Market reports – Dominique Li Pat Yuen (Suzuki): the GSX-S1000 gave us satisfaction – Used SUZUKI

Posted on by admin

Dominique Li Pat Yuen (Suzuki): the GSX-S1000 gave us satisfaction

Market reports - Dominique Li Pat Yuen (Suzuki): the GSX-S1000 gave us satisfaction - Used SUZUKI

With 9,961 registrations, Suzuki posted a drop of -4.2% on the French motorcycle market. Dominique Li Pat Yuen, Suzuki France Marketing and Communication Manager, draws up its 2015 report for MNC and reveals its objectives for 2016. Interview.

Site: Do you consider that the announcement of the end of the law of 100 horses had a negative effect on the market in general and on your results in particular? ?
Dominique Li Pat Yuen, Marketing and Communication Manager Suzuki France: In absolute terms, this announcement must be considered as good news because it has been more than 30 years that French bikers have been discriminated against compared to their European counterparts. We will therefore have the pleasure of discovering the Suzuki in their original and legal configuration on French roads. What was damaging and annoying is the way in which the release of this law was orchestrated with announcement effects that have lasted for more than a year, causing trouble for motorcycle enthusiasts. So inevitably faced with this non-decision on the terms and the release date of this castrating law, some customers preferred not to take any risk and postpone their purchase until 2016 to be sure of being able to ride their motorcycle in full power. This was all the more sensitive to our results, since our main innovations in 2015 were the GSX-S1000 and GSX-S1000F which develop 145 horsepower. Fortunately, many customers still chose to drive immediately with our GSX-S1000 which already offer a lot of sensations in the French version. After that, the impact remains measured because we must not forget that motorcycles over 100 hp do not constitute the majority of our market. Concerning Suzuki, motorcycles of more than 100 hp concern our roadsters but especially our range of GSX-R which represents smaller volumes than medium-displacement roadsters or trails. Finally, bikers are more mature and the desires for ultimate power and maximum speed of an era have given way to sensations and pure pleasure..

MNC: On the contrary, will it boost activity in 2016? ?
D. LPY. : Mechanically, 2016 should benefit from the postponement of purchases from 2015. Concerning the GSX-R, sales should not be impacted because customers will closely monitor the arrival of the new GSX-R1000. For the Hayabusa, sales should be stable because customers did not wait for the release of 100 hp to run freely. Our business will benefit above all from the arrival of the new SV650 which will reposition Suzuki in terms of volumes and market share in the entry-level roadster segment..

MNC: Can the Paris Motor Show at the end of 2015 also stimulate the market at the start of the year? ?
D. LPY. : To be very realistic, the "salon" years are no better in absolute terms. It is above all an image show that allows us to meet our customers to share our passion for motorcycles. It is relevant to present, exclusively in France, the novelties that will animate the following season, but the motorcycle show is not a merchant and does not trigger sales..

MNC: How do you interpret the current success of "neo-retro" motorcycles? ?
D. LPY. : This corresponds to a global trend in our society. In the world of fashion, automobiles and music, vintage has a real place and represents a real market. Many invest in it and this allows us to continue to "consume" differently. Obviously the motorcycle sector is not immune to this demand to find designs and styles from another era, but everyone wants to benefit from today’s technologies. This is also one of the reasons why we chose to import it into Europe. After the undisputed success of the 125, we had more and more requests for a more versatile version of this successful little motorcycle and the 200 already existing in Japan, we were not deprived of being able to satisfy these few vintage motorcycle enthusiasts..

MNC: What is your opinion on the ban on motorcycles before 2000 in Paris from this summer? ?
D. LPY. : In absolute terms, no one can dispute the fact of living in a healthier environment for better health. Once again, motorized two-wheelers are not appreciated for their specificities. Today, no one can dispute that two-wheelers contribute to the fluidity of traffic, to relieving congestion in metropolitan areas, while offering an accessible and free means of locomotion. What is a shame is that once again users will experience additional stress in addition to the inability to park, the hardening of the driving license, the yellow vest, etc..

MNC: How do you feel about the overall evolution of the French motorcycle market in 2015? ?
D. LPY. : The market remains globally stable with a slight decline for the large engine market and confirmed growth for the 125 market. We have the impression of repeating ourselves for a few seasons already, but we still do not find any improvement for the market. two-wheelers because France is still the subject of a crisis of confidence and legal constraints are increasingly present. While our European colleagues are benefiting from an economy which is on the rise and a motorcycle market which is redeveloping, we are struggling in France to revive economic activity and the motorcycle is therefore part of what is being sacrificed in the budget. Household. Despite everything, we must continue to offer new products and remain dynamic in a market that cultivates passion more than anything..

