Honda Plans to End U.S. Motorcycle Production

[Honda News Feed]

Honda Motor Co. has announced that it will stop motorcycle production in the U.S. next year.
The first plant to shutdown will be the Marysville, Ohio plant that produces the Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser motorcycles. The plant employs 450 workers. However, the worker will not be laid off; they will be transferred to work for Honda’s automotive business. The work will be consolidated with one of Honda’s Japanese plants and the cycles will be shipped stateside.
(More details after the jump)

Plant manager Jan Gansheimer said, “There were a lot of people who felt disappointment.”
Ray Riffle, of Pastaskala, Ohio, who bought his first Gold Wing in May, said, “I feel it’s a great product, and Americans have done a great job in putting them together. I hate to see them leave.”
Akio Hamada, president and chief executive of Honda of America, said, “This move allows us to improve the competitiveness and appeal of our products by applying the latest technologies and production systems at one efficient location.”
Honda said it holds about 25 percent of the U.S. market for motorcycles.
+ International Herald Tribune: Honda to end US motorcycle production, shift work to Japan plant (via Autoblog)
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