Road riding is more peaceful? I've got a sprained finger from getting doored at 59th and 5th on my way back from riding in Central Park on Friday. The trails are a peaceful oasis compared to riding the road around here.
No, that's what it does in winterdoesn't it pretty much piss the rain on that whole area during the summer?
Good one.Not many 35+ doctors want to get out on a hill after a golf game and fly down a mountain.
They then realized they have no way to control quality overseas and canned the entire project.
Ok, sure. Dispute what Honda has announced publicly, after having had dealer meetings and take pre-orders in Japan.That makes absolutely no sense. You're teling me Honda has no quality control on their bikes? Moto included? The entire corporation, arguably producing some of the best engine products in the world, simply sends thier **** out for manufacturing and says "Yoshi, Cross yer fingers that out **** comes back straight."
I can guarantee you they "had the intention". Their PR people have confirmed it, they had meetings with dealers to learn about the bike and pre order a few months ago in Japan."Honda decided to give up to sell RN01G because of they could not keep "Honda Quality" in outside of Japan.
This news was informed to Japanese bike dealers by express mail. Honda dream was over...."
I think what Transcend's saying is that a Honda bicycle would be at the mercy of the hacks at a local bicycle shop and not Honda factory-trained moto mechanics through their own dealer network. Never mind that the standard for DH is to sell a frame (or frame/fork) only and then get built up by the owner with an amalgamation of parts that Honda would have no say over.HONDA is huge.. they have spent 1 billion in Formula One.. also (rumour) $150 Million (3year) to Fernando Alonso. No way to control quality overseas?? Would like to know more.. In comparison with other Car manufacturer.. i wouldnt be surprised through out the years HONDA's industry first when it comes to quality.
Maybe they had intention maybe they didnt but maybe other factors into play. regardless sad to see them go.
I think what Transcend's saying is that a Honda bicycle would be at the mercy of the hacks at a local bicycle shop and not Honda factory-trained moto mechanics through their own dealer network. Never mind that the standard for DH is to sell a frame (or frame/fork) only and then get built up by the owner with an amalgamation of parts that Honda would have no say over.
Honda supplies thoroughly R&Ded, turnkey-down-to-the-last-spoke-nipple piece of equipment for the given sport. Downhill mountain bikes fit that model poorly.
Plus, I think you answered your own question when you started talking about the dollars in their other ventures. Face it, DH is big stuff to us but a pissant drop in the bucket to a huge global powerhouse like Honda Motor Co. They originally allowed a few R&D guys who were into biking play around with some ideas and make some bikes. They did that, learned what they wanted to from it and are moving on. Too bad for us but understandable.
Right. I forgot that companies always tell the truth, and the whole truth at that.Ok, sure. Dispute what Honda has announced publicly, after having had dealer meetings and take pre-orders in Japan.
I'm telling you honda cannot control post sales service quality over here as they would have to deal with bike shops and not their dedicated, trained moto shop.
And after tepid response from dealers decided to can the whole enterprise while having their PR people spin it into a story about Honda's unyielding commitment to quality service? Sure, I buy that...they had meetings with dealers to learn about the bike and pre order a few months ago in Japan.
sad but trueI am willing to bet lawmowers would account for a much larger sales number then bikes ever could..
Not a good analogy. Maybe your mowing style is different from mine, but I don't crash my lawnmower in rockgardens too frequently. And when was the last time you snapped the handlebar on your lawnmower? Replaced the tires on those plastic wheels?I don't see Honda flipping out over thier lawmowers being sold in Walmart, or sketchy mom and pop hardware stores, and I am willing to bet lawmowers would account for a much larger sales number then bikes ever could.
agreed.My guess is they simply looked at DH and realized from a business sense, its a waste of time.
they actually had custom made bike cases complete with frame/fork mounts. like a huge version of what we would put some of our power tools in.Favorite Team G-Cross Honda Memory:
Must have been '03, give or take a year, and we were out in Durango at the NORBA Finals (back when the NORBA series was remotely respectable). Sunday after the race, everyone's packing up and getting ready to fly to Europe for the Worlds. All over the pits, mechanics and riders are ripping apart bikes and shoving them in beat-up cardboard boxes for the trip - sort of reminded me of that period right after Interbike ends when the convention center goes from a show room to a junkyard in about 30 seconds. Anyway, as Heikki and I walked past the Honda pit, there wasn't a cardboard box or bike case to be found anywhere. Instead, they were busy BUILDING A WOODEN CRATE around Minaar's fully assembled bike, which I assume was then loaded up and airfreighted to the next event.
