India

[the Ferret]

My son was just in India on business. He was amazed at the amount of small motorcycle scooters he saw

The video (if this works) was taken on his commute into the office (click on image box for vid)



the still image is of the parking lot at the office. He said there were 4 rows of bikes and 1 row of cars



Is it any wonder that companies like Honda are focusing on producing motorcycles/scooters for this kind of market compared to the US market?

[Nortoon_imp]

When Royal Enfield designed the Interceptor they considered making it a 750cc motorcycle. But thought that would be too great a change for their market and made it a 650cc twin instead.

When I started riding in the mid-60s most of the bikes were 90 or 100cc. That next summer the group I rode with made the big jump to 300 to 350cc bikes.

The following summer we rode 650cc BSAs or Triumphs. The largest bikes at that time, except for notorious and unaffordable Harleys.

[LongRanger_imp]

Ferret, yep, but it's such a different market. RE 350's are considered big bikes there.

[the Ferret]

Oh I know these are small bikes and scooters, but the sheer number of them numbs the mind.

I watched a video of some in Vietnam or China and there were just waves and waves of them.

If I were in business to sell bikes, I'd concentrate on making them for these markets

[Nortoon_imp]

Different climate and salary level. Here motorcycles are big boy toys. Our purchases are usually based on looks, prestige and peer pressure. In other countries smaller motorcycles are affordable transportation.

[Rocky_imp]

Different climate and salary level. Here motorcycles are big boy toys. Our purchases are usually based on looks, prestige and peer pressure. In other countries smaller motorcycles are affordable transportation.

Exactly right
My daughter was in Thailand recently and it's the same thing there; basic low cost transportation that sips gas.

[GoldOxide_imp]

If we can only drive and ride together like that in our congested regions of North America.

In many cases here, it is all about protecting our little patch in-the-moment, ..., "my space, right now", or, " ... your space will become my space ... ".

[Nortoon_imp]

I can remember driving my Rabbit convertible on highway 7 headed for Newmarket. It was a nice summer day and there wasn't a lot of traffic, so I was driving at a reasonable speed with the top down. This young lad in a Camaro with a custom plate Missile sped past me. I had to laugh because he did that twice more before I reached Peterborough. Slow and steady wins the race.

[GoldOxide_imp]

I can remember driving my Rabbit convertible on highway 7 headed for Newmarket. It was a nice summer day and there wasn't a lot of traffic, so I was driving at a reasonable speed with the top down. This young lad in a Camaro with a custom plate Missile sped past me. I had to laugh because he did that twice more before I reached Peterborough. Slow and steady wins the race.

Yeah, lots of selfish drivers on the road.

In my neighbourhood this weekend sport cars were sprinting from speed bump to speed bump, and in some cases spinning their rubber. Their disregard for neighbourhood safety is really shown front and center stage.

[dbarkdoll_imp]

Pretty interesting video here of an American (Hurley is his name) living and working in Vietnam. He gives us a look at his everyday commute in this vid. Crazy stuff but awesome to see everyone working together and just "flowing". Don't know how I feel about the "human shield" concept tho lol.

https://youtu.be/YUxq_BZaMTo