Patrick Marchal: our new products for 2010 worked very well

With 15,008 registrations, Kawasaki posted a decline of 7.4% on the French motorcycle market. Patrick Marchal, Sales and Marketing Director Kawasaki France, establishes for Site the 2010 assessment of the brand and sets out its 2011 objectives.

Site: What do you think of the general evolution of the French motorcycle market in 2010? ?
Patrick Marchal, Sales and Marketing Director Kawasaki France : 2010 showed us that the French market held up better than other European markets, but the economic crisis is having an impact on purchases of two-wheelers. After 2009 when the 125cc market had been directly affected by the arrival of 3-wheelers included in another category, 2010 ended with a balanced decline in the two categories ("-125 cc" and "+125 cc"), with -7%. The decline has slowed compared to 2009. It is also likely that the doping of the auto market by state aid has favored a transfer of resources. It is indeed difficult to change your car and your motorcycle in the same year.

MNC: What is your assessment of your year? ?
P. M. : For our part, we held up well in 2010 with an almost stable market share. We remain the leader in "+ 125cc" excluding scooters and No. 1 and No. 2 in motorcycle sales thanks to the ER-6 and the Z750. Our new products for 2010 worked very well, the Z1000 being the leader of 1000 cc roadsters.

MNC: Immates are not everything … How would you qualify your balance sheet? ?
P. M. : The drop in volumes and changes in monetary parities have hurt profitability, but thanks to rigorous and precise inventory management as well as sales that have remained dynamic, we are satisfied with the accounting results.

MNC: Are you fully satisfied with the results of your best sales: Z750, ER-6 and Z1000 ?
P. M. : Each ending the year in a leading position in the market segment in which they are located, how to do better !

"It is difficult to change your car and your motorcycle in the same year"

MNC: Which models have you been disappointed with in sales and what was the cause ?
P. M. : We are disappointed with the results recorded in 250 cc: they confirm that the French biker is not seduced by this displacement.

MNC: In your opinion, have your new products for 2010 (Z1000, 1400GTR, KLX 125 and D-Tracker) passed their first year? ?
P. M. : The Z1000 had a perfect year, the 1400 GTR a promising year. As for the KLX and D-TRACKER 125, their results are proportional to the size of the machines…

MNC: What was the good surprise 2010 ?
Maurice de Rochefort, Kawasaki France press manager : The excellent reception that the Kawasaki Tour received both from partner dealers, who fully played the game, and from customers who responded in numbers and with enthusiasm to the invitation of this traveling show their allowing to discover and try "for real" the whole Kawasaki range. It is not really a surprise, because everything had been planned and prepared to ensure this success, but the result exceeded our expectations. In the sports field, we can also consider the reunion of Kawasaki with the first step of the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a very pleasant surprise, even if, here too, it is the culmination of the efforts and the commitment of all the actors involved.

MNC: What was the worst ?
M. D. R. : As a wink and a smile, the fact that the "warmist" theories of the supporters of climate change were severely undermined by the meteorological reality last December…

MNC: In your opinion, what was the highlight of 2010 in the world of two-wheelers? ?
P. M. : The difficulties of historically leading brands in the market.

"Consolidate our image as the most European of Japanese brands"

MNC: How were your new products for 2011 (Z750R, W800, Z1000SX, ZX-10R and VN1700 Voyager Custom) received by your network and by all bikers? ?
P. M. : The reception of the dealers is excellent for all our new products. Customers are united and the Z1000SX, Z750R, W800, ZX10R and VN1700 Bagger are likely to be at the top of their respective categories.

MNC: In 2011, what will be your objectives ?
P. M. : Our objective is to consolidate our PDM results in 2011 while updating the image of our dealer network in order to improve and modernize the quality of service. Communication will focus more on the product and services than on the price, in order to consolidate our image as the most European of Japanese brands..

MNC: What will be your major events this year ?
P. M. : The year will revolve around the Kawa Tour 2011 with 24 test weekends in the concession, the timeless K Days and of course the endurance, Promosport and cross programs. With the highlight, at the end of 2011, the 2 wheels show that we are impatiently awaiting.

MNC: In conclusion, which maxim would best illustrate your 2010 results? ?
M. D. R. : Fortune favors the daring … think !

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

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