Honda goes to the extreme

CEBU CITY – The spirit of fun. The passion for adventure. The drive for new things.

These and more motivated Honda Philippines to go to the extreme in designing its newest motorcycle – the XRM 100, a bike it launched at the Civic Trade and Industry Center here over the weekend.

Three years in the making, the XRM is a cross between a family cub type and an on/off-road bike, making it suitable for riding on well-paved streets as well as on rocky terrains.

But what made the XRM extremely special is that it was designed with the Filipino rider in mind.

Hiroshi Sekiguchi, Honda Philippines’ president and general manager, said the XRM was built specifically for the Philippine market.

"Our previous models were merely adapted from those already existing in other countries in Southeast Asia. But the XRM is unique. It was developed to meet the specific Filipino taste," he said.

Honda Philippines conducted market surveys for three years with the help of the Honda Research and Development. The surveys showed that in order to stimulate the market and initiate a substantial growth, a new model heretofore unseen has to be developed.

Honda designers thus used the following equation – on/off-road image plus usage convenience plus affordable price – in developing the new model. The result was the XRM.

For looks, the XRM borrowed extensively from the on/off bike XLR, a sporty model that is more known for enduro racing. For power, it adapted the engine of the Wave – a 110cc air-cooled four-stroke powerplant with a capacitor discharge ignition system that delivers efficient combustion. The reliability of this engine has been proven by thousands of Wave units sold in the past decade.

For ease of use, the XRM was fitted with a combination of electric and kick starter, a front disc brake, and a utility box under the seat. The seat height was also kept to the minimum to allow riders of all sizes.

The XRM’s biggest attraction, however, is its price. At P49,800, Honda expects the new bike to be its bestseller this year.

"We priced the XRM very reasonably," said Sekiguchi. "The price was based on several surveys on those people who are not yet riding motorcycles and from existing users’ affordable level. We asked them how much they could afford and we arrived at the price."

Honda emerged as the motorcycle market’s leader last year, selling 65,405 units for a 34 percent market share.

Its bestsellers last year were the Dream and Wave, both cub or solo models which are a step higher than scooters.

Mateo Ocenar, president of the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association, said the industry has been experiencing an upsurge in the sales of cub models for the past three years.

"It’s not only Honda that is looking closely on this cub model market. In fact all motorcycle makers – Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki and even those from Taiwan and China – are having good sales," he said.

To promote the XRM to the public, Honda is holding test rides in all its dealerships nationwide.

Ager Kiocho, assistant vice president for sales, said they are seriously promoting the XRM not only as a safe and efficient way of moving around but also as fashionable way of going from one place to another.

"We Filipinos are known to be maporma. That’s why we developed this model," he said.