SUZUKI NEWS:
As we continue our goal to get the dirt on what all the major manufacturers are doing, especially in the ATV world. It breaks down that the security on the ATVs is not nearly as intense as the security on the street and MX/SX machines. It's tough to get anyone to spill the dirt on that stuff. But ATVs are still in their infancy of mass appeal and this is one of the perks.
To get to the point there is a hot rumor coming out of the Suzuki camp that they are testing a big bore sport machine. One spy is telling us that someone is testing what looks like a z400 with a 700cc engine. While this may not surprise some folks it came as a bit of a surprise to we here at MOTODIRT. We had been expecting to hear of a big bore Honda ride, possibly a long rumored 650ex. But what we got was every bit as exciting for some.
LT-Z700:
The specs are totally unknown at this point, but we are told that it looks much like a z400. All the goodies are present, fuel injection, reverse, fully adjustable suspension all around. No doubt the engine is some form of the 700cc plant from the King Quad platform. That mill would take well to a valve and exhaust reconfiguration and make a snappy sport machine, especially in something as light as a 375 pound unit.
Word is that this machine is quite real and looking like a strong probability for Suzuki. The snag right now seems to be whether or not they want to kill the popular z400. A 700cc sport machine from the Yellow factory, with similar handling to a z400 might just be too much for them to sell both. They would appear to appeal to very similar crowds. Since the LT-R450 arrived, the z400 has stayed steady in sales, only declining in relation to other competition but not within the factory. The recreational XC or MX racer can still compete on a stock z400 on Saturday, and ride with his kids on Sunday. The z400 is notoriously trail friendly and a happy little bumble bee of a speedster. Yamaha's Raptor 700r has taken a chunk away from the z400 sales, and unless Suzuki makes a move that will continue to happen.
It is predictably so that Honda is suffering from a similar frustration. Would a TRX650ex effectively kill the 400ex? It is just as likely so that a z700 would kill the z400. Or would it?
It would not have to, both could easily survive with combined numbers. The question will become a financial one above all the initial investment and the potential risk involved. Would Suzuki have the guts to keep the z400 alive, as a cheap alternative? The z400 and 400ex alike could survive a big brother, just like the Warrior 350 and now Raptor 350 has survived the Raptor 660 and now 700. The middle class 400cc rider is the meat of the industry and killing off either machine would likely not be a smart move.
So in turn the only feasible alternative is to make a z700 or 650ex in addition to the 400cc sport machines. And as said, this gets to be a financial issue. The good news is ATV sales are up, and climbing, and have been steadily for years. The sport end machines are gaining more interest in their own right, and this bodes well that we may see some of these models hit the floors soon.
Several factories are leaning towards elimination of one utility unit in favor of adding one sport unit. This swap has already happened a few times since the sport machines started to return. There are still a ton of utility machines to choose from, and getting rid of one would not even be noticed by most potential customers.
As we continue our goal to get the dirt on what all the major manufacturers are doing, especially in the ATV world. It breaks down that the security on the ATVs is not nearly as intense as the security on the street and MX/SX machines. It's tough to get anyone to spill the dirt on that stuff. But ATVs are still in their infancy of mass appeal and this is one of the perks.
To get to the point there is a hot rumor coming out of the Suzuki camp that they are testing a big bore sport machine. One spy is telling us that someone is testing what looks like a z400 with a 700cc engine. While this may not surprise some folks it came as a bit of a surprise to we here at MOTODIRT. We had been expecting to hear of a big bore Honda ride, possibly a long rumored 650ex. But what we got was every bit as exciting for some.
LT-Z700:
The specs are totally unknown at this point, but we are told that it looks much like a z400. All the goodies are present, fuel injection, reverse, fully adjustable suspension all around. No doubt the engine is some form of the 700cc plant from the King Quad platform. That mill would take well to a valve and exhaust reconfiguration and make a snappy sport machine, especially in something as light as a 375 pound unit.
Word is that this machine is quite real and looking like a strong probability for Suzuki. The snag right now seems to be whether or not they want to kill the popular z400. A 700cc sport machine from the Yellow factory, with similar handling to a z400 might just be too much for them to sell both. They would appear to appeal to very similar crowds. Since the LT-R450 arrived, the z400 has stayed steady in sales, only declining in relation to other competition but not within the factory. The recreational XC or MX racer can still compete on a stock z400 on Saturday, and ride with his kids on Sunday. The z400 is notoriously trail friendly and a happy little bumble bee of a speedster. Yamaha's Raptor 700r has taken a chunk away from the z400 sales, and unless Suzuki makes a move that will continue to happen.
It is predictably so that Honda is suffering from a similar frustration. Would a TRX650ex effectively kill the 400ex? It is just as likely so that a z700 would kill the z400. Or would it?
It would not have to, both could easily survive with combined numbers. The question will become a financial one above all the initial investment and the potential risk involved. Would Suzuki have the guts to keep the z400 alive, as a cheap alternative? The z400 and 400ex alike could survive a big brother, just like the Warrior 350 and now Raptor 350 has survived the Raptor 660 and now 700. The middle class 400cc rider is the meat of the industry and killing off either machine would likely not be a smart move.
So in turn the only feasible alternative is to make a z700 or 650ex in addition to the 400cc sport machines. And as said, this gets to be a financial issue. The good news is ATV sales are up, and climbing, and have been steadily for years. The sport end machines are gaining more interest in their own right, and this bodes well that we may see some of these models hit the floors soon.
Several factories are leaning towards elimination of one utility unit in favor of adding one sport unit. This swap has already happened a few times since the sport machines started to return. There are still a ton of utility machines to choose from, and getting rid of one would not even be noticed by most potential customers.
posted by motoguru at 10:06 AM
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