ChromeWorld Motorcycle Parts and Accessories Blog

As promised, here is the latest information I have concerning the Honda Goldwing tires made by Dunlop and the Dunlop worker’s strike. This information was provided by Dunlop to one of our Dunlop Gold Wing tire suppliers during a conference call. My supplier, in turn, passed the information along to me.

As of December 11, 2006, the negotiations between management and workers were at an impasse. The strike will be 90 days old on January 3, 2007. Meanwhile, Dunlop has been hiring replacement workers and expects to be at full capacity within 60 days. So far the strike has mainly affected supply of Dunlop Elite III’s, Dunlop 402 cruiser tires, and Dunlop Qualifiers. Dunlop is trying to bring in some Qualifiers from France; however, the supply is slow and the quantities fall short of demand.

Although Dunlop believes they will be at full capacity in 60 days that does not mean that the tire shortage will instantly end. First of all, Dunlop has made it very clear that the motorcycle after-market supply is very low on their list of supply priorities. Number one on that list is the automobile market. Once the automotive market demand is satisfied Dunlop will turn to the power sports market. Even then they are going to concentrate on original equipment production for Harley and Honda. Once they satisfy demand from the OEs they will go to work on the after-market supply.

So what does this all mean to you and me? Well, Dunlop says that once they start running at full capacity it will take them at least 6 months to catch up with demand for the power sports after-market. Using Dunlop’s best case scenario, we are looking at August of 2007 before we see a readily available supply of Dunlop Elite III’s for the Goldwing . Personally, I’m taking Dunlop’s predictions with a grain of salt. As I stated in my earlier post on this subject, the shortage of tires started well in advance of the strike. I would be completely surprised, albeit pleasantly, if I see Dunlop supply satisfy demand before this time next year.

The situation at Chrome World is this. Demand for tires is falling off as we head into the winter. That is good if you are thinking about buying tires. As I write this we are fully stocked on Avon and Metzler tires. However, we are currently back ordered on the Bridgestone and Dunlop tires. If you consider that Dunlop’s share of the Goldwing market exceeded the market share of all other brands of tires combined, you can see that Avon, Bridgestone, and Metzler have done a relatively good job trying to meet the increased demand caused by the shortage of Dunlop tires. The question is can they stay ahead of demand next spring as we move back into the riding season? I think it is more likely we will see a repeat of this year’s shortages and back orders.

I am advising all of my customers to buy a set of tires now. Get them on order, especially if you must have Dunlop’s. We fill back orders in the order in which they are received. If the tires you order come in earlier than you expect and you don’t need them yet, just store them in a dry place until you do need them. If you wait until spring, when everyone and their brother is looking to buy tires, I can’t promise you that you will get a set of tires before the tires you are riding on are dangerously low on tread.

I’ll post additional updates as I get additional information.

When I think back over my twelve years of selling Goldwing accessories at Chrome World Motorcycle Accessories, there are only a handful of accessories that made me say “wow”. LED lighting did, it’s just cool. The Bike Butler drink holder did, it just does it all. Gerbing heated clothing did. I still kick myself thinking about all those days I rode in the cold, my chest muscles so tight it’s a wonder I didn’t crack a rib, and all the while trying to convince myself “this isn’t so bad, I’m a man, I can deal with it”. Then one trip with a borrowed Gerbing jacket liner and I knew I would never again ride without it. I also better understood my wife’s smile when I pulled out the old “I’m a man” card. Maybe I’ll start stopping and asking for directions…maybe.

My wife doesn’t think I’m very creative either. She is probably right about that also. According to her the only thing creative about me is what I do to get out of yard work. Anyway, I tend to like what I like and I tend to stick with it. If she would let me, you would find me in boots, jeans, and a comfortable (read old) shirt everywhere I go. Alas, she doesn’t let me. That is probably for the best. But when it comes to my Goldwing I’m the same way. I like some tasteful chrome in the right places. I like the comfort and convenience items like the Bike Butler and Kuryakyn’s highway boards and floorboards. I particularly like driving lights and accessories with LED lights. All of my Goldwings over the years have been decked out basically the same way. So it will probably come as a shock to my wife, and anyone else who knows me, when I tell you about the latest Goldwing accessory that makes me say “wow”.

Chrome World has just started carrying a large selection of color matched Goldwing accessories for the GL1800. These accessories are the same as many of the chrome accessories I sell except they are painted in GL1800 OEM colors. I have sold a few color matched items in the past but they never seemed to catch on. What is different this time is the large variety of items available. This allows you, and me, to be creative. Yes, I said creative. Alert the media. Call an ambulance for my wife.

The first time I saw color changes was at a large Gold Wing dealer in North Carolina. The dealer had mixed body panels from a yellow and a black Goldwing. The result was two very neat looking bikes, both of which reminded me of large bumble bees. The dealer had also swapped panels between a black and an orange Gold Wing. These bikes screamed Baltimore Orioles and I really liked the way they looked. The problem was you would have to buy the bike that way and most dealers were not willing, or did not have the inventory, to create the look you wanted.

With color matched accessories that is no longer a problem. You can add as little or as much color as you want, where you want. You can use one, two, three, or more, colors. You are really only limited by your imagination and the colors available which, by the way, is all of the GL1800 stock colors. You can match your school colors; favorite sports team colors, or just go for a look you like. Imagine mixing colors and then complimenting them with pin striping, maybe even a team or club logo. Maybe add some matching LED lights. How about a red, white, and blue, patriotic themed Goldwing. WOW. My Goldwing may be undergoing some changes soon. I can’t wait to see what you really creative folks come up with.