MNC: What is your assessment for your brand in 125 and large cubes? ?
D. LPY. : In 125, we stabilized overall sales with the Burgman 125 and the VanVan 125 which saw more requests than offers. The market for the 125 scooter was very competitive and the Burgman 125 had to face strong competitors. But it continues to meet with great success in stores and remains a safe bet. The Address had a good first season and caught up with its audience quickly.

In large cubes, we are securing volumes in a market torn by the. We have just celebrated 30 years of the GSX-R myth and customers have responded to their dedication. The GSX-R1000 is still positioned on the podium of the best-selling sports in France. announces Suzuki’s return to the top of the category. Among the roadsters, we welcomed the eagerly awaited which imposed itself in all the reviews and was the big roadster (from 1000 cc, Editor’s note) the most sold in France. The GSR750 continues its performance and the Gladius achieved an honorable end of career. The Suzuki trail family grew in 2015 with the which offers an adventurous version of the V-Strom 650, thus boosting the mid-capacity trail segment. La continues its good performance for its second year of marketing and is positioned as one of the benchmarks. Finally on the scooter side, the rest a reference and remains the leader of premium and GT scooters.

MNC: Which models have performed particularly well this year?
D. LPY. : The Address exceeded our expectations. We are in a market where the quality / price ratio is extremely important and at less than 2000 euros, it positioned itself as a relevant alternative to public transport or the automobile in town. The GSX-S1000 gave us satisfaction. It’s an excellent bike, a sensation factory that offers an extremely homogeneous package between daily use and mechanical ardor. This bike quickly found its fans who did not wait for the withdrawal of the 100 hp law to appropriate it. Today it is the leader in its segment (that of the 1000 cc, the R nineT and R1200R are in front, Editor’s note).

MNC: Who are those who have stayed behind? Why ?
D. LPY. : The Hayabusa is behind. Today the market for high performance sportivo-GT motorcycles is losing speed because mentalities have changed and experienced bikers are no longer in search of ultimate performance. Despite everything, we remain positioned in this segment which represents our technological spearhead and which cultivates an emblematic image.

MNC: Did your new products for 2015 reach their commercial objectives? ?
D. LPY. : Yes for the GSX-S1000 and 1000F which were very successful for a motorcycle arriving late in a market disrupted by the transition of the 100 hp law. The Address exceeded our targets, considering the 100 / 110cc market to be a niche. Finally, the V-Strom 650XT was a victim of its success and we failed to supply our customers in sufficient quantities..

MNC: What was the pleasant surprise of your 2015? And the less good ?
D. LPY. : The good surprise was the. Nobody expected the GSX-RR in this position and it shows that the factory really has the will to win in MotoGP and has put in the means to offer a well-born motorcycle to Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales. For a first year, we managed to fight regularly against factory bikes and even secure a pole position and a second place on the starting grid. The other good surprise is the endurance world championship. The GSX-R1000 is still going strong and the official Suzuki team led by Dominique Meliand has proven that the GSX-R1000 continues to beat the pawn of newer motorcycles.

MNC: According to you, what was the highlight of 2015 in the world of two-wheelers? ?
D. LPY. : The event is the liberation of the law of 100 hp which was becoming an aberration. At a time when our policies proclaim European rules at all costs, it became necessary that motorcycles sold in France benefit from the same treatment as our border counterparts. It has never been proven that power has a direct impact on accidents and this amounts to considering that our French bikers were less responsible than the others. We will be able to let our customers enjoy their motorcycle in their original configuration and make people happy..

MNC: What are your good resolutions for 2016 ?
D. LPY. : The first resolution will be to stay the course in a market that may be more difficult. Between the passage of motorcycles in full power, the availability and arrival of Euro4 models and the management of stocks accordingly, the season will not be easy. It will therefore be imperative to be able to stabilize sales, as will our network, which we will continue to support. In terms of communication, we are still in the process of modernizing our image and we will increase the opportunities to get closer to our customers, at events but also through our loyalty program "My Suzuki".

MNC: What are your major events in 2016 ?
D. LPY. : We will be present at the 24 Hours of Le Mans of course, which will revive a thrilling 2016 season where our title will be put on the line. We will also be at the Bol d’Or. The MotoGP French Grand Prix will also be a highlight because the Suzuki fans’ stand located in the corner of the Chapel will be the privileged meeting place to support Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro. We continue the V-Strom Weekends and the one that will be under one, with driving or training, for Suzuki customers and other bikers. Finally on the cross side, we will continue for the second consecutive year the Yellow Devil Trophy.

MNC: To conclude, what Suzuki ordered from Santa Claus this year ?
D. LPY. : Good humor and enthusiasm to help the market and Suzuki sales, MotoGP podiums for the GSX-RR and a 15th World Endurance crown.

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *