They are clearly trying to move these bikes out of the dealership. On the other hand, the Adventure Bike and Cruiser categories are expanding rapidly.
The 600-class just does not make any sense at this juncture. The 300-class bikes are selling very well, as are middleweight standards such as the FZ-07.
Personal finances have likely played a key role in this. The insurance and maintenance costs on the 600's are prohibitive when combined with the very high selling price.