Range of bikes for a variety of work and conditions

Press, 24 July 1987, Page 13

Range of bikes for a variety of work and conditions

In the past 12 years, the Honda range of farm bikes has grown from a solitary two-wheeler — the faithful old CT9O — to a comprehensive range of eight models. The way in which these have been adapted to take “all manner of equipment for all manner of applications” reflects the increasing dependence of farmers on the motorcycle and the ATC (all terrain cycle) for a wide range of duties on the land.

The Honda range now includes five twowheelers, one threewheeler and two fourwheelers.

Blue Wing Honda believes its range is now developed to the point where it has a machine suited to virtually every application.

Information fed to Japan from New Zealand has contributed to details such as the size of mudguards, gearbox ratios, protectors for handlebars, carrier sizes and the type of seats fitted. It has resulted in the development of models such as the CT2OO AutoAg, which has the power of a 200 cc 4-stroke engine coupled to an automatic clutch and electric start.

Honda’s respect for the farm market in New Zealand is also reflected in the continued production of models such as the CTIIO, which remains the only step-through farm bike on the market.

Similarly, demand from the farming sector has seen the Honda range of ATC s expand to three.

The use of three and four-wheelers in agriculture and horticulture in New Zealand has grown so spectacularly that they now account for nearly 15 per cent of the total New Zealand motor-cycle market.

Honda, with its Super Red and four-wheeled TRX2SO and TRX3SO, claims to have captured nearly 60 per cent of the ATC market.

With larger carriers which can take loads of 60kg, and the ability to also pull a trailer with a 360 kg load, the ATC Super Red 250 and the TRX2SO are the main workhorses of the Honda ATC range.

The ultimate in Honda’s farm bike range is the TRX3SO, a four-wheeler with four-wheel drive.