Market reports – Fabrice Recoque (Honda): 2015 is a year of transition – Used HONDA

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Fabrice Recoque (Honda): 2015 is a year of transition

Market reports - Fabrice Recoque (Honda): 2015 is a year of transition - Second hand HONDA

With 20,623 registrations, Honda posted a decrease of -4.3% on the French motorcycle market. Fabrice Recoque, director of Honda Moto France, establishes for Site the 2014 balance sheet of the Japanese brand and reveals its objectives for 2015. Interview.

Site: What do you think of the general evolution of the French motorcycle market in 2014? ?
Fabrice Recoque, director of Honda Moto France: 2014 is characterized by a halt in the decline of the market. , we recorded a continuous decline which eventually stabilized. It is even a slight recovery that we see (+ 2.5%), both in 125 and large displacement. The most dynamic segment remains the roadster, which progressed by + 11% while the supersport won by -30%. The French market is therefore regaining some color and remains a benchmark in Europe by being one of the most dynamic. In France, in 2015, two thirds of the models sold will be and one third of .

"The arrival of the Forza 125 and the new CB125F should take Honda to a leading position in the 125"

MNC: What is your assessment for your brand in 125 and large cubes? ?
FR. : In 125, it was a year of transition where the continued to prance at the top of the bestseller rankings, but it alone could not support all of Honda’s sales. In 2015, the arrival of the and the new should take Honda to a leading position in the 125. In large engines, we went through a difficult period because our flagship model, the, arrived late in early June and thus penalized our performance at .

MNC: Which models have performed particularly well this year?
FR. : The PCX in 125 as I just explained and the large displacement, which took 50% of the market share in its category. The remains a reference with more than 500 registrations, as well as the scooter and its DCT clutch.

MNC: Who are those who have stayed behind? Why ?
FR. : Supersport models in general, due to the anticipation of and especially the evolution of mentalities and practices.

MNC: The French 100 horsepower law will end in 2016. Do you expect sales of powerful motorcycles to fall in 2015? ?
FR. : There is a specific risk on hyper sport models. The other large engines will be much less impacted because the differences in power between the flanged and free versions are less important and this is a less sensitive criterion for non-sporting customers..

"The best defense is offense and that’s our state of mind today"

MNC: How has your dealer network evolved this year ?
FR. : Despite a tense situation, we have managed to preserve our network. Of course, the results are sometimes mixed, but the spine is holding on. Honda dealers are getting organized and are taking steps to launch 2015. The only choice facing everyone today is the dynamic of entrepreneurship. We cannot wait any longer, each of us must anticipate to be ready for the market take-off. Attacking is the best defense and it’s our state of mind today with all Honda dealers..

MNC: Did your new products for 2014 reach their commercial objectives? ?
FR. : Overall yes, but we had so much new in 2014 that some models were more successful than others. and, for example, are part of those models in line with our goals.

"The VFR800F is part of Honda’s DNA and connoisseurs reacted immediately"

MNC: What was the pleasant surprise of your 2014? And the less good ?
FR. : The received a warm welcome because it is part of Honda’s DNA and connoisseurs reacted straight away. For the worse, it is the one that did not attract enough customers. I think the main reason is its cruising side which is too marked for Europeans. It is a motorcycle for the American market.

MNC: In your opinion, what was the highlight of 2014 in the world of two-wheelers? ?
FR. : There were no more significant events in 2014 than in 2013, but the real legislative change will be made in 2016 with the which will disappear on January 1st..

MNC: What are your good resolutions for the year 2015 ?
FR. : We anticipate a market of 147,000 units (+ 5.5%) and in this context we expect to significantly increase our market share, in particular with the launch of the which will take place in early April. We are therefore optimistic because the renewal of the fleet, which has slowed down in recent years, should start to take place. (1st quarter) and Forza 125 (2nd quarter) will therefore animate the first semester. For the second part of the year we are planning a surprise with an important model…

"For the second half of the year, we are planning a surprise with an important model …"

MNC: What are your major events in 2015 ?
X. C .: In competition, the calendar will be particularly rich! He started with one, which takes second place with seven stage wins. From the end of January, the Touquet event will take over with the participation of Arnaud Degousee. In WMX, Gautier Paulin, coached by Jean-Michel Bayle, will be our representative. Then, the benchmark championship for us will be with our extraordinary Marc Marquez who should still thrill us with his exceptional enthusiasm and talent. In France, the (WEC) will continue to honor French drivers (Da Costa, Foray and Gimbert) who will ride on a European Honda.

On the commercial front, we will continue to support lending rates, which will remain competitive in the first half of the year with rates at 1.9%. We will continue our assistance for LOA and LLD type financing which are services that have recently evolved.

MNC: To conclude, what Honda ordered from Santa this year ?
FR. : Exceptional summer weather to make bikers want to ride and have fun as early as possible in the year.

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

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