Yamaha TDM - bring it back to the US!

[Gilo-FZ6]

with stats like that,then no wonder why they dont bother..i guess as a european with all these bikes available im looking at this with rose tinted glasses

 

[Skeezix]

But if there is such a great demand for them, aside from this thread, why aren't they currently being offered? The Big 4 do in depth marketing studies and that market isn't in the US. In Europe, yes, they've been "adventure", Paris-Dakar nuts for 30 years. Not so much in the US; its all cruiser, all day, all the time. Heck HD has something like 50% of the US market, that sums it up right there.

There is consumer demand for the TDM aside from this thread; there just isn't a US-based TDM forum where the opinion is voiced. It may have had it's own forum if the internet was around back in 1991. If you do some Googleing you'll see what I mean. The TDM really has a cult following for those that have owned the '91-'92 model years, and a great deal of interest from those who haven't owned, but want to. Additionally I would argue that if people KNEW about the TDM, they would be interested. I would wager that the adverage 'Joe-Blo' doesn't cruise the Yamaha UK and AU websites drooling over the Euro-only models.

Yamaha USA is very careful with their offerings and I'm not sure why. They are the only remaining Japanese company to NOT offer this type of bike in NA - Kawasaki had the Versys, Suzuki the V-strom series, and Honda has the Varadero in Canada.

 

[Skeezix]

with stats like that,then no wonder why they dont bother..i guess as a european with all these bikes available im looking at this with rose tinted glasses

"Heck HD has something like 50% of the US market, that sums it up right there."


Well, I'm not sure about that. Harley may have 50% of the CRUISER market. Now that I'd believe. If you look at Harley sales for 2008-2009 I'd say it's 50% of the cruiser market - not all US sales.

As a side note look at the Kawasaki Versys - a bike never intended for the US market, but ended up being sold here becasue consumer interest was so high. And a year after it was introduced it won bike-of-the-year! That's a perfect example of how A) companies listen to consumer response, B) a 'Euro' bike doing well in the US market, and C) not only getting great reviews and awards, but proving that this kind of bike can and will do well in the US.

 

[Hellgate]

So I was off a little, for 2008 HD had 35% of the total US street bike market. Too early for '09 numbers but the various large MFGs had similar percentages in slips of sales ~ 30 to 40%, so I'd guess they have a similar market share for '09, albeit much smaller.

2008 total street bikes – 611,133

Motorcycle Sales Statistics - webBikeWorld

2008 HD total sales – 218,939
Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales, shipments and revenues - a knol by Bobbie7

35% of total US Street bike sales

Look at the Japanese MFGs, they have more cruisers than sport/standard bikes so that shows they know what sells in the US.

Don't get me wrong, I like pretty much every catagory of motorcycles; dirt bikes, touring bikes, adventure bikes, even scooters...well except cruisers, hate 'em. All I'm saying there is very little demand for adventure bikes especially in this craptacular economy and Yamaha will not bring an "old" bike back to the US, the land of the newest, latest and greatest.

 

[Skeezix]

So I was off a little, for 2008 HD had 35% of the total US street bike market. Too early for '09 numbers but the various large MFGs had similar percentages in slips of sales ~ 30 to 40%, so I'd guess they have a similar market share for '09, albeit much smaller.

2008 total street bikes – 611,133

Motorcycle Sales Statistics - webBikeWorld

2008 HD total sales – 218,939
Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales, shipments and revenues - a knol by Bobbie7

35% of total US Street bike sales

Look at the Japanese MFGs, they have more cruisers than sport/standard bikes so that shows they know what sells in the US.

Don't get me wrong, I like pretty much every catagory of motorcycles; dirt bikes, touring bikes, adventure bikes, even scooters...well except cruisers, hate 'em. All I'm saying there is very little demand for adventure bikes especially in this craptacular economy and Yamaha will not bring an "old" bike back to the US, the land of the newest, latest and greatest.

How can there be ‘very little demand for adventure bikes’, when there aren’t that many in the US to begin with?? I never said the market for the Strom/TDM was as large as the cruiser or sport bike category. I’m simply saying that more and more manufacturers bring these types of bike to the US, and they sell well. Ducati has the Multistrada, Triumph the Tiger, Suzuki the V-Strom, and Kawasaki the Versys. Benelli has the Tre-K with a 1300cc motor, and they recently announced that they will be making an 899cc version for 2010 sale in the US as well. I think it would be more accurate so say that in the current economy, companies are hesitant to introduce new bikes that are in a small niche than standard cruiser/sport bike sales.

And I’m not sure I’d call the TDM ‘old’. Keep in mind it was only sold here for 2 years. That was 20 years ago. In addition, the TDM has undergone 2 major redesigns since then.

 

[Hellgate]

How can there be ‘very little demand for adventure bikes’, when there aren’t that many in the US to begin with?? I never said the market for the Strom/TDM was as large as the cruiser or sport bike category. I’m simply saying that more and more manufacturers bring these types of bike to the US, and they sell well. Ducati has the Multistrada, Triumph the Tiger, Suzuki the V-Strom, and Kawasaki the Versys. Benelli has the Tre-K with a 1300cc motor, and they recently announced that they will be making an 899cc version for 2010 sale in the US as well. I think it would be more accurate so say that in the current economy, companies are hesitant to introduce new bikes that are in a small niche than standard cruiser/sport bike sales.

And I’m not sure I’d call the TDM ‘old’. Keep in mind it was only sold here for 2 years. That was 20 years ago. In addition, the TDM has undergone 2 major redesigns since then.

I'm not even sure how to respond to this. I'm out.

 

[Skeezix]

Aw c'mon....I'm not trying to hurt your feelings - just trying to make a valid point.