Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's New ATV market improving?

I managed to get a SxS and a pickup just before all this Covid craziness set in but I'm considering upgrading my old 4x4 Rancher 350 this year. I haven't visited the local shops yet in person, but their online inventory looks really spotty. It sounds like the auto industry is catching up a bit better lately, how about the ATV market? Looking at maybe a Foreman 520 or a Kodiak 450 EPS SE.

I’ve been on the look out for a new Kodiak 450 eps myself and being from Louisiana, you will probably find more of them from what I’ve seen on ATVTrader.com. You might need to travel out of state to find one though. There are none for sale up here in the north. Honda’s and Polaris, just no Yamaha 450 EPS models.

My experience is on the SxS side of things - we ordered a new 4 seater in December and it shipped the 1st week of May. It's sitting in the crate at the dealer waiting on electronics that are on backorder. I was anticipating a 2 month wait on the backordered items, but they won't give any kind of anticipated date. Last I heard, the backordered electronics crap is getting worse, not better...

Well that isn't a good sign. I had a recoil starter acting up on a Honda small engine lately and the shop guy told me just to baby it as long as I could, because he can't get them anyway.....

Starting to pick up here a little. When we got our mule this past spring, absolutely no sxs's. Quite a few atv's though

I lucked upon a mule pro Mx last summer sitting on the dealer lot have seen nothing since but mahindra tractors local dealer has plenty cf moto stuff

I got lucky with my Mule FXT Pro in the summer of 2020, right after the Covid lockdowns. It was the only one in my area and just happened to be the exact model I was looking for. If I was shopping for another, I'd buy the same model again.

I was looking for a fx model. None to be found, no orders were being taken. Found the MX pro about an hour after it was unloaded from the truck. I snagged it. Only thing available.

Word of caution no the mules mx model there not tanks to drive over trees n schit cv boot replacements are expensive

Update - dealer just called this morning and all parts are in and machine will be ready to pick up in a couple of days. Worked out to about a 2.5 month wait on backordered electronics...

i have a mule mx and bought the cv boot protectors...they seem to be exposed and thought that would be cheaper than boot replacement

May have to look into those

i was in the polaris shop and asked if any new UTV's were available. RZR & Generals can be had but the Rangers are way out on backorder.

Same with snowmobiles. you can buy the ones that no one wants. Was hoping to upgrade my '90 Indy lite

I had planned on buying a new side xSide this year. I decided to wait and maybe buy a good used one in the next few years. I usually buy new but If I cant find a good used one in the next few years I will buy a new one. My old 2007 Polaris 800 atv is still working good as well as my really old 2001 honda foreman. Just itching for a side by side.

Same here. Foreman is still kicking but I could use a second one for winter when I leave the Foreman at the hunting club or when I take one of the kids hunting a sxs would be easier. Youngest riding piggyback on the Foreman isn't to bad.....the 6' 5"/size 16 shoe oldest is kinda awkward riding behind me.

I really don't want a "big" one. The Honda Pioneer 500 or 520 would probably work well for me.

Something that I am seeing online and hearing from other guys is that the dealerships are not selling plain-jane machines. They are getting them off the truck and then decking them out with accessories for the higher profit margins in order to make up for the lower inventory volume. It's wheels/tires/winches/light-bars/etc, usually to the tune of $1500 or more above factory guise.

Happened to a friend. Ordered a Polaris SxS - was told there would be the 6-9 month wait.

2 months goes by and dealership says they have the model he wants, someone backed out - come on down.

Gets there and it's decked out with almost 4k extras. He said he doesn't want all that - they told him the only way to buy it is with that on it or wait the full 9 months, maybe.

He bought it.

The Polaris/Kaw/Can-Am dealer here has a few of each. My wife and I like to trail ride and have a 50" Polaris RZR. We have 100's of miles of atv trails we can ride that way even though it's a lot less roomy. The dealer here has several new 900cc 50" Polaris RZR's in stock. They've gone up 30% in price since last year. $18k, stripped. We're just looking, no chance of buying.

If the ATV industry follows what is starting in the auto industry. Check the banks for their auctions. Repo's are on the uptick

$600 I just had one fixed by Kawasaki

Holy cow that's high. I can DIY the boots on my Polaris in 30 min. for under $50/axle (last time I bought them anyway. Probably a lot higher now). Pull the wheel, 4 bolts, and it all slides out. It's a good idea to replace both boots on a side, though, because they both slide on from the same end. Half the time you have to take them both off anyway.

the market is not improving from what i have seen

Still running my 2008 Honda 500 foreman, and my 1999 Honda 300 fourtrax. The 300 is still going strong.

Do yourself a favor, buy a manual shift Honda ATV!

They don’t use the problematic belts and they have excellent reliability! In my experience over the years and seeing numerous other brands bought by my friends, I’ll stay with Honda!

Daughter is looking to buy a used car, was talking to a salesman last night about availability of new cars, prices, people taking on debt during this inflation...

He said there is a huge pick up in people coming in trying to sell cars.
Unfortunately for them, many bought in the last two crazy years.

Paid wayyyyy too much.

The market has adjusted, cars are more available, prices are falling.
The folks are getting pinched for cash, and are upside down on their cars.

How far do you want to travel for one?

I was looking for a new Yamaha Wolverine X2, I had to get the local dealer to order one for me with delivery expected some time in March, he didn't even ask for a deposit.

