And another... Moto Morini throws in the towel

[CapnCrunch]

out of destruction new life inevitably emerges.

 Before this is over, one of the Japanese manufacturers will probably go under.

highly doubtful as each of the jap manufactures has a massive industrial complex backing them up.

the over specialized companies that never really put out anything spectacular *coughharleycough*  are the vulnerable ones.

all the japanese moto manufactures are part of much larger, well diversified corporations, they will weather the storm just fine. even if they have a sub-par product line they have the advantage of multiple revenue streams at the corp level.

they will stand the bleeding for now because the prospect for market share expansion in the near future in the moto market is not something they are willing to give up at this time.

with the US is finally beginning to prioritize fuel economy in personal transport purchase decisions, cutting a price competitive high  fuel economy vehicle segment would be a tremendously poor strategic decision.

[corey]

This *sounds like* good news!

[RichD]

Well hell, I could've bought it.

A rename would be in order:

Davo Moroni-"Ugly idiot proof machines for an ugly idiot filled world"

Sounds about right.

It sounds like the tagline for Birdman Weapon Systems "Unfriendly products for an unfriendly world"

[Travman]

out of destruction new life inevitably emerges.

highly doubtful as each of the jap manufactures has a massive industrial complex backing them up.

the over specialized companies that never really put out anything spectacular *coughharleycough*  are the vulnerable ones.

all the japanese moto manufactures are part of much larger, well diversified corporations, they will weather the storm just fine. even if they have a sub-par product line they have the advantage of multiple revenue streams at the corp level.

they will stand the bleeding for now because the prospect for market share expansion in the near future in the moto market is not something they are willing to give up at this time.

with the US is finally beginning to prioritize fuel economy in personal transport purchase decisions, cutting a price competitive high  fuel economy vehicle segment would be a tremendously poor strategic decision.

I get your point.  Are the Japanese moto manufacturers publicly traded companies like here in the U.S.?  If so, they would be under pressure to get rid of such an under performing part of the company.  If not they have the ability to wait things out and make better long term decisions.

[CapnCrunch]

of course they are publicly traded but asian culture is vastly different than ours.

For example, they know the last time that Mt. Fuji erupted, because they were there to record it 1200 years ago. they know it because they were there and they wrote down.


They understand longer timelines for ROI

[ducatiz]

Nah that's not it.  Japanese (and Korean) law has a different take on antitrust law.  The zaibatsus they have would likely not be legal here.  Honda et al can weather storms because they sell everything from cars and bikes to kitchen appliances and pianos (Yamaha).  They survive not by planning but by inertia and graft.

[Speeddog]

Well hell, I could've bought it.

A rename would be in order:

Davo Moroni-"Ugly idiot proof resistant machines for an ugly idiot filled world"

Sounds about right.

Fixed it for ya.

[CapnCrunch]

Nah that's not it.  Japanese (and Korean) law has a different take on antitrust law.  The zaibatsus they have would likely not be legal here.  Honda et al can weather storms because they sell everything from cars and bikes to kitchen appliances and pianos (Yamaha).  They survive not by planning but by inertia and graft.

there are not US companies that sell everything?

[Popeye the Sailor]

there are not US companies that sell everything?

There's GM, who sold SAAB, Hummer, and er....or is that not what you meant?

[CapnCrunch]

GE for example

[ducatiz]

there are not US companies that sell everything?

Nope.  Not since the 1950s.

Mitsubishi:  Cars, trucks, diesels, scooters, rice cookers, refrigerators, ovens, air conditioners

Yamaha:  Pianos, violins/violas, drums, motorcycles, scooters, etc

GM:  Cars/trucks/heavy trucks

GE for example

that's a very good example, except that GE is a holding corp that owns subsidiaries.  Zaibatsus are organized as a single company doing everything...

[CapnCrunch]

potatO, potAto. still mashes up the same

Nope.  Not since the 1950s.

Mitsubishi:  Cars, trucks, diesels, scooters, rice cookers, refrigerators, ovens, air conditioners

Yamaha:  Pianos, violins/violas, drums, motorcycles, scooters, etc

GM:  Cars/trucks/heavy trucks


that's a very good example, except that GE is a holding corp that owns subsidiaries.  Zaibatsus are organized as a single company doing everything...

sorry, but wrong.

GE sells many products under the same brand name. medical imagers, washing machines, jet engines, and lightbulbs are all sold with the GE trademark stamp on them.

[ducatiz]

potatO, potAto. still mashes up the samesorry, but wrong.

GE sells many products under the same brand name. medical imagers, washing machines, jet engines, and lightbulbs are all sold with the GE trademark stamp on them.

not the same thing.  i am very familiar with GE and its intellectual property as well.

GE is organized as subsidiary companies, all using the same logo under license from the parent which owns all the trademarks.

HMC is the same company that makes cars and that makes generators.

Likewise, Samsung is the same thru and thru for its phones, rice cookers, network devices, TVs etc

The Asian (primarily Japanese and Korean) model is to have everything incorporated under the same "roof" and tending towards family or close ownership, even if publicly traded -- only 20% or so of Honda's stock is publicly traded.  Liability is limited by statute -- Japan doesn't have product defect laws.

The American model is to have a holding company which owns the dependent subsidiaries to limit liability.  it isn't "potatO/potAto"..

[junior varsity]

agree with ducatiz.


big difference in BEING the same company, and licensing the same trademark for brand identity.