ptfjjj said:
I guess Yamaha is planning on all of us first round buyers as their marketing team.
For this type of bike, the best way to go, IMO. Adventure riders are a relatively small, close knit group. Once Yamaha gets these bikes out there, no amount of print advertising will be able to match the "face to face, talk to the guy that owns one", kind of marketing. I'm figuring these bikes will attract a lot of attention from BMW guys, as well as HD and metric cruiser riders looking for more "fun", factor.
A good friend of mine (Harley Ultra Classic rider), just bought a pristine Honda Transalp. He farkled it up with HT racks, Givi E21's and a Givi top case. He loves the thing! I've laid down a lot of miles with him in the past (me on my V Strom). I'd leave him waiting on the paved stuff while I took a quick 15 or 20 minute detour down a dirt or gravel road. Then I'd loan him the Strom to do the same thing. When we traded bikes on the pavement and he got the chance to wring the throttle on the bike, his comments were always: "This thing is really fast.". Guess he got hooked!
He loves his Hog (God Bless him!), but now realizes that an adventure bike opens up a whole new world of riding and travel.
A lot of people are going to want these bikes.
Pic forthcoming!