We’re still processing it all here at TheScooterScoop headquarters. So far looks like the surprises we were hoping to see may have turned out to be surprises we DIDN’T wanna see. What we mean to say is, we’re not seeing the Honda Elite… We’re not seeing the Big Ruckus… We’re not seeing the Reflex… We’re not seeing the Honda Helix! Oh the humanity! I’m hoping and praying right now that this is just a preliminary list of 2008 releases, though I’m not holding my breath for the announcement of the DN-01, the GRF-1, the E4-01 or this thing. At this point I’m afraid to hold my breath for the SH 300i the return of the Monkey or the import of the Super Cub. If we confirm the loss of the Elite, Big Ruck, Reflex and Helix… we’ll just pass out.
Let’s take a peek at a couple of the new announcements:
The 2008 Honda Metropolitan in Monza Red, also available in Ocean and Gothic seen below.
More updates to come with info on the other scooters that we know will be around for 2008, the Honda Silver Wing and the Ruckus.
*I feel sorta sick*
***UPDATE***
Here’s what I’m banking on right now… Honda is holding their cards for 2008 until either EICMA in November or the Tokyo Motor Show in October. This official announcement may only be revealing the updates to their existing models. Let’s dry our eyes and wait ’till then.
6. September 2007 at 4:44 am
Godd*%n, Motherf@#kers! Looks like Honda has again gone nuts and done nothing except to dumb down the US market, AGAIN! Come on, the Japanese are calling us STUPID! More stupid than the Europeans! It’s very upsetting and deeply disappointing. We should organize a formal PROTEST and BOYCOTT Honda for failing to understand the growing demand for a higher class of scooters–scooters worthy of daily commute and not just some weekend playtoys.
As an owner of a Civic, I feel cheated and…ashamed.–Lawrence
6. September 2007 at 4:58 am
Steve,
Who is the head idiot of marketing at Honda USA? What do we need to do to let Honda know about our demands? Wanna start a letter, man? I’m sorry for the outburst; but this is TOTAL B$&LSH#T!!
For starters, we need the SH300i here now; and not more paint schemes for the Metro.
Lawrence
6. September 2007 at 1:18 pm
I am constantly amazed that Honda doesn’t offer up scooters that are already designed like the SH300i and the Forza X to the North American market. However, I will not give up all hope and look forward to new announcements later this fall.
The Reflex is a tough purchase to make for the maxi-scoot crowd when a Majesty, Burg 400, Xciting 500 are available for a few hundred more. Unless you really want that ABS there is little to entice the consumer.
I will be checking the Scoop for future updates!
6. September 2007 at 2:04 pm
Calm down everyone. Every year Honda and the other big Japaneese manufacturers announce their model lineup in several stages. The first wave is always the filler. If you look at their motorcycle models announced it containes just 2 models, cruiser with touring accessories bolted on (yawn) and a new dual purpose bike (kinda cool). The rest of the motorcycles (and hopefully scooters) will be revealed in the coming months to build excitement and spread out their press releases. It is a bit like a strip tease to elicite the maxixmun ammount of press coverage and buzz in the industry. It has happened every year since I have been following motorcycles (20 years) and I would be surprised if it changed now.
6. September 2007 at 3:24 pm
I hope Honda announces new or at least updated models to replace the ones they seem to have dropped. Crossing my fingers for the SH300i….
6. September 2007 at 4:35 pm
Whoa Lawrence! And I thought I was upset. There, there my friend… take heart. What we are seeing could just be the beginning. As Illnoise over at the 2StrokeBuzz says (as well as others commenting above), Honda could be culling old models, defining what’s new for models that will stick around and saving the exciting announcements for the up coming shows.
Announcing new and exciting models in some tired press release would be like Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone 2 the same way. He wouldn’t. He would save it for the “ooohs” and “ahhhs” of the press during a big Apple show.
If December rolls around and none of this has happened, I’ll join you for a tear-in-my-beer session or better yet a jumpin-up-and-down, whootin-and-a-hollerin, swearin-and-a-cursin, kickin-and-a-spittin, bashfest.
6. September 2007 at 5:55 pm
I guess I’ll keep my 1978 CB400A, it will soon be 30 years old. May need to repaint it. Hard to believe Honda was once an innovator.
6. September 2007 at 10:32 pm
Honda is no different than the other Japanese motorcycle manufacturers… they’ve long since abandoned the idea of introducing new people to motorcycling/scooting. All they care about is selling cruisers to baby boomers and crotch rockets to 20-somethings, because that’s where the money is now.
__Orin
Scootin’ Old Skool
7. September 2007 at 2:02 am
“All they care about is selling cruisers to baby boomers and crotch rockets to 20-somethings, because that’s where the money is now.”
But … But … But …
They DO sell the bikes we want to buy … just not here.
7. September 2007 at 3:01 am
So what you’re saying is that, in a parallel universe, in a place other than here, there exist the exact thing which we desire. If it doesn’t come to us; then we must go to it. Hummmmm, I’ve heard this one before, and isn’t it true with everything which we desire? It could be an object, a perfect job, or the one you truly love. (Currently considering moving to Japan.)
7. September 2007 at 1:02 pm
Honda USA, are you listening?
Dylan! Dylan! Dylan! Dylan!
Dylan! Dylan! Dylan! Dylan!
SH300i! SH300i! SH300i! SH300i!
SH300i! SH300i! SH300i! SH300i!
7. September 2007 at 1:24 pm
Well if you really want an SH300i why don’t you go buy yourself a KYMCO P-S250? Isn’t it close enough??
