Honda, YOU BLEW IT. Where is the 650ex with the XR650 engine and reverse? Where is a race-ready 450RX with the CRF450 engine and an alluminum frame? You can't let the aftermarket do EVERYTHING for you. Your ATV's are as boring as your automobiles. BTW, thanks for the powder blue scooter. Will the Carmicheal edition come with knobbies and the new "POWERED" graphics? Can't wait.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

I agree guys.

THis is very frustrating for sport quad guys.....first the 250ex was introduced instead of a sporty quad and now this.

On another note, why would Honda build another quad when 400ex sales are still good? It's all about the dollar. No remarks of an updated 400ex either.

I say boycott honda sport quads until they start making the powerful, good handling quad we want. No brand loyalty here.

 

Gary hit it on the head. As long as 400ex sales are up why would they come out with another sport quad to compete with its own sales. The 400ex is still a relativly a new quad. Sure it doesnt have the power but that is honda's way. There bikes are really reliable because they have them detuned so much. Thats just how they work. They dont want to make a race ready bike w/ aluminum frame b/c number one, there isnt as big of a market out there, sure maybe all people in this forum want it and some people you know but thats b/c most ppl here are hardcore fans of atv sport. Your average person may not be willing to spend the extra 1500 for a race ready bike when the 400 is sitting there and is a great bike by all means. Also if you think about the 250r, there last "race ready" or damn near it atv. They stopped producing it b/c of lawsuits against them. Someday you may see a big bore from honda but not untill the 400ex sales take a significant drop.

 

That's horse manure Twist,

Sports has shown the biggest sales increase in the industry over the last year.
Unless you have been hibernating during last season I think you have seen many new high performance Sport machines being introduced into the market.
Honda is really off pace. It seems they can not keep up with the competition or they do not have the capability to compete in this field.

The Honda days are over. Finally the bully is forced on its knees. What a bunch of hoo-ha introducing this thing 12 months in advance. I hope Cannondale will soon launch their new 1500cc turbo charged rocket for 2009 season.

 

400ex sales may be up. But there are alot of people riding 650 Bombs and Raptors. not to mention Cannondale throughing their hat into the ring. They are missing out on the growth.

And don't hold your breath on that Kick *** 450. i bet they roll out a 650. It's more appealing to Entry level consumers. If you grab some guy off the street and show him a 660r and then show him a 450rx. He's gonna go with the 660. to him it's more quad. Cannondale was in deep with their 400 when Bombadier and Yamaha rolled out their 600's. too late to turn back.

 

I dont disagree that sport sales are way up, most of that has come due to the 400ex, and other bigger bore quads that followed. The DS, the Raptor there not race ready machines. and i dont believe honda would build a "race ready" machine either. Say what you want that its horse manure but the proof is before you, they present there new quad and its not a sport b/c they feel the 400 sale are doing good by themselves. They may come out with a new sport in a couple years but only after the 400 sales drop. It may already be designed and ready for production but holding out untill 400 sales drop. But untill that happens i dont believe you'll see another sport bike from honda.

 

You eastern woods guys shouldn't complain though, because you alredy have the ultimate bike, the 400EX. As a trail bike, you couldn't improve it in any way I can think of (ok it does need reverse), so you guys are set for life!! It's the MX and desert riders that the manufacturers have ignored all these years. They just give us one trail bike after another, and we have to mod them to make them work. You trail guys got it good!

 

Well I'm already over the no new sport quad.. Look what we got though! Have you seen the new Rincon! That thing is cool! Independant Suspension even! Best lookin 4x4 I've seen too.. And what about that turbocharged/intercooled jet ski?!?!??!?!153 hp!! That is cool!!...Well now it is time to order some shocks and a Curtis Sparks 465!

 

I wouldn't be in such a hurry to trash-talk Honda. They have reasons for doing what they have done, and maybe in a year or so we will see what they were thinking. This doesn't mean I am not as disappointed as the rest of you.....and it doesn't mean that the Cannondale (God bless America!!) isn't looking MIGHTY tasty right about now, but....I'd hate to start badmouthing a great company with awesome products because it didn't do what we all wanted it to do, when we all wanted it.

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