I guess if we allow ourselves to become conditioned long enough we can start to believe anything.

$8500 isnt fifty bucks you know, and when you look back just 6 short years ago and see what the typical atv was listing for (around 4-6k) it becomes obvious that these higher prices are not directly related to anything besides what the rider is willing to shell out for his toy.

Now I know inflation eats up everything and any manufacturer has to increase prices to remain profitiable, but there is no way these numbers reflect this either, and there is no explanation beyond the popularity of the sport, and the countless people who have become believers that the only machine for them is the biggest baddest 4x4 util, and many times there as wrong as the price they paid.

And you guys who are comparing performance of these monsters please stop it, and just try and keep up with a reasonably good rider on a newer sport 4x2, and remember this when your trying to stop and corner fast on your 800lb machine with all that ground clearence.

Just like an 18 wheeler can be fast but still be a pig in handling etc