That is a nice Orange color. Never saw it in person.
Steve

 

At least you guys got key fobs. Didn't see any such freebies at the DC show last weekend.

 

When you put everything you have into only Gixxers and MX bikes, this is what happens. I think they must be hurting bad right now, and many folks have practically abandoned Zuk altogether. Triumph and Ducati impresses me more than anybody, and BMW still keeps things fresh too.

 

I'll go to the Cleveland show IF and ONLY IF I got an iron-clad chance of seeing a Yammi Super Tenneree (ya, wait till I spell the Duc) and one a'them Ducati DosDiablous cruizer whatchamicutmegs.

Anybody know anything yet?

Allow me to add:
I like to think Suzuki's just waiting to one-up Yamaha in the big "DS" game. Of course, it's purely delusion (She's never going to call me back)

 

I saw and sat on both Tenere's at the Yamaha display. One had the low seat , the other was full out, with bags etc. and the seat set high. My quick impresion was a very similar position to the Strom, I felt the tank was an odd shape from the rider's perspective and I didn't like the exposed wiring and mounting of the headlights. Really, a test ride is the only way to determine if it's worth considering.
My favorite Bike this year is the Kaw 1000 Ninja. Very comfortable, nice design, bags are comming and the price is right. Of course this is a road only motorcycle.
I also believe the next best bargain will be the 1050 Tigers that will be closed out or sold as used to make room for the 800 Tiger. Really nice bike also, I just prefer the liter size (I DO ride a Vee).
Got a chance to talk with the guys from AltRider. Clarified a lot of design questions for me. Great east going people, they had a giant photo of one of their guys riding a V Strom as the backdrop for the booth. That was pretty cool.

 

Suzuki's only presence at Bike Week last year was a local dealer who had a booth at the Convention Center. And an '09 Wee. Probably the same one!

 

I believe

They are focusing on cars and a big push in India

I think it is smart... You don't fertilize during a drought its just a waste of money

I think they somewhat lost the cruiser wars which are more than 1/2 of MC sales

Lastly the China business is 10 times the units then USA. We are less and becoming even less important in the world markets

 

I absolutely agree with richw. Suzuki is the largest auto manufacturer in India, with over 50% market share. They are also huge in China and expending rapidly into eastern Europe. They've managed to get a massive albatross from around their collective necks, because GM no longer has a say in what they do. This means the no longer have to sell those pathetic Daewoo cars as Suzuki . Volkswagen has bought 10% of the company because they want to tap into Suzuki's small car expertise, and Suzuki wants VW's expertise in building "drivers cars". If Suzuki was in trouble do you think they'd have sent a group of Kizashi autos, with drivers (and one V-Strom) the length of the Road of Bones, wined and dined them like kings, if they weren't looking at a big push in global car sales? America is a country up to it's ears in debt, with an aging population, that will probably see it's motorcycle market continue to shrink, perhaps dramatically. Why would Suzuki waste it's money on the American market? They have much bigger fish to fry, like the launch of the new Suzuki Swift.............in Hungary!:yikes:

 

While it's obvious that China and India are potentially huge markets, it's also obvious that the US represents the largest single market for Suzuki today, and into the foreseeable future. Even if we assumed for a moment that your premise is correct, would any rational business person ignore or turn their back on their 3rd, or even 4th, largest customer base? I think not.

There are some insights in what you say, but suggesting that Suzuki would be "wasting money" on the largest motorcycle market in the world is absurd.

 

If you think US debt is large check out most of Europe. US consumer still have more disposable income to spend than 99% of the world market.

Suzuki's automotive branch is bleeding money like crazy, I would assume that leaves little in the way of R&D for anything else. Suzuki USA automotive is probably going to pull out of the market because of poor sales, their cars just aren't competitive here. In the third world they are a player mostly because of a lack of competition. US sales will all always matter because cars are sold for a profit here.

 

If I was a bike buyer this year the Kawi Ninja would get a serious look

 

Well looks like I'll be seeing Suzuki's sad display in Cleveland this year. Might get to see a new Tiger too.

As far as purchasing something new: Maybe by the time I'm done running the Strom into the ground they'll have taken an interest in rejoining the motorcycle rat race. There's something liberating about riding a machine after you've already gotten your dollars-worth from it.

 

Huge market my ass. GM sells more cars in china, and makes more money there than in the USA. So says last nights CBC Market Report. The USA is old news, there's lots more money to be made in the emerging markets, China has a population that's 4.7 times the size of the US. India's population is 3.7 time that of the USA. Even Russia, a country that's forecast to have one of the fastest growing auto markets on the planet has a population the size of the US. With all these opportunities to get into fast growing markets, full of young energetic people, why waste your time developing more Harley clones.:headbang: