Don't they ever learn

3864 Views 10 Replies 8 Participants Last post by sleepngbear, May 9, 2014

coneye

Discussion Starter · May 8, 2014

Well after ringing around , and finding that NO DEALER , in my state has one or even intends to get one , I started to ring interstate , and found one dealer who actually has one on the floor ,

When asked the price the salesmen , said he was'nt sure , he will get back to me , still waiting 2 days later ,

So i rang Honda Aust , the girl informs me they were released in April and she is'nt sure what stores have them or will be getting them , BUT she did know the price , $18,500 plus on roads bringing it to a tad over 20 grand .

Err don't think so , not for me at that price don't Honda learn , last year they had a big run out sale on all the st 1300's to get rid of them , they were dropped down from $23,000 to $17.000 ride away , just to get rid of all the old stock , they still had lots of 2010 models left , but they walked out in fact run out the door for $17000 ride away ,,

I myself spotted them too late and missed out , my local dealer said he could of sold, has many has he could get ,at that discounted price , where as at the normal price ,they were sat on his floor for a year or two ,

The same happenned with the vfr 1200 , the new flagship that turned out to be a overpriced white elephant , so much that 12 months later they were dropping thousands of the price and up setting there loyal cutomers who bought at a premium .

Honda just have to relize its 2014 , and they are no longer the top dog , reliability is'nt something you pay extra for nowadays its what you have come to expect , . Myself personaly i've only ever had 2 hondas in my life and one was a heap of **** , always stuffing up , the other was bought new and was'nt a bad bike but after 2 years was starting to give me problems ,

Theres lots of bikes out there and lots of them value for money , i don't know why they don't just bring them in at a price they will sell for ,

Three out of the four honda dealers in my state , have told me they have NO INTENTION of bringing in the ctx 1300 , they will order one if i put a deposit down , but without even seeing one thats never going to happen ,

The price i've just been told , explains why , they don't expect to sell any .

See less See more

Save

1 - 11 of 11 Posts

firstime911

· #2 · May 8, 2014

CTX1300 really has less demand.. even in my country, population of 70 million, only 9 bike were sold.. 8 were black and 1 white (mine) On the other hands, BMW GS1200 sold like 150 bikes and Honda CBR is more than 500 unit in Motor show.

In my case i haven't even test drive it yet.. just see at Motorshow and deposit it and have to wait for four months before the bike arrive. It is a good bike no doubt, expert and customer review are all great. I have to promote the bike by myself, helped the Honda sold one CTX bike.

Good thing: you basically having rare product not like bmw GS.

in my point of view, if you like the CTx1300 either go across the state to try it out or just order it. Good luck.

Save

csdexter

· #3 · May 8, 2014

Truth be told, the whole CTX1300 product has been badly managed, apparently from the start. The executive in charge should be fired (in the US), but since this is Japan we're talking about, they should instead be asked to perform ritual suicide.

Compare with IMZ' Ural which it still a **** contraption (in comparison to current day and age Japanese bikes) even if it grew EFI in 2014, but whose launch was properly and diligently managed: proper ad campaign, proper test rides, properly informed and trained dealers, social media presence from the manufacturer, videos, reviews in the press (from motorcycle specialists that know what they're riding, not some rookie who never tried on anything else but crotch-rockets) and so on. The result? The bike is still **** (EFI stumbles, FD leaks, rear brake pedal is hard to get working right etc.) but it has a following! Why? Because it had a properly managed launch.

Now let's get back to the CTX1300: no launch (showing off at a motorbike show doesn't count because you cannot buy one off the catwalk there), manufacturer's site took ages to look sane and display a price, no dealer training (clearly, anybody telling you they don't intend to order one haven't received the phone call telling them this is THE thing they will sell in 2014), no supply chain management whatsoever (OEM accessories showing up 6 months after the bike?!? What's this, the '80s?!?) and the list could go on.

Add that to the fact that all (with extremely rare exceptions) dealers are a bunch of muppets that couldn't tell the sun from a full moon if they were looking straight at it in what sales are concerned and you get the current circus we find ourselves in.

The CTX1300 product team at Honda, the people who desgined and built this, must be really sad to see their artwork being wrecked in the market by a bunch of retards :-(

See less See more

Save

sleepngbear

· #4 · May 8, 2014

This all sounds frighteningly familiar. I'm a BlackBerry user. Awesome product, absolutely horrendous --as in nearly nonexistent -- marketing.

