| Author | Message | ||
     Ft_bstrd |
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| Ustorque |
Thanks Fatty! Some great stuff...... | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
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| Jaimec |
Low maintenance is good, but I question why they didn't go with a shaft drive, considering the engine layout. Also, the mere fact that it uses carbon fiber instead of ABS plastic or fibreglass tells you this is going to be a boutique-priced bike and NOT for the mass market. | ||
| Glitch |
Ya gotta start somewhere. What motorcycle manufacturer started with a bike in mass quantities, for the masses? | ||
| Larryjohn |
Honda? | ||
| Glitch |
Honda did get there quickly but started out with a small engine that you bought and bolted on a bicycle. They didn't start with a full blown motorcycle, IMHO far from it, but they did evolve, and quickly so, after the introduction of the Cub. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The issue is that ANY manufacturer seeking to enter the game MUST enter at the very top levels or go home. How many folks are talking about buying a Hyosung "built for the masses"? The person who would buy this bike are similar to those who would have bought one of the original Buells. They want a unique experience not offered by mass produced machines. Their goal is to keep it as affordable as possible. They are shooting for the high end of the BMW RT market. Economies of scale will provide affordability. You can't reach economies of scale overnight. That's the hard part. | ||
| Blake |
>>> The issue is that ANY manufacturer seeking to enter the game MUST enter at the very top levels or go home. I'm not so sure about that. It seems that the start tiny and grow approach is still a viable path to market share. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
If the goal is to produce a touring motorcycle, I don't think a pit bike is going to get you there. | ||
| Glitch |
Ya gotta start somewhere. Also, it's according to what the end goal is. If you want to make bikes that race and win, odds are you're not going to build a lot of race bikes that the masses can afford. It seems to me Erik wants to build a bike that wins, so he's starting out with a bike that has that potential, albeit expensive, and in small numbers. I'm sure he'd like to build 10,000, but who has the money to take that kind of risk? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Erik Buell Racing's goal is to race. The bike produced is the bike Erik wants to race made street legal in quantities to homologate. He's pursuing the "Race on Sunday sell on Monday" strategy. If your goal ISN'T to race but to produce a specific kind of motorcycle, you have to target the buyers of competitor's products (unless you plan to create a completely different genre of motorcycle and create a new market). The buyer of a high end touring bike isn't going to be interested in an entry quality, built for the masses, touring product. Investors are also a concern. Investors aren't going to supply capital for mass production in the first tranche. You are going to get low volume numbers as proof of concept. Then you secure second and third rounds of funding expanding your process and production as you go. With each expansion, you secure parts contracts with lower and lower price points per part unit. Those savings are passed on in the price. | ||
| Blake |
>>> If the goal is to produce a touring motorcycle, I don't think a pit bike is going to get you there. It worked for Aprilia. | ||
| Rex |
with a cool motor like the motus, I think you should highlight it more.... a naked hot rod would look good too. | ||
| Rex |
after seeing the video, you can see the motor on each side. not too bad. I wish them the best. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
It worked for Aprilia. No it didn't. Aprilia did what Honda and others did and started out strapping 50cc motors to bicycles in 1968. Were there a vibrant market for 2-Stroke bicycles in the US, I'd say that it would be a great strategy for Motus. In 20 years, they can produce a 250cc bike and in 30 years a 1000cc bike. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
The motor is 18" across from head to head. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
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| 2kx1 |
A BMW K1600gt will be 20,900. A BMW K1600gtl will be 23,200. I believe the Motus will be priced around the same. I think they should try to do a few of the Iron Butt events. That would be an excellent way to advertise. | ||
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| Buellkowski |
Reminds me of the Morbidelli @ the Barber museum... | ||
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| Blake |
>>> No it didn't. Yes, it did.  | ||
| 2kx1 |
If it is sub 20k it will sell. |
