Re: [emrat:4252] Another retro bike comes to the US market...

Martin; check out the latest Royal Enfield model, the Continental GT cafe racer.  I'd say it's the closest Retro to being the real (old) thing!  Wayne E.

---

From: "Martin Albright" <martinjmpr@yahoo.com>
To: "EM Rat Motorsports" <emrat@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 9:12:31 AM
Subject: [emrat:4251] Another retro bike comes to the US market...

Just saw this on ADV rider and had to google to confirm it is true:

 

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/649/18055/Motorcycle-Article/2015-Yamaha-SR400-First-Look.aspx

 

So apparently Yamaha is bringing their old SR400 to the US market. 

 

Classic old thumper, gorgeous bike, but IMO with a kick-start only, it's appeal is going to be very limited. 

 

The reason I posted this, though, is that to me it illustrates that the manufacturers must think there's money to be made in the "retro" market. 

 

Currently I would regard Triumph as second only to Harley in the US Retro bike market. 

 

I'd love to see a sub-$6000 thumper from Triumph enter the market. 

What's interesting is that when Kawasaki brought the W650 (a copy of a 60's Triumph complete with "eyebrow" tank badge), sales were dismal and they dropped it after two years at most (may have only been one.) 

 

I think what hurt the W650 was that it was introduced the same year (2001, IIRC) that Triumph introduced their "classic twin" modern Bonneville series, and the pricing was competitive, so why buy the pale copy when you can buy the "real thing?" 

 

Nevertheless, I think it can be argued that Triumph has been at the forefront of the "retro bike" market and now the market seems to be expanding.  Not only is there the Triumph classic twin line, there is the Moto Guzzi V7, the Victory-produced Indians, the Honda CB1100, the Suzuki TU250 and of course Royal Enfield is riding the retro train, too. 

 

An interesting development, although I'll predict now that the SR400 will either be a sales flop and get discontinued after a year, or if it is continued, Yamaha will up the price to cover an electric starter for the US market, at the very least. 

 

Martin

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "EMRAT" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to emrat+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to emrat@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/emrat.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.