With the economy like it is, no vehicles are selling well. I have to wonder that if a manufacturer has a new model in the pipeline, will they release it next year or hold off because they know it won't sell great no matter how wonderful it is????

I evaluated a Honda prototype, that I think would sell well in many parts of the country. Would also like to see an updated/fuel injected 450R! Hope these don't end up stuck on the drawing board......

Those who have been around long enough, will remember the stagnation of the industry in the 90's, under the consent decree....nothing new but "bold new graphics" every year. Don't want to see that again.

 

Don't know if anything new will be coming, but how many more major improvements are out there. Once FI takes over completely, whats next. Other than Honda, the Utility quads are all the same, belt drive auto's with tons of power (how much power do you need to spin wheels in mud anyway). I really can't talk about sport quads because I don't ride them.

 

Honda could start adding diff lock as standard and get rid of drum rear brakes once and for all on the Utility ATVs and make 680 motor that make 45hp not 39 and 500 that make 35 hp not 27 like everyone else manages to do. They would have to trash the old school OHV motors to do it though and Honda hates changes.

There are dicontiniued ATVs like the Yamaha 660 Grizzly that Honda can not match up with yet in performance and features.

 

As far as utilities, I like that Honda marches to a different drummer and doesn't just turn out the same old "cookie cutter" tall sloppy high centered belt drives that everybody else does. I would like to see Honda ditch their needlessly complex automatics, and put the new 420 AT dual-clutch trans in their big bores. Things like that require redesign and retooling however, and I don't think the current climate is going to support much of that.

I think the future lies in machines that are "hybrids", between sport quads and utilities. Most folks just don't need a full-on heavy monster work utility or mudbogger, yet could use high ground clearance and would like to have 4wd as a backup if they ever get into trouble out on the trail. Combine that with light weight and agile sporty handling, and you will have the machine that 90% of the riders out there actually need!

The "old" Wolverine has come closest to the mark, but the "new" one got to much utility thrown into the design. I think the Honda Rancher 420 platform has potential here! The SRA model already handles as well as some sport quads, so if you stripped evey bit of excess weight off of it, widened it a little for max stability, and left just a little half-rack in the rear, you would have the basis for the machine that most folks actually need!!!

 

Maybe it's time for a good cool down in sales.

At least here in the Rocky Mountain area. All of the National Forests in the Rockies are going through forest revision plans and are also having problems with the boom in atv/utv sales over the past few years and are now going through travel management plans to limit atv and utv's to designated routes they propose. I have personnally been to several forest service meetings to commit on trail proposals and the impact it may have on the economy to business and communitees by closing alot of the now used trails. Maybe it would be good even for the manufactures to cool down and let this all settle down. Allow us here in the trenches to help the F.S. get there plans in order and all the trails set and established without the continued growth of greater amounts of OHV vehicles.

All of you can help out by attending any F.S. meeting in your area and make commits on your interests and the trails you deem to best soot the riding public.

Dealers tell us that atv/utv sales the past several years have exceeded snowmobile sales 10 to 1. This is a massive amount of vehicles impacting the forests. The National Forests belong to all of us but with this large of an impact we all need to do our best to help preserve the riding trails we all enjoy and the life style we all have grown to love. Riding ATV's.

I don't think the recent fall in sales will hamper the manufactures with any type of development of new techno. I am sure they all will decrease inventories and may wait for new models, but all this mess will turn around in a few years and we will all be better for it. All of them will keep developing for when this goes the other way. Watch out for what will come out in a couple years when they know we will buy!

 

I know up here in Michigan, We could use sales increase. We have a lot of trails up here and in the past couple years especially, they trails have been less busy. Heck, last year I went to the Silver Lake sand dunes in the middle of July, perfect weather all week and weekend, and the parking lot wasn't maxed out like it usually is. A lot of Upper Michigan rely's on snowmobiles in the winter and ORV in the summer. Michigan also is passing less restrictive laws to allow more freedom for ORV's. A lot of counties have opened dirt roads, and snowmobile trials to ORV's.

How about bringing your sales up here LOL.

As for technology, it has been big strides within the last few years! I hope Honda keeps up with the advancements because I know people will continue to buy!

 

a side note.......hondas plant has been shut down since april 1st and well resume production supposedly on july 1st.............could be that they are retooloing for new model line up........this came from a honda rep...

 

Might be...the flagship CRF450R got a complete makeover last year (completely new fuel injected engine and frame), and history would suggest that the technology will eventually filter down to the rest of the lineup. Where the quads fit in there...who knows????

I wonder if we will see a shift in the market toward the lower end models, and away from the very expensive flagship models toward the intermediate models??? If so, I would expect the 400EX and Ranchers to see the most sales. Models like the 250EX and Recon have always sold well.

 

From Michigan originally, moved to Chicago for work. My family is still in Michigan. Last year was gas prices and nobody having jobs. This year will be just the no jobs part.

I did buy my 09 Rincon in Michigan, would rather support that economy. Not to mention sales tax here is 10.5%, just stupid.

I still think a complete line of FI machines is next. Man is it nice when its below freezing.

 

Hey Turfguy, that sales tax of 10.5% is stupidly high. Here in SD it's only 3% on vehicles, ATV's, motorcycles, tractors, and boats. EFI is super nice when it's below freezing. In other parts of the country that dont see below 20 F they probably hate to PAY for EFI, because their only tangible benefits are increased throttle response and improved fuel economy. Once they only offer EFI instead of both it becomes more economical.