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The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Motorcycle niche marketing

By Paul Crowe

Toyota is about to launch a marketing campaign to promote its Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. Toyota’s thinking seems to be that they have a lead in the public’s mind when it comes to hybrids so market like crazy before the competition catches up. When you think hybrid, they want the name Toyota to pop up in your brain. That seems like pretty decent marketing to me.

Is there a comparable niche marketing strategy available to motorcycle companies? Every category of the motorcycle market has multiple offerings and there isn’t yet any really new technology out there so where could they go? Harley Davidson pushes the Harley lifestyle pretty hard with carefully composed images of Harley riders in all sorts of photogenic locations. Buy a Harley and you , too, can live that life. They sell the lifestyle more than the bikes and it seems to work for them to some degree. But who else has a strong enough connection to any particular branch of motorcycling or motorcycle technology that would enable them to pull away from the crowd?

There are a lot of small companies building choppers and catering to their particular brand of customer but in the Toyota example, they’re going for big market share with a very big niche. My first thoughts: Honda could try to get the touring market with the Goldwing and craft a campaign so motorcycle touring and the Goldwing would just be the natural connection. They probably have a pretty good jump in that area now so it makes sense. Kawasaki has often been the horsepower leader, even when they didn’t win in the handling department and the ZX-14 seems to be another push to re-establish supremacy there. Maybe they could run with that. Is there a large niche in the motorcycle market that can be exploited? Who would do it? Any ideas?

Posted on September 23, 2005 Filed Under: Motorcycle Business


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Comments

  1. aaron says

    September 23, 2005 at 6:08 pm

    the v-max and power cruisers. (if yamaha ever sees the light and gives us a new one)

    honda and daring, innovative designs (if we return to the days of limited run exotica like the cb1100r, vfr1000, rc30, rc45, nr750, the wonderful CBX and the original cb750- revolutionary in it’s day)
    the rumoured v5 could do that. (but with motogp likely running HRC triples in 2007, who knows if honda will try the V5 now)

    bmw and touring (though the ‘wing owns this catagory now) – fast touring maybe? the new designs give credibility to this. the gs owns the adventure touring market. (now big enough that harley-owned buell is throwing their hat in the ring)

    kaw and power,speed. i think the zx-14 will lose the horsepower war now that a production b-king 600 has been spotted and the 1500 will likely follow, but top speed (and the fastest quarter mile) will go to these guys with a tweak of the electrics

    boss hoss and over the top silliness. (marine turbine, too – maybe mr turbo)

  2. Doug says

    September 27, 2005 at 11:40 am

    smaller bikes could be on their way back in a big way for a few reasons:

    1. baby boomers are getting older and will want to ride but not their 700+ pound Harley. BMW should build a retro boxer with the 30’s – era styling. Those old beemers have gobs of timeless style.

    2. gas prices are not going down & scooters are getting larger….time for another marketing plan like, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” to tap into another set of new buyers. Why buy a large scooter when you can have the real thing with more style? Would automatic drive be necessary to help the new rider with that decision?

    3. single-cylinder sport-bikes using thumpers or Aprilia 450cc or 550 cc v-twin. Can’t wait for those.

  3. Doug says

    September 29, 2005 at 3:04 am

    I would love to see the 30’s era beemer done authentically but with a modern boxer and other materials while keeping true to the vintage look.

    do the whole nine yards….accessorize with bags, sidecar rigs, vintage clothing, goggles, boots, etc.

    BMW could cover a lot of consumer ground since they are also stepping up the performance image across their line. It would be a kick to see them add the MOST authentic/genuine retro build in all of the motorcycling & automotive industries while at the same time improving their sporting image.

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