Yamaha has made public its marketing strategy for Europe and as strange as it may seem it implies reducing the motorcycle inventory in Europe, cutting shipments with 9%.

The news comes as a result of a 50% overstock in countries such as Italy and Spain, but promotions at the end of the year are expected to tucker out the stocks.

The Japanese manufacturer was also found needed to cut its 2008 sales forecast by 14% to 374,000 units after demands started weakening, strangely, after the winter. It seems that people are now buying chariots in the winter and sleighs during the summer.

Considering the launch of the new R1 and the FZ6R, this was an anticipated strategy as these models had to follow up their predecessors successes.

Inventory in North America was also quickly slashed after lowering output and amid solid sales of models with bad mpg.