Discussion: Where does the sport go from here?

With the release of a side by side with over 100 hp, whats next? I have been sitting today wondering what the future holds for all the other side by sides.

Will all of the other side by sides sell and be popular? Will current Wildcats, XP's, RZR 800's, and all the others sell?

Its a see saw battle between PoPo and C/A. I will bet you PoPo will come out with a 100HP+ RZR sometime in late Dec. I expect Polaris realizes the average man can't afford a $15K plus SxS, so therefore the 50" RZR ain't going anywhere. I do believe the 800 will slowly disappear and be replaced by a higher tech 700 too 900cc engine. I wish they would stop worrying about how big and fast they make these things and start concentrating on making a higher quality SXS that comes with better refinement, better parts and less stinking maintenance.

bcfatvs wrote:

Its a see saw battle between PoPo and C/A. I will bet you PoPo will come out with a 100HP+ RZR sometime in late Dec. I expect Polaris realizes the average man can't afford a $15K plus SxS, so therefore the 50" RZR ain't going anywhere. I do believe the 800 will slowly disappear and be replaced by a higher tech 700 too 900cc engine. I wish they would stop worrying about how big and fast they make these things and start concentrating on making a higher quality SXS that comes with better refinement, better parts and less stinking maintenance.

Amen, brother.

People always want to go faster. To me it depends on where the price of gas goes. Hell I can't afford to drive the Fo-Fiddy let alone a 100 hp machine.

Well I am sure poop will answer back. Those are the big two in the industry. I guess the others will continue to sell. Looks like the xp is not the big kid on the block anymore.

I wonder if xp 900 rzrs are going to quit selling now and sit on the lots

I have a question!!!! Why in the HELL would you need 100hp on the trails? Thats kind of like buying ZR1 Corvette....The speed limit is still 55/65mph!!! Just seems like a waste of money to me... Unless you have T-Bone's money!! I beat the MSRP is going to be over 20k...I looked at a 900xp 4 seater on thursday and the MSRP was $19,500.00...Plus dock,tax,and freight!!!

A sport sxs that I can ride more than 300 miles without working on it would be nice. But, as long as everyone keeps buying them, they will not fix their weak links. Selling lots of parts is just more money in their pockets. People say this one is better than that one, and on and on. Tbone, you ask if the others will continue to sell....I say that if the Hams are as bullet proof as you say they are, then the new Mavrick will make Polaris take a look at their junk made in China ball joints, bushings, and driveshafts. But, instead they will most likely just come out with a new cooler looking body and more features to catch the eye.

The high seat position and short suspension travel of the Rhino sucks, but I have beat the hell out of the 450 to keep up with people on unknown trails, and everything under it is solid as day one. The thought of spending over $15k for a new sport machine such as a Wildcat, XP, or Can-Am only to find that I just bought rzr problems with another name plate on it, would absolutely make me sick. I have to work on stuff that won't stay together all week long, and the last thing I want to do is the same thing on the weekend when I should be riding. So, as it stands right now, I see a new Rhino 700 in my future. But, I may just run the 450 for a while to make sure Yamaha don't come out with something. Honda will not do anything, they already changed their slogan to "built for work".

Well I'm sure Polaris has one ready to up the Maverick would be my guess but time will tell.They are all over priced in my opinion I don't care what name is on it.

Hump wrote:

A sport sxs that I can ride more than 300 miles without working on it would be nice. But, as long as everyone keeps buying them, they will not fix their weak links. Selling lots of parts is just more money in their pockets. People say this one is better than that one, and on and on. Tbone, you ask if the others will continue to sell....I say that if the Hams are as bullet proof as you say they are, then the new Mavrick will make Polaris take a look at their junk made in China ball joints, bushings, and driveshafts. But, instead they will most likely just come out with a new cooler looking body and more features to catch the eye.

The high seat position and short suspension travel of the Rhino sucks, but I have beat the hell out of the 450 to keep up with people on unknown trails, and everything under it is solid as day one. The thought of spending over $15k for a new sport machine such as a Wildcat, XP, or Can-Am only to find that I just bought rzr problems with another name plate on it, would absolutely make me sick. I have to work on stuff that won't stay together all week long, and the last thing I want to do is the same thing on the weekend when I should be riding. So, as it stands right now, I see a new Rhino 700 in my future. But, I may just run the 450 for a while to make sure Yamaha don't come out with something. Honda will not do anything, they already changed their slogan to "built for work".

im with u,well said!!!

the yamaha is coming 2014...watch out!!

Would love to see a more aggressive yamaha they can't afford to wait till 2014 if they have one in secret.

What is so different from all the ball joints? :

Like motorcycle industry , I think the goverment will get involved ,as hp and speed on these machines goes up so does deaths and injury so you will see them limit overall speed , or CC size . The one that amazes me is John Deere , that is turning into a pretty awsome looking machine ( it is styled after the can am ) .

WV Hot Rod Rhino wrote:

the yamaha is coming 2014...watch out!!

Maybe I should put a cam, jet kit, cdi, and air filter in the 450 to hold me off till then. I really think they will come out with something. I've been hearing they are winning alot of the rollover lawsuits lately. That means they might get back in the game.

I'm waiting for it to be impossible to insure one before long.

the 100 plus hp will be ok as long as your on the flat drag strip or the dunes, I dont see it has any place in the woods. 24,000 is a lot of money for tree decorations

All I can say you all.....is.... enjoy the moment....

bubba53 wrote:

All I can say you all.....is.... enjoy the moment....