But it, like my CTX, did make it into my hands, regardless of what the future holds. So I at least have the pleasure of owning and using these things that most of the rest of the world may neither know nor care about, although in both cases the overall owner/user experience could admittedly be much better if there were more global acceptance and the after-market support that would come with it.

On the flip side, I could be here with my only options being a Harley and an Android. So I'll take what I can get and be glad I at least have choices.

Save

Reactions: 2

cheeken

· #5 · May 8, 2014

ctx market is just too small

Save

sleepngbear

· #6 · May 8, 2014

cheeken said:
ctx market is just too small

I think that remains to be seen. The ST's were never heavily marketed -- if they were marketed at all -- and they did fairly ok. I think there's a potential for the CTX to appeal to a wider audience, once more riders become aware that it exists. Word I've heard is that it's attracted a lot of attention at the bike shows where it's been demo'd, so that tells me there's at least a chance for it to gain some degree of popularity.

Save

Reactions: 1

rosy thorn

· #7 · May 8, 2014

these things really take off with word of mouth. sport bikes and the like are easier to move and have nonexistant marketing because everyone wants to be a yamasuki, you can bet your dollar every 18 year old with a death wish is going to find your product.

But CTX caters to a developed motorcycling crowd. Of course this is no excuse for piss poor managerial decisions...

Save

Miks

· #8 · May 9, 2014

Actually, the ST1300 was a failure in the US. In Europe, sport touring bikes do much better, but the market for a sport touring bike never seems to take. BMW has the R1200Rt, K1200Lt, and the 1600GT series, and yet, their best seller is the R1200GS. Go figure.

Regarding the CTX, it is a niche machine that I find interesting because...it is different. Having owned 33 motorcycles, I enjoy a cruiser style bagger, yet the V-twin thing is kind of getting old. This bike has some unique styling, and obviously smoother than a V-twin.

I don't think it will be a big seller for Honda, but I am glad they brought it to the market.

Save

Reactions: 1

bob

· #9 · May 9, 2014

I personally would like to see it take off, but don't mind the idea of owning a less popular bike. Heck, I owned a scooter for a few years! And here in the U.S. scooters, even super scooters, are not so popular. If I didn't want to do a few LD trips each year I'd likely still be riding that one. I also almost owned a Moto Guzi California. Don't see too many of that brand around these parts. Didn't buy it because I took too long to decide to jump on it. When I did it was gone, but there sat the ST in its place!

Save

Miks

· #10 · May 9, 2014

I have to agree with csdexter, as Honda seemingly has lost its focus...wait, they have been out of focus for a while.

I hate to admit this, as for 20+ years, I considered myself a HONDA MAN!

The 2012 Goldwing...I bought one new from the showroom. Guess what? It was a boring bike that although was improved (very slightly), it really showed how Honda is out of touch with their customers. My understanding was that Honda didn't want to take away from the good things, and they arrogantly think no one will buy an alternative bike, because the Goldwing is so comfortable.

Ok, they have a point, EXCEPT why not be cutting edge or at least, make a great bike even better. Electric windshield anyone? How about a sixth gear or at least a serious overdrive for that wonderful engine? Bluetooth and electronics that match the Harley Davidson Rushmore bikes PLEASE! You know something is wrong when Harley makes a better system, IE touch screen, and a nice display, etc.

Getting back to the CTX. I am a business consultant in aviation, and agree that Honda needed to do a better job marketing this bike against the competition as an alternative to the boring! The styling of the CTX is polarizing, but it is effective and has an edge to it. They needed to look at the bagger style as being the most popular segment, and go after Harley, Victory, and Indian as the alternative.

You can't replace the heritage of the Indian or Harley, but you can get people interested in a much better ride quality, smooth as butter torque, and a very comfortable seating position with a bike that hides its weight better than a Goldwing! These bikes are made for the commuter, as well as a touring bike, so it is a great combination for practicality and comfort.

Honda needs to get the dealer network excited again, and that includes how to manage the product line, and how to sell it. Working in the sales side of business, all too often the "I will call you back" without EVER hearing anything is atrocious! Unfortunately, it is costing the sales of many good motorcycles like the CTX for some real dogs in comparison! I know, I have had 3 late model Harley's

See less See more

Save

sleepngbear

· #11 · May 9, 2014

Miks said:
I don't think it will be a big seller for Honda, but I am glad they brought it to the market.

This says it all for me.

Save

Reactions: 1

1 - 11 of 11 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month