Funny way to do business for Honda France, as they recently made some declarations stating that the flagship Gold Wing was not designed as a taxi motorcycle.
Why is this funny, you might ask... well, because taxi companies account for about 25% of Honda's Gold Wing sales in France, given the big popularity moto taxi services have in busy cities.
Now, there is some truth in what the Honda guys say, as riding the bike in the city tends to overuse the clutch, given the constant need to shift gears. While this is completely true, and a bike ridden on a daily basis for many miles each day in the busy urban traffic will wear out its clutch assembly far quicker than a bike ridden under normal conditions, a different, milder approach would have been more advisable.
Instead of kind of shooting themselves in the foot, Honda could first talk to the taxi companies and offer them the extended warranty programs Suzuki offers for the Burgman, another workhorse competing with the cabs.
With 200 to 300 new Gold Wings bought each year by the taxi companies, it looks like “they will honor the normal warrantee on the Gold Wing if used by a taxi company, that defects that are related to overuse, especially the clutch, will not be honored or repaired under a warrantee program" is a rather ill-willed declaration. Source MotoBiker.
Now, there is some truth in what the Honda guys say, as riding the bike in the city tends to overuse the clutch, given the constant need to shift gears. While this is completely true, and a bike ridden on a daily basis for many miles each day in the busy urban traffic will wear out its clutch assembly far quicker than a bike ridden under normal conditions, a different, milder approach would have been more advisable.
Instead of kind of shooting themselves in the foot, Honda could first talk to the taxi companies and offer them the extended warranty programs Suzuki offers for the Burgman, another workhorse competing with the cabs.
With 200 to 300 new Gold Wings bought each year by the taxi companies, it looks like “they will honor the normal warrantee on the Gold Wing if used by a taxi company, that defects that are related to overuse, especially the clutch, will not be honored or repaired under a warrantee program" is a rather ill-willed declaration. Source MotoBiker.