I think it would be great if there was a message board on this forum that would allow ATV owners to post problems that they are having with their quads that are related to the manufacturer of the quad and/or the manufacturer of aftermarket parts. I also think there should be a message board posting recalls by said manufacturers. Since services are related more to haw a person is treated, I don't think it would be good to post complaints about dealers etc.
To keep posters from brand bashing a page for each brand should be made and each poster would have to post a certain amount of the VIN of the vehicle to prove they own the quad.
The reason I propose this is because I think manufacturers don't really care about their products or the people that buy them. So I think this would give the consumer, US, leverage against being sold junk.
This would also provide a service to the manufacturers that actually care about their customers.
It would also provide an excellent tool for those that want to buy a new quad or aftermarket parts.
A person would look at postings for the quad they want to buy. They would be able to read the complaints of the posters and perhaps email them to discuss it more. [The email idea also gives the manucaturers the opportunity to respond directly to the consumer and if the consumer feels the manufacturer has made the problem right then the consumer could ammend their posting to reflect that.]
After reading the complaints about a specific ATV the prospective buyer could go to the "Recall" page to see what, if anything, the manufacturer is doing about it.
This way the manufacturers get good feed back, namely real world assessments of their product.
And the consumer gets an unbiased, undiluted, assessment of the ATV or product of their choice.
In this time of recycled technology [especially for sport quads] I think it's important that we let manufacturers know that we are NOT happy spending our money on junk!

 

Holyman
Sounds like a great idea. One ammendment I would make concerning your last remark. I think that should be a seperate catagory like "atv`s the consumer wants". The idea`s should be realistic for a manufacture to incorporate into the quads at prices we would pay not so called "fantasy quads".

98 Scrambler 500
00 Trailblazer 250
See my pic`s at http://www.picturetrail.com/riskracing

 

Great idea!

 

I agree with EasterEgg. It could be something like 'what would you change about your quad' or 'new quads or features you would like to see'. And yes, keep it realistic, not something like an all-carbon fiber quad with a 900cc 3 cylinder fuel injected 2 stroke priced under $5000.

 

Good point farmr. I think this is a great idea. Maybe the guys monitoring this post will see it and a light will go off in their heads. This would be a great way to start a movement to try and pursuade manufacturers to perhaps start improving their products. As well, they might indeed realize that we are getting sick of buying age old designs. We want new meat!!!
....freddie

 

Holyman, Good post so I won't bash, but here are a few items to think about, Please respond.

The items you are talking about are valid, but the ATV industry is not big enough to provide the amount of customer satisfaction you are asking for. As an example, If you ride, then these are the issues you deal with (Chains, tires, etc...)in the ATV arena. Not many other people care. Unlike the Auto industry, everyone drives and something as small as a tire recall that is linked to deaths is a big deal. Our best bet for a better ATV is bad news like injury, death and land damage.

Marketing:
Their's more profit for a company to make an "OK" atv then to make a "super duper" one. Cost, research and development to improve an ATV cost more than it does to keep making the junk that sells. Remember, the whole assembley line also needs to be tooled and so on. Who out in ATV land will stop buying ATV's until they make a problem free one or wait until they have all the facts on problems and recalls? Nobody and Mfg's know this, ATV's are to much fun now and with sales going through the roof, why stop making junk? Currently I think the only way you could keep up with the fixes and problems is to write to the mag called "consumer reports" and see if they would do a consumer report on the ATV's in the market today, because the mfg will not do one on themselves, and looking over some of the articles in the mag's..well it only depends on which months preview you pick up to find out who's no.1 this week. Even at best, consumer reports only takes a "snapshot" of the items, it's never continual like the auto industry.

Feedback to the mfg's: Unlikely they care because most market information is driven by other more reliable forms such as sales and sales projection. Reading over survey's and customer feedback is a hard way to get feedback that is mostly geared towards the positive aspect. Think about it, you get a "fill out card" when you buy most anything. Filling it out and sending it in only indicates you bought the product, and have now provided positive feedback and information that is none of their business. You want to provide feedback they will take notice of, or to, get noticed by a mfg, you'll need a petition, data, and a lawyer to be heard at that level, not a web site.

I have to go (lunch is over) but to leave you with a tidbit of info worth a thought. Honda's the biggest seller of ATV's and getting bigger by making what sells. They have a somewhat good recall/information network setup and also have the coined "stupid hurts" program. They also settle out of court 9/10 times. Hey, whatever it takes. Sorry to go on, but I get as fustrated about ATV's as the next owner.

 

fishbones...I agree with you on almost everything except I'm more optomistic about the power of the forum [even though the responses have not supported my optomism].

A- I agree that manufacturers don't care what they sell as long as they are selling.
B- I agree that unless a huge change is made manufacturers will NOT notice or even care what their consumers say or want.
C- I agree that no manufacturer will EVER make a super duper quad...unless it is semi-custom and has a limited market.
side note I think Drakart is the only manufacturer of a quality affordable "quad". this observation is based totally on what I've seen from the media and their website. i have not seen one personally and frankly not everone has the space to ride one therefore they will have no impact on the sit ON quad market.
D- I think the ONLY thing motivating slight competition between the manufacturers in the sport quad arena is an immenent swing toward 4 strokes.

As far as Consumer Reports go, I understand that they are instrumental in a move to eliminate quads all together and have even pushed for all ATV's including the sit ON types to have roll bars and seat belts.
I think most would agree that having a third party represent us, the riders, would be a BIG mistake.
The interesting part of the leverage that we as riders have is that the vehicles are basically unchanged. Therefore a complaint about the quality of a 91 banshee would be the same as that of an 01 banshee. We could go a long way toward influencing people that are now flocking to buy atv's, that a new quad is only new because it was at the dealer not because it had a nickels worth of development put into it.
The bad thing is that the aftermarket producers are so huge and omnipresent that virtually everyone has a "modified" machine thus taking the burden off of the manufacturer. This is why I feel the notice board should incude aftermarket manufacturers as well.
This forum has over 10,000 registered members. Of course this is a minute fraction of sales over the years but many also have multiple machines. If 5000 of those members are active and only 2500 have problems with their machines then that's 2500 more voices that have so far not been heard. This site gets tons of hits by owners and prospective buyers of quads. That mystery of who is or isn't buying based on the info found is worth money and gives leverage.
I figure something is better than nothing.
When I have to pay 6000+ for a new toy and it's the same toy everyone else has and no better I think I'm getting the shaft!
This was discussed extensively under "Are magazines biased" check it out.