Italian Sales Figures Show Insight into FZ8

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The announcement of the 2010 Yamaha FZ8 left many Americans confused as to why the Japanese company would release a 800cc version of it FZ1 naked streetbike. While Yamaha hasn’t confirmed the FZ8 will be coming to the US in 2010 (all the information to-date has come from Yamaha EU), abroad the battle in the 800cc middleweight slot has become increasingly contentious, and more importantly Yamaha’s presence there surprisingly non-existent.

The Associazione Nazionale Ciclo Motociclo Accessori (ANCMA), which is the Italian equivalent to our Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), has posted some interesting numbers on Italian bike sales. Taking a quick look at the Top 10 (in the Big 1o use of the number), we see three 800cc class motorcycles, and a handful of other bikes that you could consider alternatives to a middleweight naked bike. These bikes account for the fat-end of the tail in sales distribution, i.e. where manufacturers make the most money, but until recently this has been a market segment devoid of the tuning fork brand.

Unlike here in the USA, our European brothers have an inclination for the 750/800cc displacement size, and they are apparently selling very well abroad. There is little dispute that the BMW R1200GS has been the best selling motorcycle in the EU and in the world for some time now. The success of the GS in its various forms even prompted Ducati to chase the older and better monied adventure bike market with its 2010 Ducati Multistrada 1200. But the GS’s dominance seems to be coming to a close, at least in Italy (although other countries in the EU are likely to show similar numbers), and we can already see the rise of the 750/800cc naked class.

Part of the factor is certainly taste, but also consider that insurance abroad isn’t the same as it is here in the US. We Americans pay a pittance compared to our friends across the pond, and the deviation among motorcycle models and premium payment isn’t great. However find yourself in Europe, and you’ll pay handsomely for that litre bike, and you’ll pay out the nose if it is classified as a “sport bike”.

Considering the cheap cost up-front, and much more down to Earth pricing on naked bikes of a smaller displacement, the 800cc market provides a good mixture of performance and affordability to European riders.*For these reasons, it makes the introduction of Yamaha to this market segment a logical choice, and the FZ8 a sure fire hit in the EU, but also these same reasons make the introduction of the FZ8 into the American market unlikely.

Considering the comparatively lower sales of the Ducati Hypermotard 796 and BMW F800R in the US expected for 2010, and the relative affordability of bigger displacement motorcycles, the FZ8 just doesn’t make the same economic sense here in the States.*Yamaha is clearly entering into a hot market for the EU, but it remains to be seen if we’ll see the FZ8 domestically. Time will tell on this one.

