Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

some figures ...

TOP 10 Sales (excludes ATVs)
JANUARY - DECEMBER 2004
Manufacturer Model
Honda CT110 2,227
Yamaha WR450F 1,935
Yamaha PW50 1,896
Honda CRF50F 1,562
Honda CRF230F 1,334
Yamaha WR250F 1,299
Yamaha PW80 1,235
Honda XR400R 1,211
Yamaha YZ250F 1,002
Honda CRF250R 998

TOP 10 ROAD
JANUARY - DECEMBER 2004
Manufacturer Model
Honda Fireblade 954
Yamaha YZF-R1 871
Honda NVS50 846
V Moto Milan Jx50 786
Suzuki GSX-R1000 642
V Moto Monza JP50 624
Honda CBR600RR 584
Honda VT750C 531
Honda CBR1100X 519
Harley Davidson FLSTF 494

and sales by brand ..descending order
10. Bolwell 1,404
9. VMoto 1,453
8. Polaris 1,663
7. Triumph 1,678
6. Harley Davidson 3,712
5. KTM 4,596
4. Kawasaki 7,103
3. Suzuki 11,393
2. Yamaha 22,742
1. Honda 25,498

poor show by Kwaka in the bike area....I reckon

It'll take a couple years for sales to pick up...
they really need to work on their attendance at events, etc.. IMO

It can't be just racing that's causing a lack in sales.. It has to be an overal presence in marketing, merchandising, etc.


That's my 2c.

I think kwika should nab Mick now he isnt working for HRC anymore.
A few add campaigns with Mr Doohan fanging a ZX10 around PI should do it.
That has to be a big reason that Hon..Hon.. those bikes sell so well.
that and get the posties on zx6's

lets face it fellas if you don't win races and no one can ride your premium bike (zx10r) you won't sell jack shit. As good as the 03/04 zx636r was, its too hard for the road and the same goes for the zx10r its too much bike compared to the new R1 and Blades. I guess we can take solace in the fact that we collectively are not your average sportbike riders
kudos rules
Seanzx7r

kawaka isnt doing too well.

I think thats better then last year isnt it Ian ?, percentage wise ?. I think Kwika's on the way back to its glory days with the release of some damn reliable envelope pushing designs. Agreed the need to spend more coinage on Promos etc but hey I dont want Kwika to be Number 1 if it means riding boring n soul less scoots like Rhonda make.
Cheers Brett

Lets hope Nakkers can kick some ass this year... That should help...

Well thats sad, Kawasaki has the top sportsbikes in the 600 and open class but still can't get the sales... I'd probly agree the 600 was too hard edged for the road as most 600 riders are looking for a compromise but saying the zx10 is too much bike for the road isn't right, they all are.!!
They said that about the first blade, the first R1 and the first gixxer 1000, then they all become better and harder edged...
Hopefully this years 636 will sort that class out and now the 10 has been around for a year ppl won't be suspect of a brand new model, which I think was 1/2 the problem. There seemed to be a lot of ppl who didn't want to take a chance on the 10 as Kawi hadn't built something like that before and wasn't doing well on the track....

I think the sales % have dropped since last year as Kawi was a lot closer to Suzuki last year..

With all the good publicity coming from KSRC the sales can only grow..

Is it possible that its a looks thing?

All the other manufacturers tend to go for similar or safer designs compare to kwika.

icebreaker wrote:It'll take a couple years for sales to pick up...
they really need to work on their attendance at events, etc.. IMO

It can't be just racing that's causing a lack in sales.. It has to be an overal presence in marketing, merchandising, etc.

Geezus I'm agreeing with Dan...lol

BUT, I reckon the GP is the main bike show off as compared to supers etc.

We need saturation marketing wise. and ppl like us riding around proud of what we ride.

cheers

It might be the main.. But it's the true fans and possibly more likely to buy type people, that get to the smaller events as well.. Alot attend the GP because it's a big once a year thing, like the melbourne GP. There are a hell of alot of people who attend, who aren't as serious about riding as others that go following the smaller known events, I recon.

moral of what i'm getting at is, more people who don't and won't ride will go to the GP than the other 2 main events during a calander yeah..

ie the avid race fan wanting to take his kids, or just looking at the weekend as a weekend to get blind... Just look at how many Bikers you get at the GP.. Can't see them going out and buying a road bike any time soon, their their for the racing.

Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday!!!

I think it is all about racing, look at the publicity Rossi had with Honda!!

All people heard was Rossi is on a Honda, ordinary arm chair sportsman who knows nothing about bikes knows who Valentino Rossi is "Oh well if Rossi is on a Honda I am going to buy one if I am ever in the market"

I think it has a profound effect.

They need a big name who wins full stop to lift the level and awareness of the brand.

Winning Masterbike hasnt done anything for the 10 or 6.

Havent ridden a 10 but owning a Blue 636 I don't care which way you cut it, it was/is the most impracticle bike for the road. Your back hurts, your nuts get crunched and your wrists kill ( despite how much I masturbate the wrists just wouldnt hold up ) but by God I loved the thing. Saying that I would never buy one again as it was just down right uncomfortable.

I think that is why most of the 03/04 6R's you see for sale are selling for ridiculously low prices, you know there is a problem when the bike for most of its shelf life was selling for 12990 ride away.

Just my 2 cents and by no means am I "dissin" the ZX6R owners on here as they are a very capable track bike.

Pontikat wrote:I think thats better then last year isnt it Ian ?, percentage wise ?. I think Kwika's on the way back to its glory days with the release of some damn reliable envelope pushing designs. Agreed the need to spend more coinage on Promos etc but hey I dont want Kwika to be Number 1 if it means riding boring n soul less scoots like Rhonda make.
Cheers Brett

Brett
yeah mate..from memory better!
but still not on the scoreboard with some of the better models..
ZX6 Zx10r Z750
As I see it-
the rave is ..the Gixxer (600 750 1000 take ya pick) is better
than the Blade the VFR the R1 the R6
hey WHADDABOUT the green machine?? did you forget them?
and
that seems to be ½ the problem!
the press don't get it, Kwaka Aust don't get it
(tell me just how good was the Kwaka display at MotoGP? )

you tell ppl you ride and they say what?
you say Kawasaki and they go.......oh
NOT... nice bike, nice ride or cool

a rocket up the arse of the Kwaka marketing ppl would be a start

cheers

uh, is it just me......
i think it's great that no one else rides kwaks. that the "average joe" doesn't want a kwak. that no one can handle a 10R.... go get the honda that any numbnuts can ride..... (i know, not actually true)
ANYWAY....
these are REAL bikes that we LOVE! i like being original as much as can be (ie: i don't ride a duck or tornado) anyway, i really am glad that we are the niche market that only gets catered to by ONE company that is good enough for us real riders......
well, that's my take on it. yeah, i know sales would help kwaks R&D, and therefore better bikes etc etc.... eh, whatever.... i love my bike, i don't care if anyone other single solitary DH out there does or not......
can i get an amen my brother?

amen to that.....

and that is sumfing I learnt with my 1st real road bike ..a MachIII
ppl thought I was very antisocial with a bike like that
fast, noisy (indeed very noisy) and very non-environmental
the bike smoked more than i did.....