Of Mice & Men
- Updated: May 19, 2000
By John Arens
The one thing corporate managers don’t like to do is rock the boat. In the ATV industry the headquarters of every “old school” manufacturer is littered with executives who use all the right buzzwords and phrases, get all the right magazines, and occasionally stop to ponder the inspirational posters on the wall. The fact remains however that making the decision to go ahead with any revolutionary idea is just too much risk for most of them. As any manager bent on self-preservation knows, it’s much safer to fall in line behind the other cattle. After all, one wrong move and it’s goodbye to the private parking space and executive perks that come with so many years of following the tail ahead of you.
In the ATV industry this has meant a decade of utility behemoths of every configuration imaginable, and the same old sport models passed off as something new by merely a change of decals and color schemes. Meanwhile the motorcycle lines of the same companies have advanced in technology every step of the way, and no middle manager worthy of his 12′ square cubicle would dream of releasing the 1987 YZ250 or CR125 as a 2002 model! For the last dozen years that is exactly what has happened with ATV lineups with very few exceptions. Even the best sport model in a decade – the 400EX – is really decade old technology. In short, hand-me-downs, and the traditional manufacturers are reluctant to offer ANYTHING new (To say nothing technologically current or revolutionary!) Well, times they are a changin’, and two new companies have burst onto the ATV scene determined to kick every tail in line ahead of them. Here’s how things stack up today.
BOMBARDIER: With the introduction of the DS 650, Bombardier put the traditional factories on notice that they intend to dominate the big bore category, and they have the ability to do it. This is a multi-billion dollar company with the brains and the background to do whatever they want. Their efforts have been absolutely spectacular in the high performance snowmobile and watercraft industry, and on any northern trail or southern lake, the bright yellow Bombardier line can be seen in droves. We expect to see the DS 650 sprouting across the dunes like dandelions on a spring lawn. For a first time effort into a new category the DS 650 is nothing short of revolutionary, in that no effort was made to tame the model. This is a category leading big bore motor in a man-sized machine! No measly 250 or 300cc for these guys! Hell it even caught us off guard, as we’ve become used to the trained poodles the other manufacturers offer, and we can’t wait to see where the DS 650 goes from here. If the snowmobile and watercraft lineup is any indication, we’ll be throwing rocks at our Banshee. Bravo Bombardier and Go Canada!
CANNONDALE: Now a new company has made a dramatic entrance into the ATV world, and once again the offering is revolutionary. Pretty simple formula really. Give some bright young minds the task of building the best high performance ATV ever, and then get out of their way. With the introduction of it’s only quad at the 2000 dealer show, Cannondale–a company made famous by building high end bicycles–has put the other companies on notice that they too could build a high performance quad. In one show stopping moment, they not only put them on notice–they put the traditional manufacturers 3 years behind in development, and over a decade behind in technology. The new model is that advanced over ANYTHING on the market, and it simply oozes sexy new technology. Aluminum frame, fuel injection, a cassette transmission just to name a few. It’s as if all of a sudden EVERYBODY can date Marilyn Monroe or a Victoria’s Secret model (You pick). Suddenly everything else looks VERY dated, and there will be many a garage that makes room for the new Cannondale as the 400EX is rolled outside like the red headed stepchild it has so quickly become. Why is this? Simple; the brainpower from an elite group of young engineers has ruled over the hesitation, fear, and feet dragging of the “old school”. It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of the Cannondale model, and simply by introducing it, the ATV world has forever been changed. The people at Cannondale didn’t simply knock at the door of performance, they kicked it in!
So much for the new guys, now back to the feet draggers.
POLARIS: Polaris has grown by leaps and bounds with their ATV line, yet despite all the hype the press guys can generate, they still cannot make their top of the line “sport quad” any sportier. It’s like riding a buffalo really. You’re not sure who is in driving, but the size and the floorboards feel unsettling to say the least. If you don’t have a Polaris, just grab an extra set of handlebars and stand in the back of a buddy’s S-10 pickup. Now place both feet against the fender walls as he tools around a field, and you’ll get the idea. Don’t worry about the bars. The Polaris steering system is a weak link anyway, so it’s just like the real thing. Somehow the same guys that can develop snowmobiles that are one step away from guided missiles seem unable to grasp this one. To add insult to injury, Polaris supports sled racing and NASCAR, yet sits on their hands for any organized support of the GNC or GNCC series.
ARCTIC CAT: More like Ancient CART! Nuff said.
HONDA: Yes the 400EX is a very good sport machine, and no it isn’t a 250R. The 250R remains the best performance machine of all time. In fact, now the aftermarket “R” is the new standard, and the 400EX will never reach it. Supposedly this model was developed 6 years ago, but what we can’t understand is why it took so darn long to come along, and why the frame construction is marginal at best. Certainly not up to normal Honda standards and it would NEVER be seen in the CR lineup. We had heard that this model was a test of the sport market. As we’ve always said (and has now been proven), the market is there for any company with the cajones and brains to enter it, and the test is over. It’s time for an update of the line.
KAWASAKI: Let’s face it, the Mojave was never a favorite sport mount. It’s reign as king of its category was only slightly shorter than that of a new PC. Come to think of it, the darn thing was designed before there were many PCs. However, in the past year Kawasaki did step up to the plate in a big way by fielding a team to campaign the GNCC series. This was a total shock to nearly everyone in the ATV community! We would have been less surprised to see little green men step out of a spaceship at Loretta Lynn’s, than to see the Kawasaki Green men roll a performance quad out of the factory hauler. We did see one lone Kawasaki rider at the GNC series last season, and to be fair the Tecate-4 was lightning fast. Unfortunately it was dropped before the necessary development could be completed. Hopefully Kawasaki will follow up their racing efforts with an all-new performance model this time.
SUZUKI: The 4-wheel originator. None so blind as those that will not see. Develop a product line the world can use, then give it away. If this were merely a philanthropic move to improve the lives of the less fortunate of the world, we applaud the efforts. However, it is a capitalistic world, (and rightly so) and unfortunately it turned into a giant butt-whoopin’ courtesy of your competitors. Thanks for the great idea and better luck next time.
YAMAHA: In an era when bicycles come with disc brakes, Yamaha still bangs the drum on some models. However, all is not lost in the land of the tuning forks. Yamaha has promised a new performance model, and judging by the photos, they look ready to deliver. Thankfully they appear to be offering something other than another dizzying round of Banshee color schemes for us to write about. Lets hope they go so far as to offer their ATV customers the same developmental efforts they invested in the YZF motorcycle.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION!
That is the long and short (and in some cases very short) story of performance ATVs. The old school manufacturers have managed to slide through a first decade of models with little more than an abysmal effort. It’s clear that without a major change in their program, they certainly won’t be around for another ten years. The new guys have already changed the game, and they are playing to win!