AMEN to that!!! we are not promised tommorow!!

Maybe sooner or later polaris or can am or even artic cat will realize that there is more to riding and more to the sport then just dunes...personally i dont ever have any intentions of going duning..the closest thing i ever recall coming right from the manufacturer that comes close to being up to how we ride is when it was artic cat i believe came out with that 4wd utility quad with the big mud tires lift and factory snorkel

the market is wide open right now -- who knows where or what is next

I'm on board with all the opposition to the promotion of gilded performance. But, as we all have seen, competition demands a better product to succeed. I'm all for that as long as I can choose not to be the Guinea Pig.

bcfatvs wrote:

Its a see saw battle between PoPo and C/A. I will bet you PoPo will come out with a 100HP+ RZR sometime in late Dec. I expect Polaris realizes the average man can't afford a $15K plus SxS, so therefore the 50" RZR ain't going anywhere. I do believe the 800 will slowly disappear and be replaced by a higher tech 700 too 900cc engine. I wish they would stop worrying about how big and fast they make these things and start concentrating on making a higher quality SXS that comes with better refinement, better parts and less stinking maintenance.

couldnt have said it better------------------

HP is only one attribute and arguably not even the most important one. Quality, reliability, functionality, price, maintenance, etc., etc. What appeals to some of us will not appeal to everyone. In technology you have "early adopters" that buy new technology first - like a lot of us on this site and the folks that have already ordered their iPhone 5s lol - and you also have "laggards" which wait until the technology sorts itself out before purchase. So, your early adopters and HP junkies will continue to buy these new machines but the vast majority will not. These early adopters are a small segment of the marketplace and not generally a lot of profit in this area. These folks just buy new technology and show it to the rest of us and the companies hope this spurs us to purchase too but no guarentees. Still other factors involved such as price points, reviews from ealry adopters, etc. I know lots of folks around here that still think the polaris ranger is the best SxS on the market. They're hunters and sportsman who don't give a crap about how fast it will go or how smooth it handles or what bells and whistles they have - they just want to be able to drive themselves to their tree stands and around their farms (i.e. Honda Big Red). I myself originally bought a Rhino because I really liked Yamaha reliability and I really wanted a Can Am 4-seater and was willing to wait - unfortunately Can Am missed their target date by a couple of years so I bought an XP4 instead. Not gonna rush out and buy a new Can Am just because it's the new thing. Can Am lost out due to time to market. This "installed base" of owners are hard to switch over now because they're locked in already. They have XPs and payments lol. This so called XP killer truly woulda been an XP killer had it been here when the XP got here but it didn't - they were too late to market. Ask Sony how they've been doing lately. Great company that can't get products to market on time; therefore, they're mired in mediocrity while apple stock is thru the roof. Having a great product means nothing if your market already spent their money on an XP...

My brother-in-law just bought a new Rzr4 800 (switched from Yamaha Rhino). He had no interest in the XP4 because he said the incremental gains in HP and accessories weren't worth the price. "The 800 was good enough." My dads neighbor just got a new Rzr-S 800 (upgraded from a standard rzr). He valued the upgraded handling and suspension the S offered but didn't care to take the leap ($$$$) to the XP. My point being, this high-end SxS market is only a small percentage of the whole pie. A thin slice if you will... and the XP and the new Can Am, Wildcat, etc. are battling over this slice and not the whole pie. It's the reason the Japanese still haven't came out with anything other than the rhino. The Rhino and Ranger, and standard Rzr, Teryx, Big Red, etc. appeals more to the whole market than the just the fastest and sportiest. If not, we'd only have big bore 4-wheelers (Grizzly 700, King Quad, Rincon, etc.)... they're clearely better than the others but go into an ATV store and there are lots of options in 4-wheelers. I imagine the SxS market will wind up very similar. Just my two cents...

boltfanfromwv wrote:

My brother-in-law just bought a new Rzr4 800 (switched from Yamaha Rhino). He had no interest in the XP4 because he said the incremental gains in HP and accessories weren't worth the price. "The 800 was good enough." My dads neighbor just got a new Rzr-S 800 (upgraded from a standard rzr). He valued the upgraded handling and suspension the S offered but didn't care to take the leap ($$$$) to the XP. My point being, this high-end SxS market is only a small percentage of the whole pie. A thin slice if you will... and the XP and the new Can Am, Wildcat, etc. are battling over this slice and not the whole pie. It's the reason the Japanese still haven't came out with anything other than the rhino. The Rhino and Ranger, and standard Rzr, Teryx, Big Red, etc. appeals more to the whole market than the just the fastest and sportiest. If not, we'd only have big bore 4-wheelers (Grizzly 700, King Quad, Rincon, etc.)... they're clearely better than the others but go into an ATV store and there are lots of options in 4-wheelers. I imagine the SxS market will wind up very similar. Just my two cents...

I tend to agree with your Dad's neighbor. I'm the "laggard" that wants XP performance in an 800 RZR chassis. When asked by locals new to SXSs for an opinion of what to look at, I tell them that RZR-S is the best bang for the buck. But, also, that they're all(SXSs) good for the purpose of having fun on the trail and find the one that fits your needs.

Wouldn't it be great to have a factory "Mountain" version of the "S"? Low profile cage with full roll-over coverage, XP flares, 4/5 pt. harness, relocated intake air source, winch and a beefy suspension - I'd drink the Koolaid and buy the first one.