7. September 2007 at 10:58 pm
Ergo, a Vespa is just like a Lambretta??? Close enough?!?! You can’t be SERIOUS!!! You want a SH300i, you betta getta SH300i. Honda betta deliver!
8. September 2007 at 1:32 pm
I have to say that I’ve really disappointed in Honda. Where is the innovation in the US marketplace? Where is the E4-01? Where is the Griffon? Where are the dual-sport bikes like the TransAlp and the Varadero? It’s like Honda is content to concede the market to everything but the “heavy iron” and “crotch rocket” crowd. WTF!!!
I’ve been looking at buying my next scooter. It has to be an all-around, all-season scooter. I was thinking Silver Wing ABS, but now I’m serious, seriously thinking of going over to Suzuki. I’ve been a loyal Reflex owner for years and would really like to stay with a brand I know. Unfortunately, I’ve pretty much had it with the same-ol’, same-ol’ crap. Honda USA needs to pull a Steve Jobs and make amends with this segment of the market, NOW!
Brad Horn
8. September 2007 at 11:29 pm
RE: “Honda is holding their cards for 2008 until… the Tokyo Motor Show in October.”
Honda and all the other JP MC COs display new bikes and concepts at the Tokyo Show Oct 26 but I’ve never heard of a new bike displayed at the Tokyo Show being available for the next model year here in the USA.
How odd. The only scooters for the USA are the SWing-600, Metropolitan-50, and Ruckus-50.
http://powersports.honda.com/
2008models/#Scooters
Maybe Can-Am or Polaris will offer us something in the next few years. By the way, I was thinking about the recent Arctic Cat / Piaggio agreement and was fantasizing how wonderful it would be if Arctic Cat dealers in the USA carried the complete Derbi and Gilera lines (but they will probably carry Vespas and the Aprilia dirt bikes).
9. September 2007 at 9:26 pm
Honda is either being really secretive about their plans for the U.S. market, or really cynical.
I must say I’m not encouraged by Honda’s official ’08 scooter site listing only three models. For years I’d been hoping that Honda would fill the gap between their 50cc and 250cc scooters with some nice mid-sized machines. Instead they appear to be widening the gap by deleting all of their 250cc offerings. What happened? Do they have a new 250cc motor that they don’t feel like EPA testing?
At least Yamaha is sticking around for the time being. They even have the Zuma again: http://www.yamaha-motor.com/
sport/products/modeloverview/
cat/2008/60/model_overview.aspx
And of course we still have Kymco, Vespa, Piaggio, and Genuine. This announcement is only really disturbing to those of us who equate “Honda” with something special.
10. September 2007 at 12:31 pm
“Monza” is schweet.
11. September 2007 at 2:36 am
If Honda introduces the SH300i to the US, I’ll be first in line to buy one.
11. September 2007 at 4:09 am
Not if I beat you to it. ;)
11. September 2007 at 2:21 pm
I forgot to mention, the other day when I was at my Honda dealership in Des Moines, I saw a line of Schwinn scooters. They had one Reflex, two Metropolitans, and Schwinns!!! WTF! OK, the Honda dealership here obviously sees some market segment that they need to cover, and they obviously don’t have the Hondas to put into that segment. Therefore, they’re resorting to Schwinns!
I recently sold my beloved Reflex, and I’m buying a Burgman in protest.
Brad
11. September 2007 at 8:56 pm
What a bad choice to offer Schwinns. If they had their head in the game they would have brought in the Genuine line of scoots. Though I doubt they would sell many Metropolitans after that.
13. September 2007 at 12:30 am
What does it say about the person who rides a knockoff of a knockoff?! I mean, it’s a legitimate moral/existential question, isn’t it? Discuss.
18. September 2007 at 5:27 am
Well my 1985 Elite 250 just took it’s second trophy at the second scooter rally I was able to attend this year.
As much as I love my 22 yr old Honda I can’t keep it perfect forever. Honda has passed the torch, this is the last year I’ll jion the HRCA, I’ll get different roadside assistance next year. (Not that I’ve ever needed it)
If our home state car and motorcycle company (Honda) is abandoning us scooterists just as scooters are really taking off in the US…. then our Odessey will be our last Honda auto too. (Breaking a 30 year relationship with Honda Autos)
29. September 2007 at 11:54 pm
After three years of bouncing between a Silverwing and a Reflex and then a Big Ruckus- maintaining two scoots (which I really can’t afford), hoping Honda would bring in the mid-range 400cc scooter I so wanted-
I gave up and traded my Silverwing for a Burgman 400. The BR will eventually go up for sale.
It’s a shame I had to go to another manufacturer to get a bike that fits me simply because Honda wants to ignore this market.
The plus is I truly do love my Suzuki- Honda may have lost me for good.
5. December 2007 at 8:35 am
Is it possible to buy an SH300i from Italy or U.K and have it ship here to the u.s. what would that cost and the procedure be? Anybody help? I want one.
14. July 2008 at 7:10 pm
octechguy! You know… Where there’s a will there’s a way. While I do think the SH300i looks to be a winner, I’m still not sure it’s worth the headache of grey-marketing one into the US. The added costs, time, uncertainty and lack of support here would probably kill your “will” to bring one in.
I may be wrong… but right now you might wanna take the Aprilia SportCity 250 on a test ride and see if that changes your mind.
16. August 2009 at 8:54 pm
Ilove Honda.. Selling a 2004 Helix 250cc with 2100 miles people have to balls to offer me $2,000. just came back from a ride at 70+ mph. Love Hondas. I have had an 87 CRX 90 Civic and miss them much.