Safety issue could destroy motorcycle market

Departing Honda Australia managing director Stuart Strickland has delivered a blunt message on the one issue he believes could destroy the motorcycle market in Australia -- safety.

"If the motorcycle road roll continues to stand out as it does at the moment it's going to be a huge issue," said Strickland. "The technology going into cars is following the bureaucracy's theme that you've got to build a product that is basically fool proof. That's pretty difficult for motorcycles and bicycles.

"We are over represented for the amount of kilometres travelled on the road, and we are constantly reminded of that.

"We see governments which are anti-motorcycles, and we see this first-hand because we are in a rider training environment.

"So when you try to find initiatives to get people trained we come across a whole lot of rhetoric from governments - compete crap about the fact that if you train someone you are going to turn them into more of a risk taker.

"What they forget is that we are training them to a basic curriculum put out by these governments, which is not standardised across Australia.

"But what we concentrate on is road craft. It's not encouraging them to take more risks -- it's encouraging them to understand what's happening on the roads."

And he's also taken aim at the lack of consultation with politicians.

"The most disappointing thing to me about the motorcycle industry and rider groups is the lack of dialogue with their local politicians," said Strickland. "Politicians who don't ride motorcycles have no idea and they just follow the theme that motorcycles are dangerous.

"Politicians are only interested in votes. As manufactures we have taken a punt to engage politicians, but they think we are only trying to increase market share and they discount a lot of what we say."

Strickland and Honda will part ways at the end of June after 29 years.