Cycle World Rounup
CYCLE WORLD ROUNUP
Buy now, save now
Cycle World recently received some information from Japan, a kind of state-of-the-industry report, and if we read between the lines correctly, two things are apparent: 1) The days of the super-discounted, year-old models are just about over, and 2) in the future, fewer motorcycles will be made but they’ll cost appreciably more.
It’s no secret that the past couple of years have been tough for motorcycle manufacturers, especially Japan’s Big Four. Simply stated, the problem was, and still is, for that matter, overproduction. Hit hard by a world-wide recession and subsequent drop in motorcycle sales, the manufacturers had more bikes on hand than they knew what to do with. Warehouses began to fill up, not just in the U.S. but in Japan as well, with three times the ideal inventory in stock.
In order to salvage some good from the situation, the Japanese cut prices drastically, hoping the bargainbasement price tags would persuade customers to buy oneand two-year-old “new” motorcycles. But while such cost-reductions may be a boon to buyers in search of a good deal, they play havoc with corporate profit margins. And the Japanese didn’t get to where they are today by losing money.
Crystal-ball gazers in Japan don’t see the demand for motorcycles increasing in the next two or three years, so selling strategies will change, the report says. The first order of business is to empty the warehouses of old bikes. Here the price reductions are helping. The report estimates that world-wide, the excess inventory should be taken care of within a year.
Next, expect to see fewer models being offered for sale. This guards against the possibility of another glut of motorcycles, and of more importance to buyers, will allow the manufacturers to charge more for each bike. The key words that seem to keep popping up are “quality rather than quantity.”
Yamaha’s President Eguchi elaborated on the new sales strategy at his company’s annual new-year policy meeting. “The motorcycle sales race up to this point has been concerned mainly with increasing the quantity of sales, but this has to change,” Eguchi said. “The current conditions surrounding us dictate a retail policy based on qualitative improvements . . . this means that retailers must now think in terms of getting a higher profit margin out of each unit of sales.” Kawasaki echoed Yamaha’s statements in a press conference at its Akashi plant earlier this year. “In the future, to prevent the kind of market flooding that we experienced last year, Kawasaki has requested that dealers not get involved with high-risk price competitions, and to avoid such sales policies that could result in overstocks,” a company spokesman said. “Further, in coordination with our retailers and distributors, we will be working towards highprofit sales rather than in fruitless (price-cutting) competitions. In terms of product development, our priority is to enhance higher quality. In other words, coming up with such quality products that the consumer will be willing to buy, even at higher prices.”
What does all this mean to the U.S. motorcycle buyer?
Well, if you’ve been thinking of getting one of those loss-leader specials, there's no time like the present. In fact, some of the more popular models may be already sold out.
And if you’ve been waiting for a new razzle-dazzle model, don’t worry, it’ll be here. At a price.
Tire tips from the tire folks
A n alarming number of motorcyclists are riding on tires that are dangerously underinflated or overloaded, says a spokesman for Dunlop Tire Co.
That carelessness has strong adverse effects on performance, handling and safety, said Tony Mills, technical manager of Dunlop’s motorcycle tire division. At best, it leads to instability and greatly reduced tire life; at worst, it could result in tire failure and serious accidents, Mills said.
An informal survey by Dunlop of motorcycles at the country’s leading touring rallies determined that most had improperly maintained tires. At one rally, more than 70 percent of the tires examined were underinflated. At another rally, 38 percent of the bikes surveyed were overloaded beyond rated maximum tire capacity.
“This is a serious problem,” said Mills. “(We have) become increasingly concerned about the lack of attention paid by many cyclists to proper use and maintenance of their tires.”
Mills offered these tire tips:
—Never exceed the load limits displayed on tire sidewalls and in the motorcycle owner’s manual. Adhere to the bike manufacturer’s accessories restrictions.
—Check tire air pressure at frequent, regular intervals, especially just before and during long trips. Use an accurate pressure gauge, and check pressure only when the tires are cold.
—Inspect tires often. Look for irregular wear, signs of cracking in the sidewalls and tread, blisters, knots, curls and punctures. Immediately replace damaged tires.
