VERY Bad News on New Motorcycles going into 2023... Orders Suspended!

Today we're going to talk about some motorcycle news out of Japan, and it's not looking good, guys. Honda announced in a press release at the beginning of this month that they are suspending orders for the following motorcycles and scooters. First up is the Grom, followed up by the Monkey and CT125. Then we have the ADV150, Forza, CRF250L, and CRF250 Rally, as well as the Rebel 250, Rebel 500, and Rebel 1100. Now some of you may be asking, why are you talking about a Rebel 250 and CRF250L when they were replaced with a 300cc engine years ago? Well you have to keep in mind this is news out of Japan, and they still sell the 250 variants instead of the 300 we get here in the states, as well as many other countries around the world. Back on topic though, why is this happening? Here's what the press release says. From the later half of 2021 until now, due to multiple factors such as lockdowns due to the worldwide and semiconductor supply shortages, it's created delays with product and parts arrivals. Logistics delays are continuing and the outlook for production and shipments from overseas remains uncertain. The crackdown on emissions standards over in Japan isn't helping things either with the new, more strict regulation dates starting back in December of 2020 for new models, and then another key date in November 2022 for continued production models. I've still got some more research to do on their emissions and how that's going to affect things, but it's not looking pretty. Now what does this really mean for us here in the USA? Well that's a good question. The only thing American Honda has released in a press release is this. For the week of August 1st, some of our North American operations will adjust production based on parts availability. As this is a fluid situation, we are unable to provide specific facility or model information. With that being said, I don't know if this revolved around their auto side or power sport side of things. I'm in the middle of reaching out to my contacts at American Honda to see just how much this will affect us here in the USA, and I'll keep you guys posted. Now what do I think about it all? Well before I really dive into what I think and my opinion on it all, I'd like to get some more information because this is potentially a pretty big deal and I don't want to lead you guys on with thinking, oh it'll be better in a few months, or that the end of the world is coming next month since we won't have any more minibikes. A lot of people told me I was crazy back in 2020 though when the shortages really started to hit dealers and everyone said that things would be back to normal shortly. I bet a lot of people back then that we wouldn't be back to normal in the next couple of years, and yeah I think I need to start collecting on that. But with that being said, what do you guys think about it all? And have you been trying to buy a model on this list of bikes but haven't been able to find one? But yeah, let me know what you're thinking down in the comments section and I'll be joining in on the conversation too. Thanks for watching and supporting all of this, I really appreciate it guys, and we'll see you in the next one.