Eventually in a few years after honda comes out with its 450ex and when yamaha comes out with there new sport quad where will the atv sport quad industires go. They can't keep making the sport quads bigger because, well they just won't be sporty. In 5 years there will be nothing left to make because every class of quads will be done and there will be nothing really in between. Just to give you my random thoughts thats why i wrote that. Give me your opinion guys.

 

heaven forbid that instead of making something BIGGER they make something BETTER!!!! Maybe they should improve the models that they release instead of introducing a new model and never changing it, EVER!

 

its like that now in my opinion, just like the auto industry. Every year there are new cars, some the same exact model and no upgrades, but other years the get a new look a few more HP etc. Use the civic as an example or the F150. One of the hottest selling cars and trucks in the US. They change in one way or another every year. The Recon has gone through a few changes since its intro and its better now than its original release.

 

Bigger is not necessarily the direction they will always take. Just better.

There will be developments in construction that employ more use of composites and alloys, better fuel management systems, better suspension systems and as always, better or different styling. Another thing to look for is for ATV engines to follow the same technology of automobiles with four or five valves per cylinder (think Ferrari) and more advanced transmission designs. These are just my predictions.

Something I would love to see on sport bikes especially would be more use of carbon fiber. Imagine the weight savings of a machined carbon fiber steering stem, rear axle or other chassis component. Most people think of carbon fiber as just a high tech replacement for fiberglass, but it has even more potential because of its great strength.

Carbon fiber can be formed into body panels or components like fiberglass, but it can also be formed into a billet and machined like aluminum or any other metal. It's extremely strong and durable, and flexible as well. In addition, carbon fiber weighs only a fraction of what a similar component made of steel would weigh. This could result in not only more durable components, but lighter ones as well. Less rotational mass (i.e. rear axle) results in quicker and greater acceleration properties. Also, less stress and more life for engines.

However, the high cost of carbon fiber maybe what keeps it from being so widely used right now. Still, I look for it to happen in the near future.

As far as bigger engine size, that's not necessary. As ATVs are made lighter and more efficient, the power available from today's sized engines will be put to better use.

Think about the cars being manufactured today. Engines in the everyday cars aren't getting any bigger, but the cars are getting faster and more efficient. The same performance available in some of yesterday's V8 muscle cars is being matched by some of today's four bangers. (Yeah, I know, that hurts, doesn't it?)

I think the reason we are seeing such big engines right now is because in the past three or four years there has been, to some effect, a new boom in the sport quad market. The engines we are seeing now (500cc - 700cc) are basically the same sizes enthusiasts were begging for nearly twenty years ago. In my opinion, the industry is just now catching up to those demands. Remember, even in the late eighties a 350cc motor (four or two stroke) was still considered quite a big engine for a sport ATV. The Yamaha Banshee was a godsend while the Suzuki Quadracer 500 just shattered all the rules.

I think once the manufacturers settle into two or three classes of engine size (200 - 350cc, 351cc - 500cc, 501cc - 700cc; just my idea) and then concentrate on making those machines better, we'll see some pretty amazing and fun machines.

The contra to all this is that in the eighties when we had a similar boom in sport ATVs, that's when lawsuits and legislation reared its ugly head and pushed the pause button on sport ATV development for a number of years. Let's hope that the current crop of sport ATVs survives longer than most of the older models did.

 

It would be nice to see them slow down just a little. It hurts the resale value of what you bought this year too bad. I like seeing the new advancements and technology, but is it too much too fast? I liked the idea staying the same with upgrades every year, more horse power, smoother ride, improved braking, better clutches, they all have room for improvements.

 

I don't know when they will stop but it's getting a little silly. Just look at the new Krap-asaki KFX700 V-twin Auto coming out next year.
Racers are going to have to demand that these new machines have a class of their own ( even in small races) so that things stay fun and competitive.

It would be nice if they started putting better components on what they have now and make it easier for people to get into the sport without having to spent tons of money to get it race ready (like most of us have)

Make it BETTER, NOT BIGGER

 

Spectra, I don't think that Honda could possibly "progress" any slower than they are now. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

There are probably a million ways to improve the current crop of ATVs. Cannondale proved that. Fuel injection, aluminim, composites, better lighting, more efficient engines, different versions of the same ATV (C-dale and Predator do this), theft deterrent systems, etc..... Just like automobiles, they will hopefully keep evolving and evolving.

 

you are right, just improve whats out there. Just think if they lightened the 400s frame, reinforced the axle, Liquid cooled and reverse. Thats all... I love my 400 even though it has none of that stuff, its quick enough for the trails we have left in NH. When we had trails at the begining of the year, I did not need reverse but with all of the expolring we need to do now, reverse would be nice instead of going up a hill and rolling back for a turn. Cripes they have improved many of the engines in the honda line, give the 400 a chance The Recon got a redo... I still wouldn't buy it but it would be nice knowing its there if I wanted it

 

I think you will at some point see a seteling out. you know something like bikes you have a 250 and 125 class and just get improvements from year to year. Who knows I do feel that at some point it may tack a major race orginization to defing the classes though.

Something else I think people are realizing that bigger is not nessasarily better and as better 450 or so size quads come out they will take over, look at the 500cc class dirt bike it is all but dead the big motor was great but people were faster on the 250's

Now you know I am often wrong.

 

I think we will see turbo systems in the near future. Honda is already using them in their new watercraft and they are the wave of the future. They can create more horsepower with less cc's.