Honda CBR125R?

Question

Honda has started production of the CBR 125R for Canadian consumption. This stylish features a clean burning 4-stroke engine that has lower emission and improved fuel economy.

My wife would love this bike but we live in the United States. I know that world wide Honda produces 125's that used to be offered in a less efficent more polluting 2-stroke engine that they could not import to the USA. Now that Honda is producing a 4-stroke that will pass the tough EPA laws here in the United States, why wont they import entry-level sport bikes to the USA?

http://www.honda.ca/MotorcycleEng/CurrentModels/Sport/CBR125R7.htm?Year=2007

Answer 1

Small sportbikes are usually not very popular in the US, because everyone wants the biggest and baddest, so there is no market for these bikes. No market means no money for the vendor, therefore no bikes.

All I keep hearing is newbies that want to start with a Gixxer 1K for their first bike, which is also why our insurance rates are rising.

Personally, I'd love to have one of these bikes as a commuter. Looks great and no one would steal it.

Answer 2

I seriously doubt that the CBR125 was designed for Canada. The total m/c sales in Canada are 40 000 units per year. Divide this among all the different makes and models; there are some models selling only a couple hundred a year. A low-end bike like this would be lucky to sell even that many.
Honda would have to sell the bike at $500 000 each to pay for development and manufacture.
To me, it sounds like a 'slow news-day' bike. Honda wants to give the media something to talk about in order to cover up their lack of new models in general.

Answer 3

There's no demand for them in the US.
People don't buy bikes lower than 250cc for the street any more.
That's the bare minimum size for highway riding.
Anything smaller doesn't have the power & speed to keep up, especially with a passenger.
If someone just wanted a "put-put" to get around town, they'd buy a scooter.