i see on polaris website that starting today u can order a 2002 sled and get up to $1543 in factory options, a $200 dollar rebate and a 2 year engine warrentee.

why dont they offer these kind of deals for us ATV'ers?? they should call it "dirt check".

later
jon

 

I agree.

I know Polaris has been building sleds for much longer than they have been building atv's - but do sleds out sell atv's? Just wondering because it almost seems they still do more for the sled market than the off road market. I would think atv sales surpass sled sales - but what do I know.....?

 

jon

I am actually a little disgusted a Polaris. Being an accountant, I have actually went out on their website and read through their annual report. In 1999, I believe atvs accounted for 65% of their sales. They actually have a chart in the back showing atv, snowmobile, and personal watercraft sales. ATVs overtook the snowmobiles in the mid 90's and haven't looked back. Yet I see Polaris spending more time developing sleds than high tech atvs. Polaris has the technical ability and resources to build the best sport quad and best utility quad on the market, yet they still seem to be focusing on the snowmobile market. So when I see these big announcements and its another snowmobile or snowmobile promotion, I just have to think someday Polaris will be a atv company that also makes snowmobiles and not a snowmobile company that also makes atvs.

 

Makes sense that ATVs sell more because ATV can be sold and used in any climate and country. Sleds are found only in snow capable areas and then only used for a few months at most.

 

My opinion. They don't spend more R&D on building the 'ultimate' ATV because they don't have to...yet. The sled market is mature, growth is limited or maybe even non-existant. To sell a new sled, you have to be better, faster, or offer some feature no one else does.
Contrast that to the ATV market. You could literally put knobby tires on a Cub Cadet without the mower deck installed, and it is likely SOMEBODY would buy it. There is so much demand, and ATVs are selling so fast, they have problems making enough to sell as it is (case in point - Sportsman HO - how many do you see in inventory). Give it a few more years until the market matures.
It used to be that only farmers/ranchers bought an ATV. Hence they were all pretty much slow, rough riding, utility machines. Honda led the way with it's 200X and 250R three wheelers, but something happened to end all that. I guess it was all the lawsuits against the 3 wheeled ATVs that did it. If they would sue you for building a big red, think of the lawsuits against a 'real' sport machine. I do have hope however, for there are some advanced models starting to appear. Hopefully this is the days of the dawn of new technology rather than a recycling of the old.

 

On the snow check intro page it says if you can dream it we can build it click here,when I clicked it the site takes you to options of sleds,atv's,watercraft,and cycles.Click on the atv symbol and all you get is the standard atv page,WHAT A CROCK OF MANURE THAT IS.
Polaris should have a page where we could dream up new things and they could maybe try and give us the consumer some say in what we want them to build.

 

Actually what upsets me more is the million dollar promotion deal with Petty and spending more money on nascar sponsorship. I'm in the graphics/advertising business and get pissed off every time I see a nascar car with a Polaris logo. Sure brand recognition is one thing, but use the money for R&D, but they won't. They are still infatuated with sleds and snow check announcements since it insures adequate pre-sales for recognition models. Then if it doesn't snow, at least they sold a few. Even with the good winter down here the sled sales were not good in our area. Fewer and fewer guys willing to fork over $7,000+ for such a short season.
ATV's have shored up the bottom line of quite a few companies the last few years. It's too bad most of them won't bring forward a better product. They are several years behind dirt bikes and sleds and don't have to be. Unfortunately Polaris leads that lesser group.

 

Bongwater;

They do have a place to click on if you have an idea that you want to share. It says "contact us" which will bring up their DIRECT E-mail. LOL!

To everyone else;

Anyhoooo, Even tho they may not sell as many sleds, I imagine they make a bigger nickle. Look at a Sportsman HO 4WD. There is a lot going on there! But you are "only" looking at 6-7 bills. Now look at what sled that same $ will buy. Sure it will go fast, and may have a cushy suspension, but how much do they have invested in building it? No 4WD. No tranny to speek of. No transfer case. And it's not sealed water tight to the elements. Not only is it simpler, but it's lighter (less materials).

I actually think that you get a bargain for the 4WD buck. It is my opinion that they are limited to what the market will bare.

Now on the other hand, look at the sport machines. There's money to be made there for sure. LOTS less parts and only hundreds of $ less. Not thousands.

So - IMO - there really isn't room to cut much of a break for preseason shopping in the 4WD market. The sport machines (at least up in the north here) are seasonable machines. But when exactly would you think they should offer a "preseason" sale on HO's?