Andrew --

Quite a while ago I sent a letter to Dave Ferndon at Polaris after he asked me what they should do about a high-performance sport quad. The list I sent then was rather lengthy and maybe I scared them. That was back in '99. At the time I was telling them to put a de-tuned version of their 440 2-stroke sled engine in until they could come up with a good high hp, high-tech 4-stroke, which they didn't have at the time. 50 hp would have been more than adequate in the right chassis.

I had several suggestions for the chassis and it basically involved coming out with a Stage I, II, and Stage III series of bikes so the end user could basically tailor one to his or her performance needs. Also to release the bikes in stages about 6 months apart to keep interest and marketing hype alive. Well, Cannondale took that route and came out with a nice product line (particularly for a new comer).

What has Polaris done since then, the Scrambler X, what a joke, almost an embarassment for many of the dealers who were hoping for more. The only thing they copied was the black plastic we had on the 400SS at the time.

I don't even want to talk about them any more, it pisses me off when I think of what they could have done, but elected not to. So many resources but none of them get passed along to the atv division. Look at their great roller clutch setups on their performance sleds. Nothing even close to that in their atv's. Their atv division is going to start losing sales as I predicted 2 years ago . . . it's starting to happen.

New riders are not buying Sports and Scramblers as they were a few years ago. And now there are several excellent choices in the high-end utiity market that will definitely give SP700 sales a whack. At one time the SP500 ruled the roost of high-end utility atv's. The signs of inactivity are starting to catch up with them. PWC sales are off, Victory bikes don't sell anywhere and sled sales were way off this winter. Atv's were the only thing really helping the bottom line. The 4wd Scrambler sales will be hurt by the big utility bikes with more hp and more mud-ability than the dated Scrams. Thank God I sold all my Polaris stock in 2000.

Maybe, but just maybe a new high-performance sport quad will help them, but I'm not sure they want help . . . seems like they are destined to blow it. Look at Arctic Cat, their sled sales and sled performance took a dump and I heard they are in trouble again. They are not diversified enough like Bombardier. And yet their atv's are not even considered by most end users today unless you have an AC dealer in your backyard.

Enough rambling Jack . . . it's Friday and only 2 hours until happy hour.

Andrew . . . Van Wert, OH, isn't that way over in western OH almost to the border? I don't get over that way very often. About the closest we get it is to Norwalk a couple of times a year visiting some friends who drag race there.

 

Jack, maybe your not so bad after all. It just seemed you are ike a kid behind a keyboard trying to make others feel uncomfortable.
I like my Scrambler for now, and I'm tall so I make a Banshee and an EX look like I'm sittin' on a 90. Whenever the time is right I'll trade out, but now I'm satisfied. That is a nice position to be in.
The new sport quad may be what I want, but right now I'm still scoping out riding areas, finding out the areas I like best and having fun on an all around machine. I do not think the Rubicon is DS friendly, since I heard it's place is the dunes and drag racing. I don't imagine it rock climbs too well at low speed, but I don't know.
Having the most HP is not everything. I like the riding with the family and not racing the wife. I'd feel pretty back trying to pluck her out of a tree by taking it too far. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]


Peace out

 

Not so bad? He goes out and buys a new Yamaha utility quad and goes straight to the Polaris forum to talk about Raptors and DS650s? What a clown! Then he talks about how he, single handedly, was almost able to turn Polaris around from their horrible spiral down in flames. I’m sure they wanted to do everything he said so they could save the business but it was too little too late! Back to reality. You should have saved your stocks in Polaris. You would have doubled your money in the last year alone. Way to go Einstein.
If you like your quad that’s great and enjoy it. If you don’t like my quad GET OVER IT LITTLE MAN!

 

I noticed that he is saving the world. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
I did not notice he rode a fat slug of a utility quad, but I knew he was not happy about something in his life...

I wonder if Enron, Art Anderson or any other the other recent corps having 'issues' are knocking down his door.

 

Research and development are expensive, and take time. Lest we forget how long the Banshee, Blaster have been out. Look how long it took Bomber to come out with the DS. Honda is still suffering from the lawyers and the ten year shutdown of performance machines. ATV Action ( I think that's the one) just published a pic of Arctic Cats 440 twin sled motor, and basically dared them to use it. Hats off to C'dale on an incredible production project. Awesome response from drawing board to finished product....haven't seen that since the P-51 Mustange. Enjoy what you have, join a club.

Just my 2c.

Ken Thompson

 

Jack,
Yes Van Wert is on the west side of Ohio. The biggest close city would be Fort Wayne, IN at about 40 minutes West of me. It's too bad I live in the flat boring part of the state! Norwalk's drag strip is quite popular.
Modquad, 'Bomb really never took that long to release the DS. I think they released it just a year after the Traxter (ugly as it may be).
InvaderZim, It's hard not to talk about Raptors & DS's [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

 

Jack,Jack,Jack you just don't know how fast you can make a polaris for little $$$. Jerry should know he seen the rear wheel HP that his quad put on Othon's rear wheel dyno (53HP). And he should know what that would do in a flat out drag. Jerry didn't spend allot on what he has. If you figure what is on the quad now and not what it took to get there. like finding the right clutch,pipe that works. My quad is putting out 52HP at the rear wheels on the motor. And 72HP with Nitrous. Yes Jack NITROUS IS STILL ON THE QUAD AND HAS BEEN FOR 3 YEARS NOW. AND YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD NOT LAST. BOY YOU WERE WRONG I AM SMARTER THAN YOU AVERAGE RIDER/RACER. And I put about 20 lbs of nitrous threw my quad every time I go out to the dunes and run with Alcohol burning banshees. And it just 5 months ago bored it out 20 for maintance. See I ride my quad on the street in AZ back and forth to work 12 mile round trip. It will go with the trafic on the freeway also at 75mph on DOT aproved street tires.
Yes JACK I am the one you band from your polaris forum for saying that the nitrous on my quad was dependable.
I GUESS YOU WERE WRONG AGAIN

 

Andrew, I didn't mean to imply the DS took long to produce, just that they didn't have any sport related quad before that. Other than the ambitious undertakings of C'dale, seems the industry is content to market designs for around the ten year mark....that would make a new machine for Polaris still around 2 years early. That's if it does make it out this year. Don't mean to get snooty, just kinda trying to look at the industry as a whole.

Man I would give a left nut to be able to ride to and from work!!!!

Ken Thompson

 

This thread has gotten a little off track but I'll respond anyhow.

First: someone posted 58 as top speed of a stock Scrambler, I think they were off by 10mph or so, mine ran 65+ stock

Second: I have a 99 Scrambler 500 4x4 with HPD pipe and clutch and K&N. Recently had a 3 way race with my Scrambler (friend riding), 660 Grizz, and my Cannondale. Let's take the Cannondale out of the equation because it's irrelevent to this post. My Scrambler clearly beat the Griz. The Grizz speedo topped out at 63mph and the Scrambler kept climbing. Whoever said the Griz would beat a Scrambler was wrong, and I don't think the few mods I have made that much difference.

Third: I would have to agree that Polaris doesn't make a sport quad. I love my Scrambler but it's not a sport quad. I consider it a hybrid, much sportier than most utilities but not quite a true sports quad. That said, if I could only have 1 quad it would probably be the Scrambler.

Never ridden a modded 400, maybe it is a true sport quad. But when shopping for a sport quad I didn't even consider it because of the auto tranny and the weight. I bought a Cannondale Speed and trust me, if you rode one you would know why I don't consider the Scrambler a sport quad.

 

Interesting stuff Jay. Any major problems with the C'dale? Just steering the thread more off course.

Ken