I think that's the day the term "pwn3d" was invented.
-JP
They do whatever makes money, like anyone else.Honda supplies thoroughly R&Ded, turnkey-down-to-the-last-spoke-nipple piece of equipment for the given sport. Downhill mountain bikes fit that model poorly.
Good one.
This is the same demographic that suits up in full body armor just to go on a basic xc ride.......
Unlike most Mountain or road bikes where i swear they hire a kid to kick every box right where the derailleur hanger is.If you've ever uncrated a Japanese motorcyle for assembly for the showroom (my after-school job in high school was assembling Suzukis), you'd appreciate the attention to detail and protection that goes into their packaging.
Hmmmm, the analogy was good and bad.Not a good analogy. Maybe your mowing style is different from mine, but I don't crash my lawnmower in rockgardens too frequently. And when was the last time you snapped the handlebar on your lawnmower? Replaced the tires on those plastic wheels?
Consider the performance and maintence standards of a lawnmower compared to a DH bike. It's probably easier to design and build a lawnmower that will work for years on end with no maintence than a DH bike that will work for six months with no maintenence.
agreed.
Greg did win the WC overall on a HondaI wonder if them not winning the WC overall
giant too?Heck, Specialized and Trek are the two biggest MTB brands there are
It's not like Giant produces frames for Trek and Specialized or anything....giant too?
wait...since when did Alonso sign with Honda? When did Button or Barrichello get the boot?HONDA is huge.. they have spent 1 billion in Formula One.. also (rumour) $150 Million (3year) to Fernando Alonso.
i remember mt snow in '06 where they let me check out their sweeeet showa forks with no issue....after i begged of course.My favorite memory from the Honda team was at the 05 NORBA national. The team kept all of the bikes enclosed in a white tent in the back of the pit. I noticed one of the door flaps was opened a little and tried to sneak a peak from a distance. I caught a quick glimpse of the gearbox before one of the mechs pointed at me and slammed the flap shut. That made me realize just how serious they were about keeping that thing a secret.
haha they sold there fastest 2 last year, to super aguriSo how many F1 cars do Honda sell?
There are milions of F1 viewers and parhaps few 1000 DH viewers (if there is a broadcast).So how many F1 cars do Honda sell?
They made this sport more interesting, besides it can not be very good for DH, if the leading team withdrows from racing.Honda's departure isn't that bad for racing after all. Besides being a big company, what have they done for racing outside their team?
Just like all other companies involved, since there is no charity in WC racing.What Honda did, they did for themselves...
Say again? I didn't get the memo about them being the leading team.They made this sport more interesting, besides it can not be very good for DH, if the leading team withdrows from racing.
Say again? I didn't get the memo about them being the leading team.
I'll agree that they were interesting and had tons of talent on board, but they were pretty much a novelty in the sense that they were racing aboard bikes that were not commercially available (even as a "replica" bike).
Forgive my ignorance, but are trade teams ranked by the UCI? I couldn't find a list. I was just going by WC series and championship wins (in my head). Doesn't seem like they would be tops, but I may very well be wrong.hmmmmm . . . #1 trade team several years running, highest funded, best supported, highest profile, and most professionally run team on the circuit. Simply put, no other team can match the Honda program on any level.
This will not happen until downhill gets reinvented as something totally other than what it is right now. DH is not a spectator-friendly sport. One person against the clock down a course that cannot be mostly seen from one point. It is too akin to downhill skiing, which at least has the interest-factor of being an Olympic sport.What racing really needs is more presence in the mainstream sports media...
Paragraph 4 of the press release from page 1:Forgive my ignorance, but are trade teams ranked by the UCI? I couldn't find a list. I was just going by WC series and championship wins (in my head). Doesn't seem like they would be tops, but I may very well be wrong.