Honda releases Special Edition CB400

For Japan only.

Did you just curse under your breath?

The special edition gets the HRC-ish colors, red frame treatment, and optional upper fairing. Looks like they're going gold with wheel / brake / suspension components across the line, too.

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Motorcyclists make me tired.

Every time something appears that won't be imported here, there is an outcry that we never get anything cool, and that people would open their wallets and their hearts if only those dumbasses at (fill in the company) would wake the fuck up.

Then when it shows up, it's too heavy or too expensive or too small, or doesn't have some esoteric feature like ABS desmodromic valve stems or traction controlled turn signals.

No one bought the CB599 , which is a best seller overseas. Why should they send this? One can only hope enough CBR250s and Ninja 250s will get sold that the industry doesn't just blow away when we get to old to ride anymore.

No one's buying the NT650. Not enough people are buying the VFR. (Vifferisti are the worst at this, by the way) Few people are splashing out for the sport-abs versions of the big CBRs. Suzuki had so much inventory over here they didn't even make new bikes for 2010. Now when they update the gixxers, people don't like the available colors, or the shape of the exhaust. Like you can't change that. Or bemoan the fact that it doesn't have as much horsepower as the ZX10, as if you can use that.

MY favorite trend is the 200hp bike that has electronics that limit it to street conditions, which is about 45 HP.

We're lucky they send anything over here but Civics.

Excuse me now, I have to go to my local "stealer", try on a bunch of shit, and then go home and order it on line.

All I want to know is, are you using your debit card or credit card?

On a more serious note, how much marketing is done to push the lower end models in the states? They push sportbikes and the push cruisers. How many dealerships *aren't* willing to sell a first time buyer a literbike instead of directing them towards something sensible? The only reason the small bikes are successful overseas is because of cost of ownership and tiered licensing. I'm not saying they'd sell a million of them, but it'd be nice to have them as a niche.

How much marketing money do you think these guys have? They try to direct it to the most profitable models, or whatever is sexiest and most likely to get people into the dealerships. Then it's up to the sales staff. Marketing a mini-Ninja hasn't, can't, and won't work. It hits no hot buttons.

Marketing and promoting a monster like the ZX-10 might get kids into the store just to sit on it, and that's the opportunity to get them on an affordable model with the same styling cues. (If they can prove it will wheelie.)

I wouldn't be surprised if their margin was smaller on something like a ZX-10. Material cost probably isn't too much different but R&D gets expensive, especially when they re-do it every couple of years. The CB400 is more than paid for, they could sell 20 of them and each one would be for profit.

There has to be a flagship, something that establishes the brand and appeals to the marketing targets of sex, danger and death. If the unobtainable older sister isn't gorgeous, no one is going to feel good about hanging out with the younger one who looks kinda similar, just to be able to hang around at Thanksgiving, if I can stretch a metaphor.

No disagreement there. Can't lock the younger sister in the basement, either. The CBR250R is a step in the right direction for sure.