Ask The Editors: Is 1000cc Going to Be The Biggest ATV Engine Ever?
Excellent question- The short answer is no, there is no government mandated displacement restriction keeping 1000cc the golden number. Rather the industry itself tends to move up in waves.
Keep in mind that as recent as 2001, Polaris released 683cc engine in their Sportsman- the largest ever ATV engine at the time. In 2006 Can-Am had an 800cc fuel-injected V-twin and as of 2008, 1000cc machines arrived on the scene thanks to Arctic cat.
We suspect one company will break that threshold and offer an 11 or 1200 and then other brands will follow suit.
Interestingly, in the street bike world, there actually were government mandates attempting to limit engine output below certain standards (for a while, it was 100-horsepower). While we face all sorts of government regulation constantly in our sport, displacement numbers are fortunately yet left up to the manufacturer and the buying public.
