Thursday December 17, 2009
Motorcycle manufacturers are trying harder than ever to please customers according to J.D. Powers, and the result is higher quality bikes and happier owners. "The result of this increased competition is that the quality and performance of bikes is at an all-time high," Powers' Todd Markusic explains, "and dealers are paying much more attention to their customers' sales and service experiences."
The survey reports that average problems per 100 vehicles is down 26 to 126, and each of the study's five criteria-- product, quality, cost of ownership, sales, and service-- have improved, with sales and service showing the biggest improvements.
The study is in its twelfth year, and fielded responses from nearly 8,000 owners between August and October 2009, focusing on 2009 model year bikes.
Source: J.D. Power and Associates
Related:
Photo © Getty Images News
Wednesday December 16, 2009
We got jealous when Harley's XR1200 was a
Europe-only offering, and gawked when
Honda's DN-01 wasn't available in the U.S. But now that both bikes can be bought stateside, they don't ooze desirability in quite the same way, do they?
That said, try not to get excited by the new Honda Twister, a sharply styled, 238 lb thumper equipped with a 110cc powerplant that yields 164 miles per gallon. A four-speed manual gearbox drives scooter-like levels of power (9 hp, to be exact) to the rear wheel, and this Lilliputian locomotion device will sell in India-- the market VW is so desperate to penetrate-- for the U.S. equivalent of $900.
A little perspective: if you doubled its price, the CB Twister would still run $2,500 less than a 2010 Kawasaki Ninja 250R. Wow. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Honda expects to sell 220,000 of these bikes every year-- yep, nearly a quarter million units.
But don't pine for the CB Twister, since it will probably never make it to our shores. Besides, if it did, your fascination would probably fade, wouldn't it?
Source: Honda
Related:
Photos © Honda; Click to enlarge
Monday December 14, 2009
Bike sales are
down and some brands are even
dead in the water, but I thought you might appreciate how Yamaha maintains their sense of humor this holiday season.
The folks who decked out Vale in Santa garb for last year's industry Christmas card went maximum kitsch for '09, photoshopping champs Ben Spies, Valentino Rossi, and James "Bubba" Stewart into cuddly Grandma sweaters against a snowy background-- heck, they even put a furry cat into Rossi's arms.
Thankfully, Yamaha slipped a disclaimer* onto the back of the card. Whew!
Related:
* Professional world champions with questionable fashion sense shown on closed set. Dress properly for your family portrait with bright colors, holiday cheer and tasteful graphics. Never drink eggnog and dress for your portrait - it is dangerous and illegal in 32 states. Yamaha and the fashion police encourage you to choose your wardrobe carefully and respect the studio environment and basic laws of style.
Card © Yamaha; Click to enlarge
Friday December 11, 2009
Bored by the current crop of literbikes cut from the typical
CBR/
Gixxer/
R1 mold?
If so, behold the 2010 Aprilia RSV4 Factory, which-- in typical Italian form (think, Ducati)-- wears unusual details like small winglets, a strangely shaped exhaust can, and a sharp looking nose clad with air intakes. Oh, and there's that 182.5 horsepower V4 powerplant, too...
See more in this 2010 Aprilia RSV4 Factory Photo Gallery, and hold tight for a review!
Related:
Photo © Basem Wasef; Click for gallery
