Motorcycle sales have plummeted this year, if sales figures from Japan can be used as an indicator.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association says that only 41,143 motorcycles were exported in October, compared to 90,702 in October 2008.
That’s a reduction of more than 50 per cent and accounts for almost $300 million US.
Year to date sales were down 44 per cent, according to the JAMA figures.
Mostly the economy is at fault, not any particular “style” of m/c … add still-high gasoline prices and you have the “perfect storm” for poor sales.
Personally I’d like to see the Big-4 Japanese manufacturers bring some of their 400-650cc Standards to the North American markets … time might be right to re-introduce the UJM!
I guess we older types have raised a generation attracted to these freakish distortions of mechanical design and so it is our fault.
What did we do wrong? Too many cartoons? Could all those hallucinogenic drugs really have caused such catastrophe? :cry :grin
I like it! More for the younger crowd obviously! :grin
Japan sales down, but are euro and other asian countries sales up ???
My sentiments as well.
here here.
Well if they continue to make bikes such as that in your picture, I support the down turn in sales … that way I don’t have to see these ugly weird distortions of industrial design clogging up the Tim Hortons parking lots across our nation … :grin