—Follow these touring bike rules of thumb. For light loads (single rider with some luggage—up to 200 pounds total), maintain minimum pressures of 32 psi in the front and 36 psi in the rear. For heavier loads (rider and passenger and/or luggage—from 200 pounds up to the bike’s maximum load capacity), maintain minimum pressures of 34 psi in front and 40 psi in the rear.
—When towing a trailer, always consider the trailer’s tongue weight as part of the bike’s load, and do not exceed maximum load limits.
— Pay attention to handling. If steering response is slow or mushy, or if cornering and braking response is heavy, the tires may be underinflated. Vibration or wobble could be a warning of damage, signalling that tire failure may occur any time.
Tariff-busting Interceptor
Honda’s 750 Interceptor, last year’s all-world sport bike, was one of the unfortunate victims of the ITC-imposed tariff on above-700cc motorcycles. The 750’s 1983 asking price of $3498 jumped almost $1000 to $4398 this year.
To counteract the expense, Honda has decided to import a destroked version of the 750 that displaces just under 700cc. Price hasn’t been set yet, but a Honda spokesman estimated that the 700 Interceptor will retail in the $3500 range. The 750 Interceptor will still be imported for riders who want a full 750 and are willing to pay for it.
Calling all four-strokes
#?ecalling, that is, and only the 1983 Husqvarna fourstrokes.
Last year’s series of thumpers—the first fourstrokes from Husqvarna since the early Sixties—had some teething problems. The bikes were hard to start, especially when hot. Owners also complained about clutch-slippage and oil leaks. And there were a few instances when flooded engines backfired and ignited their oiled-foam air filters.
To remedy the problems, Husqvarna is asking that all ’83 four-stroke owners bring their bikes into dealerships to be fitted with a recall kit. The kit includes a new Dell’Orto carburetor, a non-accelerator-pump model that should reduce flooding problems. For easier starting, a new ignition coil with longer spark duration and a different advance curve will be installed. There’s also a new air filter, a pleated-paper type. Other kit components are a new set of clutch springs and spacers, a new shift shaft with two O-rings instead of one, valve-stem seals, a stronger cam-chain sprocket key, and improved O-rings on the kick-starter shaft, cam-chain tensioner cover and oil filter housing.
There is no charge for the recall kit or its installation.
A Husqvarna official said that the 1984 four-strokes, due out this summer, will incorporate the kit’s changes, and will also have updated plastic components and graphics. In addition, look for a Team Husqvarna fourstroke to be entered in the Baja 1000 off-road race.
Think plastic
If Du Pont has its way, motorcycles of the future may be made mainly of plastic.
The chemical company’s Hybrid motorcycle is on the show circuit, and Du Pont hopes the bike will show motorcycle manufacturers how versatile plastic can be.
Du Pont commissioned the Japanese design firm DOX to build the bike. A Honda VF400 engine, suspension and brakes are used, but almost everything else on the bike, from its monocoque body to its wheels and oil pan, is made from a plasticbased material. Final drive is by belt, and that too is made by Du Pont, of Kevlar. In all, 17 Du Pont products are used on the Hybrid, in almost 60 different applications.
“The Hybrid shows that Du Pont materials can contribute to fuel economy, safety, noise control, weight reduction, durability, aesthetics and reduced costs,” said a company spokesman.
—James F. Quinn
Two wheels and the law
Shakespeare’s character Butch in King Henry the Sixth may have wanted to kill all the lawyers first and ask questions later, but these days it’s kind of hard to get along without some legal advice.
Robert Brenner is a lawyer. And a motorcyclist. He’s combined both with CycleLaw, a legal service for motorcyclists and the motorcycle industry. The service is run through the law firm of Brenner and Rostand in Van Nuys, California. Started early this year, CycleLaw already has more than 1200 members.
“Motorcyclists are a very special group of people,” Brenner said. “(We) know motorcycling and understand the needs of motorcyclists, and will attempt to meet those needs through the CycleLaw concept.”
By calling the CycleLaw Infoline, a toll-free number, prospective clients can consult with an attorney and get information about laws relating to motorcycles. For more information about the service or to register for the free CycleLaw members-hip card, call (800) 633-6366, or (818) 787-4600.
Ducati/Cagivas for '85
Oucati might be out of the bike-making business but that company is still manufacturing engines, and it looks as though Ducati enthusiasts will be able to buy those engines—mounted in Cagivabuilt chassis—in 1985.
