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Low volume of 2016 nc700x in dealerships?

Through research, mostly talking to the dealers, I found that Honda put a decent amount of 2014's out for stock in the U.S. but sales slumped that year. They put out less stock in 2015, which was also a tank year for them. So many dealers were stuck with those years models and are still trying to unload them. So 2016, Honda decided to put out even less stock since they were expecting sales to be just a poor. Probably the main reason that the NC700 series is still being sold in the US is because its still a decent seller in the UK, Australian and Asian markets. Unfortunately this meant that buyers like me had to REALLY want an NC700X and do a lot of leg work to find one.

Personally, I literally went to 10 dealers in and around the Chicago area. Almost all had the 2014, most also had the 2015. Every single dealers told me they wouldn't be expecting a 2016 but I could order one if I put down a deposit. But I didn't want a promise, I wanted to see the bike. I searched the Internet and some dealer sites said they had them in stock, only to find out that they could order one. I found three verified bikes at dealers in other states; IN, WI & MI. I went to IN and saw the bike, put down a deposit and had it shipped to my house. Been riding it ever since.
 
When I bought mine in September (2016 750x DCT) the dealer told me I was getting the very last one from Honda Switzerland. The guy I bought from is a very small, local dealer (former Swiss motor bike champ) who keeps very little inventory himself, and simply orders straight from Honda whenever he has a buyer. Delivery time was less than a week. There were other dealers who had inventory (the local internet platform shows there are about 8 others for sale, new or low mileage demos), but I wanted to buy from the local guy for service reasons.
 
[...It's quite possible Honda didn't switch to the 750 motor in the US just so it would be easier for dealers to clear out old inventory...If the price of fuel jumps, demand will probably rise accordingly...]

Having the 750 as a 2017 model would negatively effect sales of the 700s but perhaps more importantly, there is a EPA certification cost for each "motorcycle Family" (using the same engine) so the 750 couldn't be on the same paperwork as the 700. There are several different models using the NC700 engine and they are all bundled on the same paperwork. At least to me, the additional costs of certifying the 750 would NOT be offset by its sales numbers.

It is my belief that people don't buy motorcycle to save gas. If that were true, everyone would be riding 80cc scooters!
 
I bought a 2015 in 2016. It was the only dct model anywhere nearby. It was a Honda only dealer. When I went in for the 4K work there was one dct and one non dct on the floor, as well as one of the cruiser style non dct.

A closer dealer that carries several Japanese brands has never had one.

The Honda dealer did have two Africa twins, one dct and one standard, and one 1200 crosstourer dct, which I rode and liked.
 
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My own feeling is in the USA the 500s take a lot of what may have been 700 buyers. The 500 makes more or less the same horsepower as the 700 and revs up higher - though 47 hp and 8500 rpm is hardly pulse pounding. Add that it is cheaper to buy and there you go. During the 2012 and 2013 model years the 700 occupied the center of the showroom for middleweight standards then the trio of 500s arrived. In the UK and Europe the 500/750 buyer gap is wider as the 700/750s make more hp than the 500s which sell specifically to a novice-licensed group of riders restricted to 47 hp motorcycles. In the EC the NC700/750 has been a top selling model for Honda for 5 years running.

I opine that sales to some degree depend on the mindset of the sales staff. The dealer I hang out at can and does sell NC700Xs and CTX700s. They usually have one manual and one DCT700 on the sales floor and move 1 or 2 NCs a month and more CTXs....not many compared to 300s, 500s, and cruisers but the 700s don't gather dust in the corner, ignored by the sales staff and customers.
 
I think in the US motorcycles are definitely more of a luxury than a necessity. The dealers all seem to push a specific brand and model. When I went to buy my bike I was dead set on a BMW F800gt but nobody had one and they weren't keen on trying to get one. They wanted to sell GS models or the r1200 or the KT.

The NC700 fits a particular niche, but I think in the US it's hard to market to that niche.


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[dduelin: I opine that sales to some degree depend on the mindset of the sales staff...]

+1 on that because an indifferent sales mindset has killed more than one good bike and mostly because they didn't care for its looks.

We don't have too much of it anymore because of the greatly reduced production numbers but for a long time, manufacturers offered special perks to dealers for selling a certain model so a salesperson wanting to make more money would steer every customer towards that bike.
 
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My local dealer has less than 10 bikes on the floor...........but..........has 500 ATVs and Side by Sides in stock. So with that information you might concluded Honda is getting out of the motorcycle business.:D:D:D
 
When I bought mine last spring, the dealer had a 2014 and a 2015 (both red) on the floor. I bought the 2014 because it was way way cheaper. That same dealer had a another come and go over the summer too, but the last time I was there one was still on the floor.
 
showkey said:
My local dealer has less than 10 bikes on the floor...........but..........has 500 ATVs and Side by Sides in stock. So with that information you might concluded Honda is getting out of the motorcycle business.:D:D:D
Click to expand...
Lots of truthiness to that. S X S and ATVs USA sales are expanding and Honda is midway through a 10 year plan to crowd Bombadier for #1 market share in USA market share. Motorcycle sales are not expected to grow very much as current riders continue to age and few new riders enter the community..... they are just trying to hang onto the status quo.

American Honda and dealers make a huge margin on S X S's that have aftermarket accessories piled on top of MSRP. The Pioneer 1000 decked out with everything including a tootle horn gets close to $20,000 or $4500 over MSRP plus they have a steering wheel. (Anybody can drive one and they do not intimidate like a motorcycle or even a handlebar - steered ATV)

Floor plans are expensive and should to be stocked with what sells. My dealer is about 50/50 motorcycles/ATV SxS inventory.
 
SxS are also an alternative to expensive short-wheelbase jeeps.

some motorcyclists need prestige machines, some think they need machines that can go 60 or 80 mph over the speed limit, some think they need ones that are way lighter, etc. some would like the fuel economy (and the frunk) but they were unaware of all this because of dealerships not doing much with the NC, or because their attention span was drawn elsewhere or is short ; }
 
what-evah...

I do want to thank the people who bought NCs and made this forum viable, because when I was looking for a second motorcycle the posts here often came up in my searches. This helped!
 
My local dealer usually has one on the floor. The one i purchased sat there quite awhile. As i was admiring the Africa Twins i asked why they didn't have the vfr1200...his response was that no one had asked.for one.
 
drdubb said:
My local dealer usually has one on the floor. The one i purchased sat there quite awhile. As i was admiring the Africa Twins i asked why they didn't have the vfr1200...his response was that no one had asked.for one.
Click to expand...
.

Yup.....and believe it or not some dealers did not order Africa Twins. They are all independent business men and able to pick and choose what they sell and stock. I personally have my eye on the VFR1200x :D
 
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