After reading the articles in the different mags. and talking to different test riders I am coming to the conclusion that they really don't want the Cannon. If you buy a honda or yamaha, there are a zillion things they can offer you for your quad. If you buy the Cannon what are they going to offer you? I can't wait to see and hopefully ride a Cannon someday soon. Who knows, maybe I'll sell my highly modified 440EX, (with parts from the aftermarket), and buy one.

 

Well, I am going to disagree just a little, for a few reasons. First, the high price of the Cannondale will limit the people who buy them. Most people will still probably go with one of the other machines available, or will be available soon. I think the average guy probably can't afford 10-12,000 for a machine, otherwise he would have a race ready bike with that much into it already. So the aftermarket will still be there for the guy who buys a machine and upgrades it as he can afford to.
Also, it looks like Cannondale has decided to use the aftermarket companies to build their machine for them, much like ATK does. Cannondale builds the machine, but puts a Big Gun pipe on it, aftermarket axle, have some aftermarket company building the A-arms, etc. So that will keep those guys happy. For instance, Ohlins is hooked up for selling shocks, every FX and Cannible will have them. What about the other two? They will have some big name shock on them.
So don't look for the aftermarket companies to fold up their tents just yet, in my opinion.

 

ridzhard, what I meant was aftermarket companies like Duncan, LRD, CT, Nac's, etc... won't be able to sell you +2 a-arms, shocks, +4" rear axle, carrier,race motor parts etc..because it all comes stock on the Cannon.
For example, Today I can buy a Cannon full race, all the goodies, for $8,000.
I bought my 400EX for $5,400 and then to add a full race motor, (not fuel injected or liquid cooled), cost $2,400. Shocks, $1,800. Rear axle, a-arms etc.... I have over $12,000.00 in my quad when I could have bought a Cannon and had to do nothing else to it because every thing is already there. It shows the mark up the aftermarket companies have when Cannondale can sell you a quad with beadlocks,nerfs, race motor, shocks, a-arms, etc.....for thousands less than building a quad on your own.

 

For 7000 you get the Cannible, For 8 grand you get the FX, which is better, but an eight thousand dollar EX is pretty good. I don't think there are going to be as many people paying 10 thousand dollars for one of the other two C'dales. I guess that they are going to cost at least that.

 

We'll even ATV Sport did a biased shootout (added a GYT-R exhaust to the Raptor) against the Cannondale. The way I see it is this:

1)The Magazines rely on all the aftermarket companies for money to pay for their magazine.

2) The Aftermarket companies rely on lame stock machines that have lots of room for improvement/customization to sell to the public (japanese mass produced machines) The Bombardier DS650 is slammed just the same, since they don't make enough of them, unlike the Raptor.

So tell me why would the magazines say anything good about the Cannondale?
It needs nothing for most of us non hardcore racers. It already has a pipe(no need for DG,FMF,Big Gun, etc....),fuel injection (no more Dyno-jet kit sales/ advertizing, etc.... When they can slam it, discourage sales and still brainwash people into buying stock japanese bikes and then go and spend thousands of dollars to the aftermarket companies, i.e., money support FOR the magazines to get the bike where they wanted it in the first place. Cannondale needs to build a lame, POS that needs $3000-6000 dollars worth of upgradesto the aftermarket to make worth a flip and then go and spend $2000/month in a full color 2 page ad in the magazines if it EVER wanted to start winning any shootouts.

.....and that's the way I see it......


CT250R

 

I really don't think that Cannondale is going to make enough machines to put the big four out of business. Then there are the guys that are perfectly happy with a "mass produced POS" and will upgrade as they get better at riding. Don't look for the aftermarket to disappear.

 

You cannondale owners are and will go through what us DS650 owners are.If it isn't Yamaha or Honda forget it.Basically i bought all my goodies from Ron Woods racing.That's all they do.Hell,i cannot even find aftermarket fenders yet and the bike is in it's 3rd year of production.Quote from major hipo parts maker ''We don't wanna spend money on R and D on a machine that may not be around in 2 years''.And as far as the magazines forget it.The DS was the greatest atv ever when it came out almost 3 years ago.The ultimate dune machine,perfect suspension it was said as little as 6 months ago.Now in the recent shootout in Dirtwheels,the DS650 topped no catigories.The only good thing they said was it's bulletproof.Looked who topped them all.Yamaha.They are the biggest right now and spend a buttload of money so everyone can see it.Hell the raptor had more aftermarket parts available when it was released than the the DS does after 3 years.If you're not riding the big four,don't lookfor goodies real soon.Haven't seen a cannondale out yet but sure would like to.Not looking to replace mine but i hear it's a good machine.At 6'7'' the DS is perfect for me.

 

The mags have all contradicted themselves when talking about the FX, and in the latest ATV Action they even crapped on it for being to narrowly focused towards performance, huh?

When I bought my ZX-9R the motorcycle mags did the same thing and still do, in the opposite. The ZX-9R is a great street bike with loads of power and can take you miles that all the others would make you feel like a pretzel. Yet it finishes last because it didn't turn the fastest lap time, like that relates to anything on the street.

Now I hear this crap that the FX is too much quad for an average rider to handle, blah, blah, blah. I bought my FX without the any lame mags input, thanfully. This is my first quad and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a bargain for what you get in performance and technology and to get an American engineered and built machine is just frosting.

Moto24
'01 FX400
'98 Kawi ZX-9R
'90 Kawi ZX-7 (superbike)
'84 VF750R
'80 Kawi KZ650

 

HEARD THAT!

 

It is a near proven fact. Bombardier and Cannondale are being crapped on there's no doubt. Havent seen either of them win a shootout yet. In the last ATV Sport the DS650 wasn't even included in the hi-per dune shootout, and th DS won the Baha. What's with that? I did notice a pipe on the Raptor in the shoot out against the FX. That is mad messed.