Honda Usa 2016 - A 1000cc Adv Twin @ 450lbs?

[pressureangle]

H-D could easily do this; they have way more capacity to build sportsters than they can sell. But it could never compete; too heavy.

They do look outside the box, though. I rode the Livewire electric, and it's absolutely magnificent. Acknowledging it's test-only parameters of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umvg2Qj4ooA

[Tobit]

Rebirth of Hodaka!  Thunder Hog!

 ;-T

[biking sailor]

Yup, my new GS is 125bhp at the crank and 116bhp at the rear wheel (MCN dyno).  

Wow, only about a 7% drop from claimed crank to rear wheel is quite impressive, especially running through a drive shaft!  What kind of fuel mileage are the new WC's getting (real world)?

[Bill929]

Wow, only about a 7% drop from claimed crank to rear wheel is quite impressive, especially running through a drive shaft!  What kind of fuel mileage are the new WC's getting (real world)?

I was pretty surprised to see that small a drop as well, but MCN is usually spot on.  Their exact rear wheel hp number is 115.65 @ 8,300 RPM.  Rear wheel torque is impressive too.  From 3,000 RPM on it stays above 70 LB-FT, with a max of 82 LB-FT at 6,600 RPM, so the torque curve is pretty flat.  I spend most of my time between 3-6k RPM. 

At sea level (FL riding) I get 44-46 mpg.  Riding around the back roads of Ashe County, NC (3000-4000 feet above sea level) I am getting 52-55 mpg - which I consider pretty amazing.  I do have a local (NC) source for non-ethanol premium fuel, which certainly doesn't hurt my gas mileage.  Most riders are seeing in mid 40s.    

[ohiorider]

179 BMW GSs in March.  Not the quarter.  By your numbers.

For March 179/1525 = 11.7%

Lets say they sell 179 GSs per month, every month.  That's 2148  units for 12-months.  

Like I said.  Not many bikes if you're wanting someone like Harley to produce a model in a particular niche.  

Rocker, my mistake.  Thanks for correcting it.  However, I believe that was USA only sales.  BMW sold over 110,000 bikes in 2014 (from memory.)  And the GS is still their best seller worldwide.  Suppose 11.7% of worldwide sales were GS?  That'd be very close to 13,000 GS/year

Bob

[LowRyter]

H-D could easily do this; they have way more capacity to build sportsters than they can sell. But it could never compete; too heavy.

They do look outside the box, though. I rode the Livewire electric, and it's absolutely magnificent. Acknowledging it's test-only parameters of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umvg2Qj4ooA

Eric Buell has been there and done that.

[ohiorider]

From a BMW press release from a year or so ago .............. almost 30,000 of one model is, well, not so bad ....  The GS format has been a success for BMW.
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R 1200 GS  - the most successful BMW motorcycle.

The most successful model in 2013 with almost 30,000 vehicles sold was once again the R 1200 GS. Well over 25,000 units are accounted for by the new water-cooled travel enduro, making 2012 the best first sales year of a new model ever to be recorded in the history of BMW Motorrad.

It is followed in second place by the BMW F 800 GS with 10,166 units sold. Third place goes to the F 700 GS, of which 7,155 were sold. Sales of the 1000 cc supersports models S 1000 RR and HP4 were also exceptionally successful. In 2013 just under 6,800 Double R and almost 2,700 HP4 were supplied to customers. In addition to this, the R 1200 RT and the R 1200 GS Adventure likewise achieved excellent sales figures in their last year before the model change. The new mid-range models F 800 GT and F 800 GS Adventure were also well received. Meanwhile the maxi scooters C 650 GT and C 600 Sport as well as the 6- cylinder touring bikes K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL continue to enjoy a high level of popularity.