Proof Honda Has Eyes For Motogp Only

If this isn't proof that Honda has completely forgotten about everything that isn't Japan market and MotoGP, then I don't know what is.

http://www.crash.net...bk-in-2015.html

Maybe he'll come back to ride the RCV when/if it ever makes it into competition... then he would have the equipment to match his talents

I still find it interesting that Sylvan is moving to Honda after just securing the WSBK title.  I stupidly thought that meant the V4 superbike would be run next year.  I don't understand Honda any more.  I can't count how many people I've met who wanted the V5, and who still want a V4 literbike (Supersport) in their garage.  The local dealership GM even recently told me "They don't listen to their customers."  Baffling.  Watch Yamaha and that new R1 piss off into the distance on the track and in sales.   It may not have a V4 but it has a motor that fires exactly like one, has all the benefits, the feel, the sound, and the traction out of corners.  I'd love to buy a real V4 but I will certainly take the virtual V4 version that Yamaha produces.  Anything is better than a traditional inline 4.

There's a lot of mileage between want (that's me sometimes) & can afford it !  Many people have convinced many manufacturers over the years to make models that all the research said would sell & they sunk without trace. The problem is the average rider age is getting older & combined with speed cameras have killed the demand for super bikes. To uncomfortable, to expensive. Most youngsters want the latest iPhone, not a terror device between their legs. They'd rather ride MotoGP games than MotoGP bikes. An i6 is much cheaper than any superbike. The people buying Top of the range Ducati's are the same well paid execs that buy flash cars & have the bike as a Garage ornament.

Honda need to make 2000 bikes to run it in WSBK (if the rules have not changed) compared to ducati or other small companies that have to make 200, its easy to sell 200 specials, especially when half go to race teams, its harder to sell 2000 RCV's.

Kawasaki announced pricing for the H2 @ £22K & more for the R, so the RCV would be £30K+ so not to many real riders could afford that & race teams will only suck up a few hundred !  It is rumoured the RC45 was sold for less than cost price, but was still over double the cost of the next highest street bike !

Don't hold your breath, for a production RCV. :sad2:

I still find it interesting that Sylvan is moving to Honda after just securing the WSBK title.  I stupidly thought that meant the V4 superbike would be run next year.  I don't understand Honda any more.  I can't count how many people I've met who wanted the V5, and who still want a V4 literbike (Supersport) in their garage.  The local dealership GM even recently told me "They don't listen to their customers."  Baffling.  Watch Yamaha and that new R1 piss off into the distance on the track and in sales.   It may not have a V4 but it has a motor that fires exactly like one, has all the benefits, the feel, the sound, and the traction out of corners.  I'd love to buy a real V4 but I will certainly take the virtual V4 version that Yamaha produces.  Anything is better than a traditional inline 4.

I agree with you and a lot of companies have this same mentality, even those not in the Motorsports sector. Years ago I used to sell TV's and appliances, this was back in the day when large 35" TVs just came to the market. Mitsubishi Electric had the monopoly on these large CRT tubes so they could basically sell whatever they made, regardless of the look or features, as it was the only 35" TV you could get. That was until Toshida and a few others caught up to ME and started producing large screens (31"+) but they had much different approach. They looked at what was selling asthetics wise and tailored their models to that. Where the public was looking for sleek black, grey or other non wood looking sets you could put into wall cabinets, Mitsubishi was still making large console wood grained TVs. It didn't take long for the sales of Mitsbishi to drop and the other makes surpassing them for them to finally decide to make what the public was asking for.

Similarly, the company I worked for had a competitor that was making a less featured system, that were not only affordable but we're easy to install and maintain, just not feature rich, perfect for the K-12 market. When we (technical dudes) brought this to their (upper management) attention, they blew it off as a cheap solution that wasn't in the market they wanted to be in. That's fair, but this is what happened. These smaller systems were being put into 100's of classrooms and they were getting such a foothold that the dealers were starting to use the other company's products for ALL of their other systems, particularly the systems where the company I worked for had their market share. Once they saw that they were losing their foothold they started to look into building these smaller type systems but now had a long road to go in order to catch up!

Basically, it seems the only way these companies change their mode of thinking is by loss of sales or market share.

Honda need to make 2000 bikes to run it in WSBK (if the rules have not changed) compared to ducati or other small companies that have to make 200, its easy to sell 200 specials, especially when half go to race teams, its harder to sell 2000 RCV's.

Nope, it was only 1000 (according to this crash.net article, anyway... this was my first year following WSBK)

FIM rules for WSBK Homologation were changed for this previous season, mainly so Bimota could compete.  The new rules for 2014:

As such, the FIM has approved the following homologation changes: 

- The minimum number of units to start the homologation procedure will be 125. 

- At the end of the first year of participation, manufacturers will have to reach 250 units. 

- At the end of the second year of participation, manufacturers will have to reach 1000 units.

Source:  http://www.crash.net...egulations.html

So if a manufacturer wins the 1st season but ends that year's production on 249, will they be stripped of the trophy?Or if they did build 250, but in the 2nd year reach 999 or pull out of the competition, will must they give up last years's trophy and give it to last year's runner up??  :unsure:

If this isn't proof that Honda has completely forgotten about everything that isn't Japan market and MotoGP, then I don't know what is.

He is definately one of the best riders out there but still without a championship. Sylvain is the current WSBK champion and his team mate Mickey vd Mark has two championships (superstock & supersport) so definately talented. Of course I hope my fellow Dutchman will do well in WSBK riding for the Dutch Ten Kate team :wheel:
 

FIM rules for WSBK Homologation were changed for this previous season, mainly so Bimota could compete.  The new rules for 2014:

I wonder if the rules will change for 2015 to accomodate the increased volume of the 2015 Panigale engine.

So if a manufacturer wins the 1st season but ends that year's production on 249, will they be stripped of the trophy?Or if they did build 250, but in the 2nd year reach 999 or pull out of the competition, will must they give up last years's trophy and give it to last year's runner up??  :unsure:

Bimota had to withdraw from the championship before the end because they were not going to make the standard before the end of the season.

In your hypothetical situations, they would never be presented the trophy in the first place, and no the following years failure to meet homologation would not effect their previous years standings.  That having been said, chances in 2014 were pretty slim that anyone struggling to meet homologation standards was going to win a championship.  In 2015, with the half-evo/half-prototype unified field.... maybe!