Honda/Hitachi merger to consolidate Showa, Nissin, and Keihin into Hitachi automotive, Ltd

Dirty Points
So it looks like Honda and Hitachi are formulating a merger that would make one mega parts manufacturer, folding in and targeting to end the branding of Showa, Keihin, and Nissin.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/30/business/corporate-busines…

Although much more impactful in terms of the overall business on the automobile market, it will be interesting to see how this will effect mx/dirtbikes, where those three brands have a major impact on our technology. I can't help but speculate mx development and budget may be pushed more on back-burner under management of such a massive and diverse global automotive conglomerate.
|
peltier626
Profile picture for user peltier626
Posts
1401
Joined
3/15/2018
Location
LA US
peltier626 11/2/2019 5:40pm
11/2/2019 5:40pm
Dirty Points wrote:
So it looks like Honda and Hitachi are formulating a merger that would make one mega parts manufacturer, folding in and targeting to end the branding...
So it looks like Honda and Hitachi are formulating a merger that would make one mega parts manufacturer, folding in and targeting to end the branding of Showa, Keihin, and Nissin.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/30/business/corporate-busines…

Although much more impactful in terms of the overall business on the automobile market, it will be interesting to see how this will effect mx/dirtbikes, where those three brands have a major impact on our technology. I can't help but speculate mx development and budget may be pushed more on back-burner under management of such a massive and diverse global automotive conglomerate.
Don't worry too much, you could always get a KTM or Husky or even a Gas Gas now.
4
HuskyEd
Profile picture for user HuskyEd
Posts
4946
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Palmdale, CA US
HuskyEd 11/2/2019 6:42pm
11/2/2019 6:42pm
Interesting, considering that Honda is also pulling out of the All Japan Nationals next year.
Dirty Points 11/2/2019 8:07pm
11/2/2019 8:07pm Edited Date/Time 11/3/2019 8:30am
Plenty of large conglomerates have left perfectly profitable niches to chase bigger fish (like self driving technology, as mentioned as their focus in the article).

That said, my concerns were more specific to Moto and the involvement of brands like Showa in racing development than global motorcycle sales as a whole
kiwifan
Profile picture for user kiwifan
Posts
9485
Joined
10/31/2009
Location
CA US
kiwifan 11/2/2019 9:13pm
11/2/2019 9:13pm
HuskyEd wrote:
Interesting, considering that Honda is also pulling out of the All Japan Nationals next year.
Does any other factory team enter it, I thought it was only Honda anyway?

The Shop

See All »
Dirty Points 11/3/2019 5:28am
11/3/2019 5:28am Edited Date/Time 11/3/2019 5:37am
Dirty Points wrote:
So it looks like Honda and Hitachi are formulating a merger that would make one mega parts manufacturer, folding in and targeting to end the branding...
So it looks like Honda and Hitachi are formulating a merger that would make one mega parts manufacturer, folding in and targeting to end the branding of Showa, Keihin, and Nissin.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/30/business/corporate-busines…

Although much more impactful in terms of the overall business on the automobile market, it will be interesting to see how this will effect mx/dirtbikes, where those three brands have a major impact on our technology. I can't help but speculate mx development and budget may be pushed more on back-burner under management of such a massive and diverse global automotive conglomerate.
peltier626 wrote:
Don't worry too much, you could always get a KTM or Husky or even a Gas Gas now.
KTM/Husky (and, presumably, Gas Gas) use Keihin fuel injection and engine management.
1
ML512
Profile picture for user ML512
Posts
15463
Joined
12/28/2008
Location
Wildomar, CA US
Fantasy
54th
ML512 11/3/2019 5:33am
11/3/2019 5:33am
HuskyEd wrote:
Interesting, considering that Honda is also pulling out of the All Japan Nationals next year.
kiwifan wrote:
Does any other factory team enter it, I thought it was only Honda anyway?
Kawasaki and Yamaha have factory entries. Suzuki left recently though.
1
KX500
Profile picture for user KX500
Posts
283
Joined
8/30/2018
Location
Chester, IL US
KX500 11/3/2019 6:40am
11/3/2019 6:40am
Interesting. I knew that Honda had a stake in Keihin & Showa, didn't realize Nissin too. I have also found it amusing that Honda is making money on pretty much every Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley Davidson sold as all of these bikes use something from one of these parts suppliers. And maybe on KTMs & Huskies too.
Dirty Points 11/3/2019 6:48am
11/3/2019 6:48am
KX500 wrote:
Interesting. I knew that Honda had a stake in Keihin & Showa, didn't realize Nissin too. I have also found it amusing that Honda is making...
Interesting. I knew that Honda had a stake in Keihin & Showa, didn't realize Nissin too. I have also found it amusing that Honda is making money on pretty much every Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley Davidson sold as all of these bikes use something from one of these parts suppliers. And maybe on KTMs & Huskies too.
Ktm/husky = Keihin FI/ECU
Dirty Points 11/3/2019 1:35pm
11/3/2019 1:35pm Edited Date/Time 11/3/2019 9:25pm
Underground wrote:
Hitachi Koki, now HiKOKI since June 2018, makes really good cordless battery powered, brushless motor power tools. Just a saying.

https://www.hikoki-powertools.com/
I see what you are getting at here, but I can be even more direct with the product reference:
http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/products/electricps/index.html

Which somewhat speaks to my point: This will be a company who's engineering goals are centered around re-working entire energy infrastructures and automating tasks that have been performed by humans for all of history. What will their priority be on untrackable-for-marketing-impact technical motocross endeavors like simply producing A-kits? Or sending engineers to testing sessions to decipher what a 19-year-old home-schooler says is an issue with their product?

For Showa, a dedicated shock absorber company, MX presented some of the most challenging of applications for their tech. For Hitachi Automotive, it may be a distraction at best.
1
mattyhamz2
Profile picture for user mattyhamz2
Posts
10884
Joined
7/6/2015
Location
So Cal, CA US
Fantasy
846th
mattyhamz2 11/3/2019 1:50pm
11/3/2019 1:50pm
HuskyEd wrote:
Interesting, considering that Honda is also pulling out of the All Japan Nationals next year.
Seriously? Why?
BikeGuy321
Profile picture for user BikeGuy321
Posts
427
Joined
9/25/2018
Location
San Jose, CA US
BikeGuy321 11/3/2019 2:22pm
11/3/2019 2:22pm
My guess is that they are restructuring to make electric vehicle R&D more efficient. I'd like to get my hands on a pcx 150 hybrid but I don't they're available in the States.
Dirty Points 11/3/2019 2:31pm
11/3/2019 2:31pm Edited Date/Time 11/3/2019 2:46pm
BikeGuy321 wrote:
My guess is that they are restructuring to make electric vehicle R&D more efficient. I'd like to get my hands on a pcx 150 hybrid but...
My guess is that they are restructuring to make electric vehicle R&D more efficient. I'd like to get my hands on a pcx 150 hybrid but I don't they're available in the States.
That's not just a guess. They specifically said that in the press release (along with self-driving vehicles) will be a major focus.

Post a reply to: Honda/Hitachi merger to consolidate Showa, Nissin, and Keihin into Hitachi automotive, Ltd