I think Yamaha has the highest selling Sport lineup where Honda has the highest selling Utility Lineup.

 

Redgoblin said; "The sad part about it is, uneducated people will go out and buy a Honda just because it's a Honda."

The sad part is, there are a lot of uneducated people who don't buy the ATV that is right for them, not just people who buy Hondas. We were going to buy a Polaris because our friends had one, I am glad we didn't. What we ended up buying fits what we wanted better than the others. At one time, we were one of those "uneducated" people and we were going to buy a Polaris.

 

I am by NO means saying that a person who goes out and buys a Honda is uneducated. I had a Rubicon! Hondas are awesome machines! I'm just saying, the newbie who would really actually like speed or maybe a locker or disc brakes and just doesn't realize it won't even look at anything else sometimes because it's not a Honda. The same thing goes for any make, but I see it most often with red machines. Brand loyalty is ridiculous for the true enthusiast and Honda is where I see this the most is all I'm saying. Hondas are great, please don't get me wrong there. Rock solid and reliable. Now don't get me started on Polaris[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

 

On the contrary Red, from what I see in this forum and people I ride with is Polaris guys are most bias. They won't even consider any of the foreign brands or give them any credit for any feature.

I don't think a newbie should be buying a 70+ mile per hour 750 lb 750cc machine, so I don't agree with that point either.

I am disappointed that it took Honda so long to add disc brakes to the Foreman line as well as smooth out the ride.

My biggest gripe with Honda is that they take too long to add features that could have been incorporated a long time ago. That and they don't seem to put the same enthusiasm into trying to lead the pack with performance as they do with some of their other products.

A desire for better-than-average reliability should not be seen as brand loyaty, but smart money spent. However, if outright speed, suspension travel, and a locker are priorities, and you buy a Honda, you're just being disloyal to yourself.


I, for one, would love to have multiple ATVs to choose from suited for the ride of that day, and they wouldn't all be Hondas with their current line-up.

 

I thought Polaris overtook Honda about 3 years ago????? Is this true?????

M26, great theory on sales.

 

Catterman,

Polaris has never led at any point. However, they do go back and forth with Yamaha every couple of years for at least the past 10 years or so.

Honda has always led but 2 years which were 1991 and 1992. Yamaha won those years.
Not very surprising though considering you only had a TRX200, TRX250X, TRX300, and TRX300FW to choose from...LOL

I don't think 1993 would have been great either if it hadn't been for the 300EX.

 

They all make good machines. It all comes down to what features fit your needs best.
Polaris has done real well since they got away from the liquid cooled 2-strokes. I really like the concept behind their 500 ATP. That dump bed and that strong 500 H.O. motor seems like a good combination to get some work done.
Suzuki has totally re-vamped their lineup, and they have seen an increase in sales because of it. I've read that they're going to get away from using the Kaw Prarie 700 as their Twin Peaks 700 and are going to design and build their own large displacement motor. I look for it to be a very good bike.
And ya gotta admit, as far as the smaller, 250cc utility quads go, the Ozark is a blast, compared to a Bayou or the Yamaha equivalent. Light, nimble, powerful, good brakes and suspension...a real winner.

I wish Honda would listen to their customers some and update their products accordingly. I am a believer that having such a big sales lead is a disincentive to them to spend the r&d and re-tooling money it takes to re-vamp their lineup. We'll have to wait and see.

 

I think Arctic cat should enter the sales charts!

 

Following the theory of bigger is better, I would think Suzuki would be the leader then. The Samuri 4X4 has been out for years. If the quads get any bigger, they will weigh more than the Samuri. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

I think Knowsalot points out the truth that the bulk of buyers are not enthusiasts looking for the latest and greatest. They are looking for value and see that in a Honda. I am not upset at all at Honda for not having the fastest. If I wanted the fastest then I have the option of getting it even if it is a different color. Being the leader in sales doesn't make you the best, just means you rake in the most cash. Nobody thinks the Camry or Accord are the fastest cars available. Plenty of cars are faster but don't sell nearly as many. You can't run around faulting Toyota for not making the Camry as fast as a Maxima. If you want a Maxima, then buy it. If you want a better quad and it is available, then buy it. Don't mess it up for all the people who see Honda as the best bang for the buck. It took Honda a lot of years to develop this reputation. Not sure why everyone wants them to walk away from it. When the ultra big, ultra fast quads start cutting into their numbers, they will change. In the meantime, buy what gives you the most bang for your buck.

/Jon

 

No kidding. Any bigger and you may as well make them street legal and give them AC. maybe some roll bars and a soft top...

No wait that would be a Samurai or a jeep...