Honda halts sales of 10 models amid ‘uncertain’…

Honda announced that it is temporarily suspending customer orders for ten of its motorcycles to ease pressure on waiting lists, which have built up due to continued shortages of parts using semiconductor materials.

The Japanese firm has released a statement confirming that from August 1st it will not be taking orders for the Rebel 1100, Rebel 500, Rebel 250, CRF250RALLY, CRF250L, Forza, ADV150, Grom, Monkey 125, CT125 and Hunter Cub.

Honda says a number of factors contributed to the decision to suspend sales of certain models, chief among them the expectation of receiving parts using semiconductor materials, an issue that has had many implications for the company. automotive industry over the past 18 months. It has also cut emissions due to the implications of impending regulation of Reiwa, Japan’s version of Euro5 emissions targets.

Driven by the sudden global increase in productivity as nations returned to some normality following the COVID-19 lockdowns, suppliers involved in the production and distribution of these materials – which had declined during COVID-19 – have not been able to keep up with the influx of demand since mid-2021.

With issues passed on to the customer, wait times for a new bike to be delivered are now months away, with some manufacturers warning that an order placed now means you may have to wait until 2023 to receive it .

With no clear end in sight for the supply issues and coupled with the subsequent bottlenecks at maritime marinas, as well as the lingering impact of COVID in Japan in particular, Honda has chosen to take a step that goes beyond- beyond the simple suspension of production.

Honda says it will communicate in due course when the aforementioned models will be available for purchase again.

From a UK perspective, a Honda spokesperson confirmed there was no impact on the availability of the models available here – the Rebel 1100, Rebel 500, CRF250Rally, Forza, Grom and Monkey 125 – and the issues relate to Honda Japan.

“As for Honda motorcycle products, from fall 2021 to present, due to multiple factors such as lockdowns due to novel coronavirus infection overseas, shipping and port congestion worldwide, and semiconductor supply shortages, product and parts arrivals have been delayed,” reads Honda’s statement.

“As logistical delays continue and lengthen, and the outlook for production and shipments from overseas remains uncertain.

“In addition, due to the application of the 2nd year of the Reiwa exhaust regulations to motorcycles for the Japanese domestic market from November 2022, orders for current models may reach the production plan of some models. , we will temporarily stop taking orders.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your orders and the consideration you have for our products. We are sorry.

“Regarding the resumption of orders for the target products, we will inform you again from this site and authorized Honda motorcycle dealers.

“We will continue to do our best to deliver products to our customers as soon as possible, so we appreciate your understanding.”