At a glitzy event held at a rather amazing Beverly Hills mansion last evening (the house is worth a story of its own), Yamaha announced the creation of “Star Motorcycles” as a stand alone brand for its cruisers.
Yamaha had this to say about Star Motorcycles in the promotional material handed out to journalists at the event:
The word “brand” is used quite often these days, but not always correctly. A brand is much more than just a name or advertising theme. A brand encompasses every way the rider interacts with the product and the company.
The Star Motorcycles brand will focus specifically on cruiser riders and provide a clear distinction from our other product lines. For Star Motorcycles, the rider’s overall experience is fundamental.
A Yamaha (or, should I say Star) rep at the event told me that they were not planning separate dealerships for the Star Motorcycle brand, which will be sold along with Yamahas at their existing dealers. Star Motorcycles would have certain separation elements on a dealer’s showroom floor, however.
Will Star Motorcycles debut new product or simply re-badge existing Yamaha cruisers? Eventually, new product will come, of course, but Yamaha is waiting until June 12 to release details. Stay tuned.
