rider/vets of a certain age may wonder......

[firstbuell]

Vietnamese flags on Movistar Yamahas all season

".....I'll gladly go back to Vietnam in the future. I also hope that in the future some Vietnamese riders will be able to become professional riders....."


http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/240216/1/yamaha-adds-vietnam-flag-to-rossi-vinales-m1s.html

 

[KrustyKruser]

So will Moto GP broadcasts in San Jose blur out the flag on the Movistar Yamahas?

 

[russ69]

My Dad might have had trouble with a Japanese made motorcycle, I'm Vietnam era but I have no problem with it. Time moves on, we lost and it's time to accept that fact.

 

[clutchslip]

Because all those Vietnamese are watching MotoGP at the local bar, and will buy Yamahas when they see their flag????? Is Yamaha making a profit? With marketing like this, they could be broke in no time.

While Vietnam is another fast growing country, it is also poor. The average income is about $1500 bucks a year. If you take the number of Vietnamese that could afford a Yamaha, it's probably less than the population of Orange County. Why not just put a California flag on the stupid bikes, stupid?

 

[jwb]

There are 90 million people in Vietnam and 90% of them have a motorcycle or scooter. The motorcycle market in Vietnam is way bigger and more competitive than the one in California.

 

[clutchslip]

Depends on how you determine "way bigger". If you sell 100,000 units and your average sale nets you $30. (Remember the Vietnamese are relatively poor. They ain't buying M1s) Or if you sell 10,000 units, but your average net is $500+ per bike, which is the better business? Orange county alone could probably win. Let alone California.

 

[budman]

So why no Indian flag??

 

[turboLT]

I dunno. I think it's kinda cool that you can travel to Vietnam now and not get shot or thrown in a POW camp. Things change I guess but I have a SUPER hard time seeing the same thing in a place like Mosul any time soon, which in retrospect is probably how everyone of the Vietnam generation feels.

So yeah man - thank you for your service!

 

[NoTraffic]

There are 90 million people in Vietnam and 90% of them have a motorcycle or scooter. The motorcycle market in Vietnam is way bigger and more competitive than the one in California.

+1 You don't know how many consumers there are in Vietnam buying scooter parts, upgrades and consumables over those in California. Profits are profits regardless of region. I've probably seen more 16 yr old girls in one day of Saigon riding a Yamaha than in all of Orange County in a month.

 

[rsrider]

Good PR is good PR. The Yamaha Exciter: it's a pretty aggressive looking scoot with a lot of sprotbile references. They may not be able to afford the big toys, but that doesn't mean they don't like going WFO with what they got.