RZR still strong No. 1 among sand riders

Sand Sports Super Show consumer survey shows Maverick rising

Exclusive data provided to Powersports Business from Clarity Research shows that disregarding price, the Polaris RZR continues to be the most popular side-by-side, ranked first by 68 percent of attendees and second by 15 percent at the Sand Sports Super Show.

The Can-Am Maverick has displaced the Yamaha Rhino/Viking as the next most popular, with 12 percent of attendees ranking it first and 31 percent second, disregarding price.

The Polaris RZR is also the most popular side-by-side model for sand riding, with 68 percent ranking it first for sand riding. An additional 14 percent rank the RZR second for sand riding.

When asked which side-by-side vehicles they own, 59 percent said Polaris RZR, up from 54 percent in 2012 and 35 percent in 2011. Yamaha Rhino followed at 26 percent, down from 28 percent in 2012 and 43 percent in 2011.

Clarity Research, a consumer-based powersports marketing research company, also found that of their survey takers, 8 percent plan to purchase a new side-by-side within the next year, down from 11 percent the past two years.

A total of 7 percent of the survey takers said they plan to purchase a new ATV within the next year, down from 8 percent a year ago and down from 17 percent in 2007.

Also, 7 percent of the survey takers said they plan to purchase a new motorcycle within the next year, down from 12 percent a year ago.

The median age of attendees at the Sand Sports Super Show in 2013 was 41. Median household income among 2013 attendees was $93,249, nearly equal to 2012. Males made up 82 percent of attendees, continuing the increase in male attendance since 2011.

The study was conducted Sept. 20-22, 2013, at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif. The survey was self-administered, taking approximately three minutes to complete. A total of 253 interviews were completed. Respondents were offered an instant lottery ticket for participating in the survey.