In an increasingly crowded marketplace, getting riders to remain loyal to your brand is a challenge all manufacturers are now finding themselves negotiating.
While some brands offer t-shirts, discounts on insurance or dress up kits at the point of purchase to build a relationship with their customers, Yamaha Motor New Zealand has taken a different approach -- and it involves free fish and chips and a beachside reserve.
Yamaha are no strangers to brand outreach; they have successfully built up a following of loyal customers with their bLU cRU Racing initiative, backed by a range of bikes - particularly in the dirt sector - suitable for those from small children to competitive motocross machines and a range of rider-friendly exclusives to bring added value to the Yamaha purchase.
When it comes to the road market, Yamaha has a range of bikes to cover all aspects of motorcycling, but are only now starting to leverage that market spread with rider-only exclusives such as the first ever Yamaha MT Ride Event held recently in Auckland.
“The MT are a very popular range and it was a way that we knew we could engage with customers and particularly the wide demographic from young guys to older riders, and that was exactly the blend we got,” says Yamaha Motor NZ national manager, Alan Petrie.
“We want to engage our broader Yamaha Family because motorcycling is a passion and something we all share. We had a good number of enquiries when we posted this event on Facebook from riders riding R series bikes or our adventure range going ‘hey, what about us?’ and of course we acknowledge that, so this is the first of many such initiatives for Yamaha.”
MT09 rider, Alton Rodgers, rode from Hamilton to attend the event.
“I wanted to come and get together with a bunch of other MT riders and see what was going on, he said. “I got hooked on the bikes after I swung a leg over the 900 with its triple motor and I was hooked. It doesn’t matter what you do, where you are and what you’re up to, that monster torque (what the MT stands for) is there when you’re ready for it.”
The event, which was held over Labour Weekend, invited owners of Yamaha’s MT range of road bikes to meet at Te Puru Park near Maraetai before heading out on a pre-prepared ride along some of the best roads South Auckland has to offer.
With uncharacteristically good Labour Weekend weather, 65 riders of Yamaha’s MT range of bikes, rode up to the beachside reserve to get in on what Yamaha referred to as “the Yamaha Family” action. After an hour and fifteen-minute long scenic ride around South Auckland led by Yamaha affiliates, Pro Rider Motorcycle Training, the pack of riders returned to Te Puru Park for free fish and chips put on by Yamaha, plus a prize-giving ceremony where exclusive prizes were given away to those in attendance.
With the MT day a resounding success, Yamaha are setting their sights southward to the annual Burt Munro Challenge, with plans in the works for a large ride from Auckland to the event in Invercargill.
“Our goal is to get 100 riders to go down to the Burt,” Petrie says. “I think we can do it. All they need is an opportunity to join and give them enough time to register and we’ll put the event together for them.”
“We believe we don’t exist without our customers and we need to acknowledge that, but also share with them what’s fantastic about motorcycling. These people ride these bikes because they’re passionate, they want to enjoy them, and this is a lifestyle choice to them.”
TENERE 700 TIDBIT
While discussing the growing Yamaha motorcycle range with riders at the MT day, Petrie candidly took to answering any and all questions relating to the brand. One of the most anticipated models to be awaiting an official launch date is the new Tenere 700 model, an adventure bike based loosely on the MT 07. When asked about the long-awaited model, Petrie didn't mince his words.
"Ahh the mystical T7, Petrie told the assembled crowd of riders. "We've taken a lot of questions on when we're going to bring that bike out. I'll tell you what happened about the T7. When the T7 first came out as a concept, it was originally a soft roader and our friends across the Tasman kicked up a stink and said 'this is not right', but the Europeans went out and made a mock-up and released it on social media and all of a sudden the factory was caught out and thought 'we've got to do something about this' and that's what they've done. So the new T7 when we receive it next year - we believe - will be the business. It's a proper dual sport motorcycle and we can't wait for it to be honest with you. The T7 will be a game changer."
It is expected that Yamaha will officially announce the Tenere 700 as a production model at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in early November, but this is the first we've heard from a Yamaha employee that the wait for the long-awaited replacement for the Tenere 660 is finally nearly at an end.
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