Business – The Mondial du deux-Roues postponed to fall 2010! –

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The Mondial du deux-Roues postponed to fall 2010 !

Business - The Mondial du deux-Roues postponed to fall 2010! -

Confirming more and more insistent rumors over the months, the organizer of the Motorcycle and Scooter Show scheduled for Paris in October 2009, has officially announced its postponement against the backdrop of the crisis… Explanations and reactions.

It’s now official: the Motorcycle and Scooter Show is postponed to fall 2010.

Faced with the economic gloom, but also with the withdrawal of many manufacturers, the organizers of the Mondial – AMC Promotion and its new partner PHA Claude Michy -, were indeed forced to buy time in order to be able "maintain quality standards", an unprecedented decision in the history of the World Cup.

No precise date has yet been announced, but in all likelihood, the Motorcycle and Scooter Show could take place in October 2010 as part of the Paris Motor Show, also organized every two years by AMC Promotion à la Porte. de Versailles, or be associated with the Salon du cycle, organized every year at the same place and by the same entity.

Since this winter, the rumor has gradually swelled: Honda, Yamaha, BMW and Harley-Davidson were slow to submit their registration documents to the organizer and despite all the changes planned for this 2009 edition – sometimes at the request of these same manufacturers – (read), the World of two-wheelers began to deflate like a balloon…

Last Monday again, a meeting took place between the organizers, the two trade unions and "most builders"…"We tried everything but we did not find a solution to maintain the show", explains Thierry Hesse, boss of AMC Promotion this morning."We bounce back in a voluntary and positive way", he warns, thus postponing the motorcycle show to autumn 2010 – the dates have not yet been fixed – while the Cycle Show is maintained in 2009 at its annual rate.

Among manufacturers, the main exhibitors – and therefore funders

– of the Salon, two clans were formed: on the one hand those registered, disappointed to have to revise their plans almost at the last moment (Peugeot, Suzuki, Triumph, Piaggio and its five brands …), and on the other the non registered (Honda, Yamaha, BMW, Harley-Davidson) who invoke real economic difficulties to justify their decision, without accepting to bear the hat of this cancellation unprecedented in the history of the World Cup since it has existed in this form.

One point nevertheless comes up frequently: the cost for exhibitors of a national exhibition of international scope, which would be too high in relation to the spinoffs it entails. So much so that according to Thierry Hesse, "Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki will not participate in Milan"…

Hit by the crisis, Honda refuses to wear the hat…

Honda, in particular, was dragging – more or less discreetly – to confirm its registration for the Paris two-wheel show, scheduled for the Porte de Versailles from October 1 to 8, 2009. For some observers of the French motorcycle industry, this hesitation of the first global manufacturer would even have been at the origin of the feeling of uncertainty which surrounds the show since the end of 2008: if Honda and other major players in the market do not bother to come to the Show, what is the point of ” participate for smaller builders ?

In reality, it seems that smaller manufacturers have more to fear from such a delay: "some of them really counted on the Show to boost their 2009 turnover", indicates Thierry Hesse. According to our information, Daniel Rivière, boss of Peugeot Motocycles and president of the National Motorcycle Union Chamber (CSNM) – also member of the organizing committee of the Mondial with the International Chamber of the Automobile and motocycle (CSIAM) chaired by Thierry Archambault and the manufacturers – would be disappointed to say the least, not to say disgusted…

However, Honda refuses to bear the responsibility for the cancellation of the show, affirming that the organization and the quality of "fire" the Mondial de Paris is not to be called into question: it is simply a reaction logical following a very delicate economic situation. At the same time, Honda France announces that research and new models are not shelved and that the marketing of the Fury in Europe is desired for the end of 2009. Above all, Honda France has confirmed to us that the presentation of the famous V4 – most likely fitted to a new VFR – is scheduled for the first quarter of 2010 !

"Originally, our visit to the Motorcycle and Scooter Show was scheduled and budgeted, and the final decision not to go there is entirely attributable to the crisis affecting the motorcycle sector, but especially the auto, since last fall", explains Sebastien Pernel, Honda France press manager, to Site..

"Faced with the scale of the crisis, the leaders in Japan simply decided to reduce the group’s expenses to essential sectors: thus, we withdrew from F1, certain factories have temporarily closed their doors and press launches and events (Honda Days in particular, Editor’s note) have been canceled. But Honda continues to move forward and continues its research and development activities. Moreover, it was initially planned that the Fury will be presented at the Paris Motor Show and it is very likely that our future V4 would also have been unveiled on this occasion.".

Disappointment at Suzuki

At Suzuki, the disappointment of not being able to present the 2010 novelties at an event as awaited as the World is largely palpable. Officially registered among the participants, Suzuki – like other manufacturers keen to exhibit this year – was forced to give up when it appeared, during a meeting with the organizers on Monday, that several major brands would not come. not at the World Cup.

"How could we continue to defend the Show, when two of the main Japanese manufacturers, a major European manufacturer and an American announce that they will not be in the game? ?", regrets Pierre-Laurent Feriti, Suzuki France communications manager."Under these conditions, it became impossible to justify a 12 € entrance ticket to visitors for a "half-show". But the fact remains that it is a shame to miss this opportunity to present the motorcycle in France in its best light…."

Disappointed, Suzuki also admits to being worried about the future of the French show, although the possibility of bringing the event together with the motor show is being considered: "it is for the moment only an idea which has not yet received the approval of all", tempers Pierre-Laurent Feriti.

At Kawasaki as at Yamaha, no particular comment has been issued to date: the two Japanese were waiting for the official message delivered this morning by the CSIAM (International Chamber of Automobile and Motorcycle Syndicates) to express themselves officially on the issue. . However, if the brand with three tuning forks was unofficially one of the manufacturers not wishing to go to the show, Kawasaki was indeed registered on the organizer’s lists….

No worries at Kawasaki

However, given the success of the Z750 and the Er-6n saga in France, don’t the Greens also have a lot to lose if future buyers cannot come and admire the 2010 novelties? "I do not think so", says Maurice de Rochefort for Kawasaki France:"most of the novelties are regularly unveiled before the Show and even if it is regrettable that our customers cannot come and touch and admire our motorcycles up close, it is not obvious that the absence of the Show generates big gaps in terms of Communication".

Kawasaki has also officially announced its absence from the 41st Tokyo Motor Show, the famous Japanese show. Something to seriously worry about about the future of many events planned for this year…

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