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Will the Slingshot see mass produced competition?

3K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  mtntech 
#1 ·
So far no other major player has entered the market. Anyone heard anything?
 
#4 ·
I don't see it happening anytime soon. Can-Am already has their Spyder. I don't see the usual competitors (Arctic Cat/Kawasaki/Yamaha/Honda) coming out with anything similar. I don't think the market is all that great. Polaris still has plenty of leftovers for sale. That could be due to a weak market or because of the recalls/reliability problems. It's too bad Polaris can't seem to get the bugs sorted out as they would have a huge jump on the competition if the market took off.
 
#5 ·
Recalls, sure. But that's bound to happen with a new platform like this. But I havnt heard of many reliability issues. I for one have not had a single issue with mine other than recalls. I think the market is a little weak because Motorcycle riders still think the slingshot is not a motorcycle (which it really isnt) so they don't care for it, and sports car drivers think why pay that kind of money when I can get something else, for a little more, that has a roof and doors and airbags and ac and heat etc. etc.... But the people that have driven or riden in one know, that there really isn't anything like it, at this price point. I think over time, it will continue to gain popularity.
 
#7 ·
Depends on what you see as competition...Elio Motors has been trying to get a 3 wheeled vehicle out under a standard car classification. Sondors is looking to do a 3 wheeled electric car.
 
#13 ·
It seems to me that that is what they are doing. They're in the 3rd model year now - they aren't getting worse are they? The market may just be waiting for the 'feeling' of reliability to explode.



Interesting point. Yamaha did it 1st. Others followed. What Yamaha didn't do with the Rhino, and Polaris did with the Slingshot, was come up with something so different in configuration and looks that others couldn't simply make the same thing in a new flavor. When other ATV manufacturers saw the popularity of the side by side seats and steering wheel in the Rhino, it was fairly simple to adopt that platform and engineer their own version. ATVs are pretty simple machines relatively speaking. When Polaris came out with the Slingshot with it's long and wide 3 wheel base. low stance, car engine/tranny, crazy body panels, and street legal status, nobody had a platform that could be adapted to compete with it. It is literally brand new. Now other manufacturers either copy the basic configuration and build a competing machine, or come up with something new of their own. Either way, the time-to-market is considerable and Polaris already has a huge lead. I'd be curious to know how long this concept was in development before the public even heard about it. Of course the time from hearing about it to owning it is well documented on this site.
I agree. It is all about timing. Yamaha's Rhino was not ground breaking technology wise. It is surprising that it took the industry that long to build a performance SXS. Once the Rhino was released the rest lagged for awhile before jumping in. According to an industry insider, it was partly due to lawsuits dealing with rollovers.

me thinks the other big names are watching real close--no one company can just own the whole market forever-someone will step up to get their hands in some pockets too
I am sure that the whole industry is watching. When a competitor is approaching a half billion dollars in gross sales, it might be time to get in the game.
 
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