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COPYRIGHT 2004 Ehlert Publishing Group
For many years, seven of the top manufacturers have been sitting at the same table playing their own World Series of ATV Poker. Honda is the multi-time champion and usually owns the largest stack of chips. Yamaha and Polaris have been battling it out for the runner-up chip count over the years. Others, like Suzuki, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat and BRP, want to increase their piles. We've seen other players try to sit in the eighth chair, reserved for newcomers. Cannondale went all-in and lost, sadly. Others have thought about joining this high-stakes game, but have kept their game small for the sake of survival.
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We've also seen several dozen foreign competitors enter the market in recent years. Some have literally folded before they even could contemplate a challenge, while others have survived by avoiding the major players. Is it fair to lump all these foreign manufacturers into one group? For the most part, yes, but one player wants some of the action and says it deserves to be recognized.
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Kymco, a Taiwan-based scooter and ATV manufacturer, says it has worked on its poker face and is preparing itself to challenge for the open chair. For Kymco's sake, we hope it plays its cards right.
"Business is great, but there's no time to celebrate," said Kymco President Son-Chien Wang. "We wish to build Kymco as a world-class brand name in the powersports field."
OUR VISIT
Through STR Motorsports Division, which operates as Kymco USA, a group of American off-road journalists were invited to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to be educated in all things Kymco. Day one consisted of plant...
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