FOCUS – ATVs in the USA ’05

All-terrain vehicle (ATV) sales have undergone phenomenal growth during the past decade. That’s no secret.
Now supplying everything from small displacement “kids” quads to machines built for two-up riding and multiple-use travel, most well-known manufacturers have researched and designed units to fit a broad spectrum of consumers.
But what are the factors influencing changes in the market, and is change always for the better?
One key factor in the rapidly changing ATV market is growth in the number of quads imported from China and other Southeast Asian nations – ATVs which are then distributed via product supply chains unique to the powersports industry.
Another influencing factor on today’s four-wheel off-road vehicle industry is growth of the utility vehicle (UTV) market. Once known as a line of vehicles to be used strictly for lawn-related and light construction services, UTVs now are being sought out by a growing number of consumers for service in the yard, on the trail, or on the job.
Of course, any growth in vehicle sales usually has a reciprocal affect on the aftermarket.
In this issue of Powersports Business, we talk with ATV manufacturers and distributors about the growing influence new companies have on the market, and delve into the UTV issue to find out how manufacturers and the aftermarket plan to continue to capitalize on these machines.