Anyone know why??

[bumlbe]

Anyone know why Honda doesn't build their own trikes? Seems like it would be a good business decision.

At a local Goldwing event this past weekend there were 41 Goldwings, 19 of them were trikes.

Is there any truth to the story that Honda can't build trikes after a lawsuit. This lawsuit was a result of building the 3 wheeled ATV's several years ago that caused several people to get injured, many of them children.

 

[patriot]

Anyone know why Honda doesn't build their own trikes? Seems like it would be a good business decision.

At a local Goldwing event this past weekend there were 41 Goldwings, 19 of them were trikes.

Is there any truth to the story that Honda can't build trikes after a lawsuit. This lawsuit was a result of building the 3 wheeled ATV's several years ago that caused several people to get injured, many of them children.

I've heard that's the case. However, isn't there ways to get around Business opportunities. Could they contract out like HD did with Lehman. They would not actually build it, but I'm sure selling it in he dealerships would be the catch. All I know is our Goldwing Road Riders Association is about 50/50 bikes/ trikes. Of course, you build a trike from ground up, you are now locked into one style.

 

[rhino 2]

I Don't/cant believe Honda's problems with their ATC's have anything to do with them not making Trikes, I had 3 big reds there is no way you can compare them to a street trike.. Entirely different machines I think they missed the boat on making trikes, Because For one thing the recession knocked the wind out of their sails / sales.
And like Harley missed the boat on Reverse trikes. I'm willing to bet they thought Cam Am would fall on their face,!

 

[Lunchbox1983]

All I know is if Honda will come out with an Automatic Transimission triked Goldwing I am all over it stand in line cash in hand.

Other than that I would accept an automatic 2 wheel wing that i could have converted to a Roadsmith.

 

[easymoney]

i see a lot of used gold wing trikes on ebay. i wonder why so many for sale? is it that the folks that can afford a new gold wing wants the newest and best so after a year or two they are ready to trade for a new one? i am the kind of person that does not want to wait for things so if i wanted a gold wing i would probably buy used and be ready to ride now rather than wait for one to be built.

 

[cscsonny]

I read an article in a motorcycle magazine interview with a top guy from Honda.
The issue(lawsuit) over the 3-wheel ATV to them is history and in no way has anything to do with building a Gold Wing trike.
Honda's main product interest is not with the Gold Wing line and in fact is the lowest selling product of Honda motorcycles,ATV's,UTV's,and everything else they manufacture.
To them the Gold Wing is not their money maker and at one time considered dropping the Gold Wing due to low sales.A rumor that was going around for a long time in Gold Wing groups.Their main sales direction is aimed at the mulitude of other products the sell.
Just what I read,not my opinion.
In a way,it's kinda smart on Honda's part,that if we buy a 2-wheel Wing and convert it to a trike,they don't have to worry about being liable for it anymore,as some of trike owners have found out.

 

[patriot]

In a way,it's kinda smart on Honda's part,that if we buy a 2-wheel Wing and convert it to a trike,they don't have to worry about being liable for it anymore,as some of trike owners have found out.

Why don't they just go out of business so they are not liable for anything. That just doesn't make sense.

 

[Stephen]

I heard Honda was going to sell off all the Goldwings and use that money to buy up all the Dairy Queens worldwide so they could become king. :laugh:

 

[Memnoch451]

Honda is a huge Company! Motorcycles are a small part and the Goldwing an even smaller part of that business. If they don't sell one more Goldwing ever they will still be a huge company. Harley needs to sell trikes and it adds to their bottom line. Therefore they sell trikes and are trying to get as much of that market as they can.

Yes Honda did have a law suit of a few deaths from people riding their ATV three wheeler's... Ford got sues for the pinto, Chevy for the paint on theirs trucks and Hyundai for a reed valve failure back in the 80's...All of these companies still sell cars...

So, the bottom line is Honda is just not interested in building trikes as it would not generate demand for enough units to make the kind of money they would like to see for their investment.

Over one million Gold Wings were made at the Marysville Motorcycle Plant in Marysville, Ohio from 1979 until 2009, when motorcycle production there was halted.[2] Honda says that before the plant closed, sufficient 2010 model year Goldwings were produced to meet demand until production resumes in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan in 2011, when 2012 model year motorcycles will be produced using tooling transported from the old plant.[3] The 2011 model year was not produced.

Not enough demand for GW so why build a trike???? :Shrug:

 

[John Luciano]

From a Honda dealer " I don't put Gold wings on the floor , 2 take the room of 7 or 8 dirt bikes. ( that was before trikes. Or BT ) the reason was the dirt bikes break and we sell a lot of parts, kids ride them and dads are in here ever Mon buying parts cuz the kids want to ride. Goldwings do not break once they sell it, not a big profit margine, the customer never comes back" So double that reason for why 2 trikes are not on the floor. If Harley sold small dirt bikes ,trike would be scarce on their floor plan too.

 

[Memnoch451]

From a Honda dealer " I don't put Gold wings on the floor , 2 take the room of 7 or 8 dirt bikes. ( that was before trikes. Or BT ) the reason was the dirt bikes break and we sell a lot of parts, kids ride them and dads are in here ever Mon buying parts cuz the kids want to ride. Goldwings do not break once they sell it, not a big profit margine, the customer never comes back" So double that reason for why 2 trikes are not on the floor. If Harley sold small dirt bikes ,trike would be scarce on their floor plan too.

Couldn't agree with you opinion more... ThumbUp