Pos. Manufacturer Model Segment Total 001 BMW R 1200 GS Enduro 202 002 KAWASAKI Z 750 Naked 196 003 KAWASAKI Z1000 Naked 167 004 DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 796 Supermotard 127 005 BMW R 1200 GS ADVENTURE Enduro 123 006 HONDA XL 700 V TRANSALP Enduro 118 007 KAWASAKI VERSYS Enduro 117 008 DUCATI M 696 Naked 112 009 KAWASAKI ER-6N Naked 104 010 YAMAHA XJ6-N Naked 97 011 BMW F 800 R Naked 93 012 HONDA CBR 1000 RR Sportive 88 013 YAMAHA YZF-R125 Sportive 88 014 KTM 250 EXC RACING Enduro 85 015 HONDA ITALIA CB 1000 R Naked 82 016 HONDA ITALIA CB 600 F HORNET Naked 81 017 DUCATI STREETFIGHTER Naked 80 018 YAMAHA YZF-R1 Sportive 79 019 KTM 125 EXC Enduro 75 020 BMW S 1000 RR Sportive 74 021 BMW R 1200 R Naked 72 022 HUSQVARNA SM 125 Supermotard 71 023 SUZUKI DL 650 V-STROM Enduro 70 024 KTM 300 EXC Enduro 69 025 KTM EXC 450 Enduro 67 026 BMW F 800 GS Enduro 66 027 BETA EVO 2T 290 Trial 63 028 SUZUKI GSR 600 Naked 58 029 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-6R Sportive 57 030 YAMAHA YZF-R6 Sportive 54 031 TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE Naked 53 032 YAMAHA FZ6-S Naked 51 033 APRILIA DORSODURO 750 Supermotard 47 034 SUZUKI GSX-R 750 Sportive 46 035 HONDA CRE F 250R HM Enduro 44 036 KTM 500 EXC Enduro 44 037 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLSTFB FAT BOY SPECIAL Custom 43 038 HONDA VFR 1200 F Sportive 41 039 TRIUMPH TIGER 1050 Turismo 40 040 YAMAHA XT 660 Z TENERE Enduro 40 041 APRILIA RSV 4 1000 R Sportive 39 042 BMW R 1200 RT Turismo 38 043 SUZUKI GSX-R 1000 Sportive 38 044 DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1200 S TOURING Turismo 37 045 HONDA CBR 600 RR Sportive 37 046 KAWASAKI NINJA 250R Sportive 37 047 KAWASAKI VN 900 CLASSIC Custom 37 048 MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 1090 RR Naked 37 049 APRILIA RS 125 Sportive 36 050 SUZUKI GLADIUS 650 Naked 36 051 TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE Naked 36 052 YAMAHA FAZER 1000 Naked 36 053 DUCATI 1198/1198S Sportive 35 054 KTM EXC 400 Enduro 35 055 DUCATI 848 Sportive 34 056 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL883N IRON 883 Custom 34 057 KTM 1000 SUPERMOTO Supermotard 34 058 YAMAHA WR 125 X Supermotard 33 059 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX-10R Sportive 32 060 BMW F 650 GS NEW Enduro 29 061 HUSQVARNA SM 510 Supermotard 29 062 HUSQVARNA TE 450 Enduro 28 063 SYM XS125-K M.Y.08 Naked 28 064 TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 1050 Naked 28 065 KAWASAKI ER-6F Naked 27 066 MV AGUSTA BRUTALE 990 R Naked 27 067 DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 1100 EVO Supermotard 26 068 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDWG DYNA WIDE GLIDE Custom 26 069 HUSQVARNA TE 250 Enduro 25 070 KTM 990 ADVENTURE Enduro 25 071 MOTO GUZZI V7 CLASSIC Naked 25 072 YAMAHA WR 450 Enduro 25 073 HUSQVARNA TE 510 Enduro 24 074 APRILIA RSV 4 1000 FACTORY Sportive 23 075 DUCATI MONSTER 1100 Naked 23 076 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL883L SPORTSTER 883 LOW Custom 23 077 KAWASAKI KLX 250 S Enduro 23 078 YAMAHA FZ1 Naked 22 079 YAMAHA FZ6-N Naked 22 080 BETA ALP 4.0 Enduro 21 081 BUELL 1125CR Sportive 21 082 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDB DYNA STREET BOB Custom 21 083 KAWASAKI 1400 GTR Turismo 21 084 YAMAHA WR 250 F Enduro 21 085 BMW K 1300 R Naked 20 086 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDC DYNA SUPER GLIDE CUSTOM Custom 20 087 HUSABERG FE 450 Enduro 20 088 KTM 690 LC4 Supermotard 20 089 YAMAHA XJ6-S Naked 20 090 GAS GAS ENDUCROSS 300 Enduro 19 091 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXDF DYNA FAT BOB Custom 19 092 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL1200N SPORTSTER 1200 NIGHTSTER Custom 19 093 HUSQVARNA SM 610 Supermotard 19 094 HUSQVARNA WRE 125 Enduro 19 095 YAMAHA XVS 950 A Custom 19 096 BUELL XB12SX LIGHTNING Naked 18 097 DERBI GPR 125 RACING 4T Sportive 18 098 HARLEY-DAVIDSON FLHX STREET GLIDE Custom 18 099 HONDA CRE F 450R HM Enduro 18 100 HONDA ITALIA CBF 1000 Naked 18 Source: MotoBlog.it



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