Hey, they sold 70,000 Ranchers in 02. I guess they just don't need the money????

I see the 400EXs future as the bargain entry level performance bike, or the king of the sport bikes (take your pick). If anything, the 300EX would go, because that niche is partly filled by the 250EX??????????

 

This is agreeable, and I hope they keep them all in the lineup and not cut anything because in some cases a 400ex will be a better choice for a rider than a 450. But Honda brass seems to like to make as few sport atvs as possible. Their track record shows it - back in the late 80s, the only "pure" sport bikes they had were the 250x and 250r - that's about all they had. They were rumored to make a 500r but with lawsuits mounting over 3wheelers and some quads, they pulled the plug on it and then the 250x, then the 250r for 1990 (1989 the last year) . No sport bikes in 1990, 1991. They brought back the 250x for 1992. Made it into a 300ex for 1993. And it remained the lone honda sport quad for YEARS until the 400EX. These last couple years have been their boldest: they have a 400EX, 300EX and 250EX. Hopefully in September, we'll see a 450r to that list....If any gets dropped, I would rather see the 250EX go. The 300EX has all the features but shaft drive, adds a manual clutch (doesnt take a beginner long to get used to it) and is superior to a 250EX. But since their management has already made the comment about wanting to get rid of the 400EXs in stock, i wouldnt be surpised if they replaced it.
Dissappointed, yes.

 

I think Honda is playing catchup. They bought into the sport/utility thing big time. They imagined a hybrid bike that would do everything. Trouble is, no huge 600 lb bikes are ever going to fill those big shoes!! Even the new Rancher AT is a hulking 560 lbs. This concept will never work unless they can give us bikes in the mid 400 lb range (probably impossible).

The market has shifted more toward sport bikes, and they didn't quite anticipate that. Meanwhile, with the 350 lb YFZ out there, THE GAP BETWEEN SPORT AND UTILITY BIKES CONTINUES GO GROW EVEN WIDER, NOT SMALLER LIKE THEY WANTED IT TO.

Here in So. Calif. it is sport bike country, and utilities are still not that numerous. So all the new sport/utilities have not helped us out at all. It has taken the competition to wake Honda up. The Z's and Raptors don't sit on the dealers floors very long!! Still though, the 400EX sells well (why not at $1,000 discounts), so maybe they just don't care. I don't see any signs that the market is anywhere near saturation.

 

they wont have to make a 650 to compete with a raptor, the 450 would blow it away.

 

That might be true if honda can get their 450 close to yamaha's 450, but the raptor would still probably have more overall potential with mods. I think now that the pro production class has upped the limit to 450cc's instead of 440 honda can make their quad a full 450cc's. Of course if they already have developed them under 440cc's they probably wouldn't change them. I have heard that yamaha's 450 motorcycle motor is a lot better than honda's 450 but I don't know first hand. Honda can probably do a few tricks besides just the motor for their new quad. It seems hard to get it under 350lbs but I think they will if they make it.