April 2012 new registration figures - oh dear, Suzuki.

[Rogerborg]

Here.

Overall, the same picture. Adventure Sports way up, scooters up, 125s up, litre+ bikes holding up, everything in the middle still tanking big style.

The Triumph Tiger Explorer 1215 is selling in spades, Triumph are the #3 by registration, and those are all big bikes with big margins. BMW have slumped to #7. Rule Britannia, and take that Jerry Fritz Hun.

Suzuki languish at #5, bottom of the Japanese marques, and that was while running their really rather good £600 to £1000 cashback offer. Now they've extended - perhaps had to extend - a slightly watered down version of it.

I know someone has to be bottom of the class, but I really do think that by running that offer for so long that they may have essentially devalued their brand. If they couldn't shift their stock at fire sale prices - SV650s at £4450! - what chance do they have if they try to creep their prices back up again? The bikes haven't got any newer or more attractive, they can barely give them away... where to now?
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Kris]

April was very wet too. Any potential new sportsbike buyers may be waiting for the sun...
____________________
NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[JoeDougieDoug...]

I went into a Suzuki dealer a few weeks ago on one of my occasional searches for a big bike for when I pass - The salesman was practically begging me to take it! I was looking at the V-Strom 650cc, and he said if I buy the bike, he will throw in:

- The bike (obviously)
- The FULL touring kit (Top box, panniers, touring screen etc)
- Almax chain
- 1 years free insurance.

Needless to say, I was nearly walking a V-Strom 650 home (I'm too much of a pussy to ride it without a license, might get caught!)
____________________
CBT Passed - 22 / 10 / 11 >> Theory Passed - 16 / 02 / 2012 >> Mod 1 Passed - 07 / 03 / 2012 >> Mod 2 Passed - 18 / 05 / 2012.

[Rogerborg]

Another "nearly" purchase, they'll be delighted.

Cheap git though I am, even I was "nearly" tempted by some of their deals. Then I came to my senses and got a 10 year old bike that does 95% of what I'll need 95% of the time.

I'd hate to be a bike salesman right now, they must hear that a lot.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[chris-red]

The SV is what? 13? years since they changed anything. The bandit's have been what 6-7 years without a change? It's old hat now. PS, the TDM dumps all over the V Strom.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Wave2k]

A couple of Suzuki dealers near me have closed in the last year too.
____________________
Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Rogerborg]

[Derivative]

500 bikes per month just seems unviable to me, wow.

https://www.suzuki-gb.co.uk/dealers/

I spot about 50 dealers on there, that's about 10 bikes per dealer per month.

[Rogerborg]

[Sako]

certainly a buyers market if you're after a suzuki!
to be honest i think it's because the sportsbikes they are manufcturing aren't taking part in the technology race - none of their bikes are anything special anymore, it's almost as if they're resting on their laurels from 2001.

[Wave2k]

Last groundbreaking Suzuki was the 2005 GSXR1000

Kicked every other manufactuer of litre bikes up the ass, 7 years ago now and i see nothing really new.

Before that was the TL1000S and R.
____________________
Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299

[Baisemontchou]

I'm trading in two bikes for a newish Triumph Speedmaster, one of which is a GZ125 which the dealer tells me has just been discontinued without a replacement. Maybe Suzuki are finally rationalising
____________________
Current Carz: Jeep Liberty, Kia Sorrento Diesel
Current Bikz: '06 Honda Shadow 750 Custom, '02 Sachs Roadster 650, '10 Yamaha R125, '12 Derbi GPR 50, '04 Yamaha TZR 50.

[Hokum]

I looked as suzi, as I have a dealer really local... They didn't have nay bikes I was interested in... The V-strom is closest.
____________________
Sane: To know when you are doing something crazy.

[T0MMY]

YZF-R125 is a "Supersport" according to that That must make an R6 a Hypersport and god knows what you could call an R1 now...
____________________
ZX6R + CBR600RR

[Kickstart]

Hi

Stratosport?

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[T0MMY]

[Rogerborg]

I see they're doing some sort of "roadshow" thing of their (nobody laugh) "2012 models" with even more "special offers". Assuming that it's not just a way to free up some space at the docks, I assume that the marketing slogan will be:

"Can't afford a modern bike? A Suzuki is good enough for the likes of you!"
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[map]

[JBurrows88]

I'm shocked to see only 30000 new riders on the road!

In 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 - It was easily double... The recession is having a massive hit on sales atm. The only thing keeping the 1000cc+ figures up is the Triumph Tiger and CBR1000...

The rest of the figures are just 125cc's - considering there are 30k odd new riders each year - they are highly likely to buy a new 125 over an older one...

I expected KTM to be doing a bit better with the new DUKE (690 and 125) and the Adventure sports (990?) bike sales 40% increase...
____________________
Dave
XJR400 Kenney Roberts Paint Job

[Rogerborg]

[Polarbear]

Kawasaki aren't doing much better than Suzuki according to those figures, yet you don't hear them giving huge discounts. I wonder why? Aren't they that bothered or have they a much smaller dealer base so there are more bikes sold per dealer?
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Rogerborg]

Suzuki's sales have tanked more than Kawasaki's since 2008, their dealers are still trying to shift heavily discounted 2011 and even 2010 bikes as 'new' stock, their models are older, and they don't seem to have anything new on the horizon except a 250 commuter. I expect they'll shave 10 grams off of next year's Gixxers though.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[chris-red]

[T0MMY]

How are they doing in other markets though? Is this a global problem for them?
____________________
ZX6R + CBR600RR

[Rogerborg]