Talk:Vento

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I started this page, knowing that it could disappear in a hurry. Even so, this might represent an extension of a trend already evident among larger motorcycle manufacturers, that is, to offer at least one model which looks like the Harley-Davidson cruisers. If so, this would represent the absurd but perhaps inevitable result of the existing tendency to emphasize image over performance, since these bikes are ridiculously large and impressive-looking compared to the tiny size of their engines.

I have not ridden one of these bikes and have no objective data on them. I have seen them in dealerships and I have visited their website at Vento.com. Otherwise, I know nothing about them, nor whether this page should be allowed to survive. I certainly am not trying to advance their product. I am puzzled by trends in motorcycle design and popularity, and this is the only reason for my interest in this topic.

Landrumkelly 01:49, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

I have edited this down to the bare bones of what can be verified. There are a lot of posts on the web about this brand of bikes, with a lot of negative commentary, but mostly by persons who have not ridden them. There are also the expected recommendations to go with existing well-known brands that are comparably priced. All of this would be of no interest, except that this brand is well-known for its scooters and is thus in a position to make some inroads into the American and European markets. (It is already established in Latin America.) Although Chinese motorcycles have so far not been taken seriously in the United States, there was a time when the same was true of Japanese automobiles. I think that the brand bears watching, but serious reviews by qualified persons who have ridden these bikes are necessary before it is possible to evaluate either the bikes or their future market potential.

In any case, this is likely to be my last post on this topic. If anyone feels the need to delete it, feel free. I ride a Honda CB900 and do not care one way or the other about this brand. The only reason that I posted the piece is that this might be a product to watch. There is no doubt more available data about these bikes on the web somewhere for someone willing to dig for it. I have seen these bikes. They look nice, but I have not ridden one. When one sees one, however, the bulk makes one think that one is looking at a much bigger bike in terms of displacement. I was quite shocked to find that such huge bodies have only 249cc engines. There are claims on the web that these bikes are now available in 500cc engines. I cannot verify those claims.

Landrumkelly 13:31, 6 October 2007 (UTC)

I have returned to this site many months later to find that the tone and content have significantly changed--but there has been no discussion. That would not matter to me except that it now reads, in my opinion, like more of a promo for the Vento brand in general, whereas it was originally focused on the narrower topic of Vento motorcycles. I have little experience with this brand of motorcycle, although I understand that Vento scooters are well-established. I would simply caution anyone reading the article or the history of this topic to be alert to the possibility that someone might possibly be using the Wikipedia cite for corporate or other promotional purposes. None of this is being written in order to denigrate the brand or its product line. Vento remains a brand to be watched, in my opinion, especially if it begins to offer motorcycles which are modestly priced and are competitive in quality with, say, Japanese motorcycles such as Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. I have not heard of any product comparisons, however, and I cannot assess the inroads that this company might or might not be making into the market for imported motorcycles. Landrumkelly (talk) 04:20, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

In reading the article as of today's date, I see the following: "Vento sells more small-displacement two-wheel vehicles in Mexico than Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki combined." Again, whoever redirected the course of the article has also changed the tone significantly, and in the process blurred the distinction between scooters and motorcycles, even though Vento motorcycles were the original focus when I started this article. What, after all, is the definition of "small displacement"? For a motorcycle, that would be a very subjective call. It the writer wants to say "scooter," then let the writer say "scooter." If, on the other hand, the writer wants to conflate the distinction between motorcycles and scooters, or imply that high scooter sales suggest high motorcycle sales, then say "small-displacement two-wheel vehicles"--which is precisely what the article says. This one is getting fishy to me, but I do not know how to trace the contributor(s). In addition, no documentation is offered for any claims.Landrumkelly (talk) 04:44, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

I notice the following: "In FY 2003 sales in the United States totaled 17,840 units. A sum of 77,600 Vento motorcycles were sold that same year in Chile, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela, Russia and Puerto Rico combined. (Includes Highway Motorcycles, Scooters, Utility and ATVs)." Is this just sloppy writing or deliberate misrepresentation? Is an attempt being made to bolster the significance of Vento motorcycles based on high scooter sales? Or, again, is this just sloppy writing?Landrumkelly (talk) 05:14, 23 March 2008 (UTC)

Furthermore, the article states in the second sentence that "Parts come from Italy, China, Japan and Taiwan, with some of its suppliers also selling to Harley-Davidson." Uh, therefore what? Are we creating a tough cruiser image here? I cannot get past a question I raised a bit further up the page: IS THIS ANY LONGER AN INFORMATIVE ARTICLE OR IS IT MERELY A PROMOTIONAL PIECE? Although I started this entire thread last summer, I would urge consideration of deletion of this article if it cannot be cleaned up--and I do not know how to clean it up, since I cannot trace when or by whom it might have been hijacked.Landrumkelly (talk) 05:24, 23 March 2008 (UTC)