Toshiyuki Inuma, director for marketing, said yesterday that the overall motorcycle market would drop 15 per cent this year.

He also does not expect the market to reach 1.9 million units as earlier estimated, but 1.75 million instead.

He said the company would keep watching the economic situation and admitted that its earlier sales target seemed hard to achieve.

The company's business started slowing down last year

and continued sliding 8 per

cent in the first quarter, while

the total market dropped 15 per cent.

"As the market leader with almost 70 per cent, we need to keep boosting the market through many marketing activities and new product launches," he said.

Its latest marketing push, in cooperation with Advance Info Service and Sony Pictures Releasing International, features activities tied to the blockbuster sequel - "Spider-Man 3".

The Bt30-million campaign, running from May 7 to June 20, is aimed at attracting more teenagers to become long-term customers.

Teens make up 25 per cent of all Honda's customers.

This year's marketing bud-

get is the same as last year, but Inuma declined to reveal the figure.

The motorcycle market will gradually get better and stabilise next year, he added.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation