From ATV Sport May/June 2000:
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will expand its Honda of South Carolina Mfg., Inc. (HSC) facility by building its new $20 million engine manufacturing operation in Timmonsville, SC. The new operation-which will hire an additional 200 associates-will support Honda's existing ATV plant in Timmonsville by producing engines that were prevously made in Japan.
Honda's total capital investement will increase to more than $70 million with this expansion. HSA will have a yearly production capacity of 150,000 quads and and engines, and will employ close to 625 associates when the plant reaches full capacity sometime in 2001. HSC's engine assembly began in April 2000, within the existing ATV plant. They new facility-which will measure 50,000square feet-will handle engine machining and casting once the project is completed in late summer. Once finished, the HSC plant will encompass 330,000 square feet. The current HSC faclity is 280,000 square feet-handling welding, frame assembly, painting, testing, etc.-and can produce 100,000 quads annually.
This is ideal timing for Honda because of the introduction of the Honda 400EX for '99, its new line of Rancher utility ATV's and the eventual release of its Honda Rubicon. Honda's American ATV sales grew more than 20% in 1999.

 

For Joe

 

Good news!!! I had a hard time buying a Honda because of the Japanese connection. Knowing that they were coming out of S.C. helped. What I wanted was a thoroughly reliable machine...so it was Honda.
Thought about AC but they were too new to the scene for me. Polaris was not even in the picture 'cos I have done some work in the Polaris CEO's house, and would never let my money go toward helping that PR-CK'S lifestyle. no matter how good their machine is!!!!!!!!!!
After a few years I will trade up to a Rubicon... then it should be made in the USA.

 

Also, my recon (along with other atv's) is made in marysville Ohio. I was looking at polaris because of american made, but that is weird because the engine is made in japan. Japanise made in america, and american made in japan? weird...

 

hehe all quads made in north america have foreign made engines polaris:fuji artic cat: suzuki bombardier: rotax
kinda intresting,,,,

 

ya can't put it past the japanese

they built some beautiful machinery

..........there economy has basically triped them up

.....it'll still be japanese, just made under licence in america......makes sense becasue the USA is the largest comsumer market for atv, (for most things actually)

you guys probably don't understand the true effect of the US dollar, especially for us in smaller countrys......

by the way fuji makes subaru motors too (i am told)

the polaris diesel is yamnar (japanese) yamnar make all the small john deere tractors (well did in the past),
iseki (jap too) makes the small agco tractors, and mitsubishi make the small case ih tractors!

scary isn't it