Just found this in today's "The Nation" business section: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02 ... 064970.php
Yamaha big bikes
- Thread starter Franz
- Start date
500 units of new bikes probably and a couple of thousand grey imports , the importers i used to deal with brought in 400+ bikes a year alone and he was only one of about a dozen local importers .
jerry
i
jerry
i
grey imports will always be around.. cheaper used low mile bikes and flexible look at UK for example.
I went to the opening party behind Esplanade, nice shop they had there, 2 floors. A bit expensive though, around 3000 for a Yamaha t-shirt etc.
It the mentioned article in the papers, the manager (i think) of the Yamaha shop in Ratchada estimated that registered big bikes (400cc up) in Thailand are about 8000 bikes. In the club i ride with here in Bangkok, not many has a legal plate on the bike. I would say maybe 10% of the guys who show up at the bike meetings have a legal reg. That would make it much more that 8000 big bikes out there on the roads.
I'm more into thinking that the total amount of big bikes would be maybe 8-10000 in Thailand, with or without reg. Or is it far more?
Brgs,
Tom
It the mentioned article in the papers, the manager (i think) of the Yamaha shop in Ratchada estimated that registered big bikes (400cc up) in Thailand are about 8000 bikes. In the club i ride with here in Bangkok, not many has a legal plate on the bike. I would say maybe 10% of the guys who show up at the bike meetings have a legal reg. That would make it much more that 8000 big bikes out there on the roads.
I'm more into thinking that the total amount of big bikes would be maybe 8-10000 in Thailand, with or without reg. Or is it far more?
Brgs,
Tom
there are around 3000+ HDs in thailand alone, must be around 600+ BMWs Ducati have sold 228 new bikes in 5 years not including grey import ducatis.
I would say there are at least 10,000 big bikes around.
I would say there are at least 10,000 big bikes around.
Ray, the phone number for Yamaha in Bangkok is 02-6104555.
Kindly supplied by Tropical John previously,the dealer in Chiang Mai is:
Charoen Motor Chiangmai
Office: 053 218 555 and 053 213 292
Fax: 053 213 292
Sales Reps:
Kittiphop 089 758 9876
Bunnak 083 471 0336
http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:A84 ... d=14&gl=au
There is also one in Korat where I will be buying one from towards the end of the year, I still have to find the phone number for them.
Kindly supplied by Tropical John previously,the dealer in Chiang Mai is:
Charoen Motor Chiangmai
Office: 053 218 555 and 053 213 292
Fax: 053 213 292
Sales Reps:
Kittiphop 089 758 9876
Bunnak 083 471 0336
http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:A84 ... d=14&gl=au
There is also one in Korat where I will be buying one from towards the end of the year, I still have to find the phone number for them.
Selling bikes in Thailand or anywhere is about profits - bet you'd never guessed that! 
With those low numbers of existing big bikes in TH there's no reason for the the BIG FOUR to offer new 750s, 900s, 1100s or even bigger choppers, which sell like hotcakes anywhere else, because they won't make any profit that way.
Honda tested the waters with the CBR150R and the 200 Phantom (I'm not sure if Kawasaki came out first with their 175 Boss) - and there are rumors that the CBR will be discontinued. Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki stayed away - no FZR 150 (even though there's a brand new FZR125 for the europeans), no Ninja 150 or 175 to best Honda. They looked at the numbers and decided not to bring in any small sport bikes.
Kawasaki has the 250 Ninja but it's not available here, for above reasons.
So if there's no interest in small sport bikes, why should they bring in a big one, leave alone several models to choose from?
With those low numbers of existing big bikes in TH there's no reason for the the BIG FOUR to offer new 750s, 900s, 1100s or even bigger choppers, which sell like hotcakes anywhere else, because they won't make any profit that way.
Honda tested the waters with the CBR150R and the 200 Phantom (I'm not sure if Kawasaki came out first with their 175 Boss) - and there are rumors that the CBR will be discontinued. Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki stayed away - no FZR 150 (even though there's a brand new FZR125 for the europeans), no Ninja 150 or 175 to best Honda. They looked at the numbers and decided not to bring in any small sport bikes.
Kawasaki has the 250 Ninja but it's not available here, for above reasons.
So if there's no interest in small sport bikes, why should they bring in a big one, leave alone several models to choose from?
I have notoced of late most of the bikes in the shops here in Udon seem to be sports tourIng bikes. So that must be the real market, but an order is a guarenteed sale, so maybe if not then I will buy one from the guy here in Udon. But no hurry.
I like the sports touring bikes but the seating postion is all wrong for my back. I have to stretch the legs out and I have to be able to move my feet around or I wont make 50 Klms.
So it the road bikes for me.
Keep us up on the Yamaha shop in Udon, Harlye has a rep here now, but I'm not ready to part with a million plus for a bike.
I like the sports touring bikes but the seating postion is all wrong for my back. I have to stretch the legs out and I have to be able to move my feet around or I wont make 50 Klms.
So it the road bikes for me.
Keep us up on the Yamaha shop in Udon, Harlye has a rep here now, but I'm not ready to part with a million plus for a bike.
Ray, I am the same as you in that I can't ride sports bike anymore with my back. The most comfortable seating position on a bike I ever had was a V-Max but it was an evil handling pig of a thing at high speed and the fuel tank was tiny. Why Yamaha never put that V-Boost system on more bikes I will never know, it was a hoot. When I heard there was a Harley dealership in Udon I thought about buying one, being relatively close to me. Then I heard where it was, what a bunch of clowns.
Well if you really want one, I would contact the guys in Bangkok do the business with them and have it delivered to Udon.
In talking with them the plan at this pioint is if you need the bike worked on they will fly thier mechanics to Udon and do the work.
The used bikes they have here are very close to the new bike prices from the dealer in Bangkok.
They sure are a lot of money, no doubt about it
In talking with them the plan at this pioint is if you need the bike worked on they will fly thier mechanics to Udon and do the work.
The used bikes they have here are very close to the new bike prices from the dealer in Bangkok.
They sure are a lot of money, no doubt about it