Six Ducati-engined Cagiva models are planned for U.S. release next year: 350 and 650 Ala Azzurra sport bikes, 350 and 650 Elefant dualpurpose bikes, and two models using the 900 engine. There are also rumors of an entirely new V-Twin displacing lOOOcc.
Cagiva is currently selling 125 and 250 motocross and enduro bikes, as well as a 350 trials bike. Later this year the 350 Ala Rossa, a four-stroke dual-purpose bike, will be introduced, a Cagiva spokesman said.
Cagiva is also testing a 488cc, liquid-cooled motocrosser in the U.S. If all goes well that bike could become the world’s first liquidcooled Open-class production motocrosser.
Scooter madness
IVith motorcycle sales down, both Yamaha and Honda are counting on scooters to pick up some of the slack.
In Japan, Yamaha’s JOG series of scooters has sold so well that a company official used the words “hit the jackpot” to describe the line’s success. More models will be added to the lineup in hopes of increasing Yamaha’s share of the scooter market.
At Honda, officials think of U.S. scooter sales as a “weapon” in the sales war with the three other Japanese manufacturers. “We are planning a major campaign cultivate large-scale (scooter) demands in the U.S.,” said Honda’s President Kume in his annual policy speech.
S.F.P.D. on BMWs
Harley-Davidson isn’t the only manufacturer trying to upset the recent Kawasaki domination of the police-bike market. BMW recently sold 17 RIOOT-based bikes to the San Francisco police.
One factor that swayed S.F.’s police department toward the BMWs was the firm’s three-year/unlimited mileage warranty, said Sergeant Stan Odmann, who is responsible for maintaining the BMWs and the 69 Kawasakis that make up the rest of San Francisco’s police fleet. The warranty helped the BMW achieve a lower operating cost per mile than either the Kawasaki or Harley-Davidson police models, Odmann said.
And finally, the way the specifications were drawn up favored BMW. The department wanted bikes with shaft drive and kick starters, features that Harley and Kawasaki don’t offer on their police bikes.
Honda sales also down
Yamaha and Suzuki weren’t alone in posting disappointing world-wide sales records for 1983 (Round Up, April 1984). Sales of Hondas also took a bit of a dive.
According to a Honda fiscal report, 1983 third-quarter sales were 583,000 bikes, compared to 668,000 bikes sold during the third quarter of 1982—a 13 percent decrease.
Income from Honda’s bike sales dropped accordingly: 13 percent.
Of the 583,000 bikes, 208,000 were sold in Japan and 375,000 went to markets overseas, including the United States. Those figures, said Honda, represented an 18 percent drop in domestic sales and a 10 percent cut in export sales.
Gear 'em up
B reak out the fairings, go buy some sprockets and start dieting; Craig Vetter’s annual Fuel Economy Run is coming up.
Scheduled for July 21 and 22, and held in conjunction with the Laguna Seca road races, the run has an added class this year, the Real Motorcycle division. The class is designed as a competition between motorcycles that are feasible for everyday transport, as opposed to the super-streamlined machines that will be running in the Open class. Rules say the Real-class entries must be advertised as displacing at least 650cc, and must carry a passenger during the event.
As last year, all entries will compete Saturday in a 75-to100 mile loop on Highway 1, starting and finishing in Carmel. The top 12 finishers in both the Open and Real classes will run-off Sunday on the Laguna Seca track to see who can go the farthest on five cents (Open) or 10 cents (Real) worth of gas. Winners in each class will receive $2000. There will also be classes for above 751cc, 500750cc and 250-499cc, with trophies awarded to those winners.
Contact Vetter Design Works, 1 Alta Mira Lane,
San Luis Obisbo, Calif. 93401, (805) 541-3330 for more information or a rule book.
Sooraj with a fringe benefit
If Vetter ever takes his economy run to India, they’ll be ready for him. At least all the Sooraj 325 owners will be.
What’s a Sooraj 325? A diesel-powered motorcycle, that’s what. Made by Sooraj Tractors Ltd., the machine resembles a British bike of the late 1950s but has a very agricultural-looking diesel engine stuffed into the frame.
An ad in an Indian newspaper says the Sooraj is a “blend of power and economy.” We don’t know about the power, but at a claimed 202 miles per gallon, the economy is certainly there.
Now, with some streamlining and taller gearing ... El
