Distributor aims to make Honda bikes first choice

Boon Siew Singapore (BSS) wants to make Honda the No. 1 motorcycle brand in Singapore, its general manager Nicholas Wong said on Tuesday.

He spoke to dealers and journalists at the soft launch of the Honda RS150R this week at the Honda motorcycle distributor's showroom in Ubi Road.

Despite the slowdown experienced by the industry due to the new tiered Additional Registration Fee and relatively high certificate of entitlement premiums, Mr Wong was upbeat.

He told The New Paper: "I just took over (as general manager) in September, but you can see I want to do more things (for the brand) and do it fast."

BSS aims to play a leading role in the development of business opportunities for Honda motorbikes, help dealers here sell more motorbikes and strategise to make Honda a top brand.

Mr Wong, with representatives from Honda's sales division in Japan, Mr Kaisei Yamashita and Mr Kensuke Masuda, addressed guests earlier in the day.

Mr Wong said: "BSS is committed to help dealers sell more bikes and make more money for all three parties - Boon Siew Singapore, our dealers and Honda Motor, of course."

Mr Masuda's presentation focused on the 15.6hp RS150R, an agile and sporty motorcycle with fuel economy, which TNP had reviewed earlier this month.

He was confident the four-stroke RS150R will measure up to its rival, the Yamaha Sniper 150.

Mr Masuda said: "Honda has the No. 1 share in Asean and India (markets).

"Honda has an overwhelming advantage especially in the under-200cc category."

The sales figures for commuter-type Honda motorbikes, shared in Mr Masuda's presentation, was impressive.

In Thailand, the Honda Wave 110 has a 78 per cent market share, and the Honda Beat 110 has a 73 per cent share in Indonesia.

The Honda Air Blade 125 has a 69 per cent share in Vietnam.

In India, the Honda Activa 125 has a 38 per cent market share, which translates to 17.9 million units sold.

While Singapore's motorcycle market is smaller, Mr Yamashita said he hoped Honda motorbike sales here can also make an impact, especially in the Class 2B category or motorcycles below 200cc.

Since 2006, Yamaha has led the industry with the most new motorcycle registration figures each year.

In the first five months of this year, the trend was the same except for April, when there were 217 new Hondas registered here - three more than Yamaha.