No 2023 Yamaha 9GT+ for USA?

[ZigMerid]

On 1/7/2023 at 3:39 AM, Ziggy105 said:

My thought is that Yamaha wants to unload the '21 and '22 inventory and release '24 models in 2024.

How much inventory do dealers generally hold? Is it really possible that they have overstocked to the point of having enough inventory to sell for a whole year?

Or do people expect them to run out some time during the year and just tell their customers to go elsewhere?

It all just seems a bit weird, especially since it's an incremental model tweak so it's not like they've got to pull in a whole bunch of additional spare parts or train up service techs.

But then maybe the Tracer is a pretty boutique, so it doesn't really make much difference one way or the other to Mr Yammy?

Is there a public resource which shows Tracer sales for 2022? Maybe that'll explain it.

[Ziggy105]

2 hours ago, ZigMerid said:

How much inventory do dealers generally hold? Is it really possible that they have overstocked to the point of having enough inventory to sell for a whole year?

Or do people expect them to run out some time during the year and just tell their customers to go elsewhere?

It all just seems a bit weird, especially since it's an incremental model tweak so it's not like they've got to pull in a whole bunch of additional spare parts or train up service techs.

But then maybe the Tracer is a pretty boutique, so it doesn't really make much difference one way or the other to Mr Yammy?

Is there a public resource which shows Tracer sales for 2022? Maybe that'll explain it.

I can't answer your questions but maybe a member that has worked at a dealership can.

There are almost 400 new T9GT's listed for sale or on order at dealerships in the USA on CycleTrader. And that is only CycleTrader.

Is Yamaha's reasoning to sell out of new '21 and '22 bikes and bring in '24 bikes for the '24 model year or release '23 bikes for '23 and then have to discount the '21 and '22 bikes to move them off of showroom floors?    

[ZigMerid]

1 hour ago, Ziggy105 said:

There are almost 400 new T9GT's listed for sale or on order at dealerships in the USA on CycleTrader

Jeez. There are just 5 new Tracers listed on bikesales in Australia. Adjusting for population that should be around 50 at most to match the US.

I wonder whether US dealers are listing non-existent bikes with generic ads as lead generators? I know sleazy car dealers seem to do that here.

[betoney]

1 hour ago, ZigMerid said:

Jeez. There are just 5 new Tracers listed on bikesales in Australia. Adjusting for population that should be around 50 at most to match the US.

I wonder whether US dealers are listing non-existent bikes with generic ads as lead generators? I know sleazy car dealers seem to do that here.

As I posted a few weeks back, I talked to the sales person at my local dealer who said Yamaha has had very odd supply/shipping issues, they didnt get their shipment of 2022 Tracers until very late in the season- around Thanksgiving.  What does a dealer do with a truckload of street bikes arriving in the winter? they have them sitting in storage still in the crate since the one they have on the showroom is collecting dust.     

[ZigMerid]

2 hours ago, betoney said:

in the winter

I must admit I often forget that winter is unrideable for large parts of north America. Which makes it inexplicable that new models are announce just ahead of the next winter. Quite weird to announce something that no one wants to buy for the next six months.

[Grumpy Goat]

17 hours ago, ZigMerid said:

I must admit I often forget that winter is unrideable for large parts of north America. Which makes it inexplicable that new models are announce just ahead of the next winter. Quite weird to announce something that no one wants to buy for the next six months.

Winter is perfectly rideable here in Houston and the dealers don't have any Tracer 9GTs so that is not it. Not only that but there is a lot of disposable income in Houston so the market is there. 

[PhotoAl]

Here in Birmingham I've seen a couple of dealerships in the last couple of months.  One of them was quoted $16953 OTD.  A good deal - for the dealer.  Weather is nice enough to ride most of the winter but there do seem to be a fair number of them now.  However the new T 9 GT+ would be $20,000 OTD and that is a steep jump from the under $13K (OTD) I paid for mine 2 1/2 years ago.

[betoney]

4 hours ago, Grumpy Goat said:

Winter is perfectly rideable here in Houston and the dealers don't have any Tracer 9GTs

I don't understand their distribution system, my dealer said they had no idea they were getting any until a truck showed up and dropped off 8 Tracers, and thats just one dealership in the state.  I don't know how many bikes other local Yamaha dealers got but the fact that the Houston area doesn't have any seems crazy considering that they could probably sell them in a warmer climate and ours will remain in the crate in a store room.

[Grumpy Goat]

10 hours ago, betoney said:

I don't understand their distribution system, my dealer said they had no idea they were getting any until a truck showed up and dropped off 8 Tracers, and thats just one dealership in the state.  I don't know how many bikes other local Yamaha dealers got but the fact that the Houston area doesn't have any seems crazy considering that they could probably sell them in a warmer climate and ours will remain in the crate in a store room.

That was also my thinking. It would make sense for them to ship bikes to southern dealerships in the winter months where riding is still popular to help offset the lack of action up north. But then again, NA market is not really as motorcycle-friendly as in other parts of the world, where bikes are actually used as transportation, and not as farkle trees and weekend leisure time toys.