👍

Tzone, back this spring a new Kodiak seemed like a better idea than it does now in the middle of October. Honestly a new AGM battery in the old Polaris and I should be good for another few years for as much as I use that wheeler, or the other play things. I'm sure that at this point my local dealer would be happy to order one and the wife isn't opposed to the idea, but I just haven't been able to get past the cost/benefit stage.

I’ve been on the hunt for a new Honda Pioneer 1000 and can’t find one in Western Canada. Finally had to just put an order in for one. Expecting a several month wait for it. Dealer has no idea when it would be available.

Just looked at a Yamaha Kodiak 450, with a warn 2500 winch. Out the door it was $10k.

I’d have to flip a coin between the Honda and the Kodiak.

I thought that price was a little high, but with a winch and TTL, it might be too far off.

That sounds high I bought a New 2019 Honda Rancher 420 4-wheel drive for $5195
have they gone up that much in 4 years.

My arctic cat 450 cost more than that in 2012

I bought a new kodiak 450 eps 1.5 years ago for $7500. No winch tho

My local dealer has some CF Motos and no Kawasakis or suzukis. He doesn't expect them for months. If he gets a Kawasaki or Suzuki in they are already sold. Only the CF Moto's are on the floor.

kwg

Look on FB marketplace... I found a used 2021 Polaris 570 Sportsman that had 26 hours on it and was ridden on dirt roads around a farm for $4400

Point being, don't get in a hurry and know what you want. Go look at the machine and make an offer. I will NOT buy a new one ever again.

This time of year, there are tons of machines coming available that people took out LOANS to buy...

Same here in RC ,SD the used Hondas were as much as the new 600 cfmoto and didn't have ps or independent rear suspension. 6999.00..mb

Lots have changed in the ATV world since 2019. MSRP on ALL ATV/UTV's are up 15-20% or more since then and Honda (to my knowledge) never charged a destination fee or a freight surcharge like they (and all manufacturers) do now. Also, you most likely bought a manual shift, non-power steering, solid axle Honda Rancher. That Kodiak is an automatic with IRS and for the price quoted I assume it's a power steering machine as well. I'm not saying one is better than the other but to get all of those options in a Honda you can add another $2000-2500 to the price you paid on top of the cost increase since 2019.

I had exclusively owned Honda ATV's until 2019 when I was going to replace my 2016 Rubicon manual shift (hated the manual shift after owner 3 hondamatic Rubicons) with a new 2019 Rubicon DCT. After driving it I didn't like the way the DCT shifted so I ended up buying a Can Am Outlander 570 DPS. With a few extras added I was OTD for $7500. This was in October of 19 and the 19's were discounted as the 20's were rolling in. I was back at the same dealer getting my UTV serviced this past September and looked at the same model Outlander I bought new in 2019 except this one was camo colored and had some upgrades (headed seat, light bar, sound bar and basket racks) and the price was $13k before any fees or tt&l. I absolutely couldn't believe it. I asked the salesman if someone was interested in that machine without all of the extras could they be taken off and they said no because the labor had already been spent installing the extras and that with the machine shortage they were adding accessories/extras to all machines in order to make up for the lack of volume they were receiving. He did say one could be ordered and purchased without all of the accessories but there was no estimated lead time as to when it would arrive. So seems to me that the ATV world isn't getting any better any time soon. At least that was the case 3-4 months ago.

You right about my Rancher 420 no options, it's what I wanted at the time if I decide to get a new one might consider getting more options.

The market for new atv's and utv's hasn't gotten any better up here, I asked the local Yamaha dealer to order me a new X2 Wolverine back in Sept of last year, contacted him on Monday and they still haven't ordered it saying Yamaha told them they can't order until February. I'm now looking for a good solid newer used machine, which will save me money in the long run.

Has the new market improved in the US? It’s been 7 months I’ve been waiting on a new side by side and still not a word on when or if it will be coming from Honda

Lots of them in my area. I was looking at Kawasaki Mules at our local dealer today and they have a boat load of them. They also sell Can-Am and Kymco and looked to be well stocked with those too.

I made a trip out of town over the weekend, drove past the somewhat local Kawasaki dealer and saw 12 sxs sitting there ready to be adopted by someone.

I stopped by the local Honda dealer yesterday to take a look at some machines. They are a pretty big regional dealer for Honda and Kawasaki. There were exactly two base-model utility ATVs present. That's it. Showroom full of motorcycles, sport quads/SxS, and other items, but almost no hunting/working ATV units. They said they are just trickling in, with most being spoken for before they arrive.

It can cost anywhere from $20 to $50k to adopt a kid. 'Adopting' a SXS isn't any cheaper.

Yeah, better bank on $20-25k to do one right these days with roof, windshield, tires, winch, etc.

I did find another dealer last week that had just gotten some Honda shipments. No Rubicons, but test drove some Rancher and Foreman models with power steering. Very nice. Then I spied a Yamaha Kodiak 700 with power steering. Great ride and power. Think I’m going back for that one this week.

I ordered a Honda Pioneer 1000. Was supposed to ship in Feb 23, then late March, then April 20. Called dealer on April 21. It had not shipped and they did not know when it would ship. Ask for my deposit back and bought a Can Am UTV with 975 ish CCs. It was in stock.

I was telling my dad about the current challenge of finding a decent selection of Japanese quads to look at and he said, “I bet that’s part of why we are seeing so many Can Ams now.”