the only reason why Honda or Yamaha would want to go into the reverse trike / autocycle business would be if they thought it would increase their profits and I highly suspect they have done the math and decided it wouldn't
Well then those razer 1000r's @ $21k must be raking in the dough for Honda then. My money is that they don't want to cannibalize their motorcycle sales.
A number have floated concepts. Lots of time looking into ROI. With 40k sould in over 4 years the numbers speak to why no further action has been taken by others.
Last one is a Honda concept. More city trike than anything else. They did have a concept I think 2 years ago that was a shot at a KTM X-bow so (4) wheels
Never in a million years would I think something like this
https://powersports.honda.com/…/honda%20side%20by%20side
would be a better seller than a slingshot type vehicle by Honda. I still can't believe there is a sustainable market for those. I have never seen one in action in real life. Seen my share of slingshots (before getting one) but never a side-by-side from Honda.
Matter of fact I would have to have a Honda exec actually show me a slideshow with hard sales figures to prove to me that their side-by-side has more sales potential then an autocycle. To me there is just way more urban-use sales potential then off-road customer base.
I mean the talon 1000r retails for the exact same price as a baseline sling for pete's sake. How does Honda think the slingshot design not sell???? That's crazy and I ain't buying it no really I would never buy a talon @ $21k.
Now you can make an argument that Honda along with Yamaha/others don't want to go into the autocycle business because of fear of cannibalizing their motorcycle sales, ok now that makes sense but to say that there isn't a name-brand demand for autocycles is silly. Campagna did it for 20 years until they were priced out of the market thanks to vanderhall and polaris.
The aftermarket industry would go bonkers for a Honda autocycle. I mean just look at what people do (with their money) nowadays with small cars like Hondas/VW/etc.
The issue of autocycles turning into cars in terms of regulations will be mandated by historical data. As more of the autocycles get on the road more crash data will exist. It will be up to the lawmakes to decide if autocycles become more dangerous (to the drivers and to others on the road) then say a motorcycle hence the need for airbags, bumpers etc.
The only way we see autocycles becoming heavily regulated is if automakers like GM and others raise a stink as to why autocycles get away with less regulation.
Thus the more playing in this autocyle field the better since there will be more invested in the concept.
The biggest factor for regulations going forward is weight, as long as the weight is kept under a ton the more likely it will not become regulated like a car.
The cat is already out of the bag so it wouldn't make a difference if a big car maker like Honda started making slingshot clones. Personally I think the more the better. Competition breeds better design and performance.
Honda was burnt back in 70-80s with the Big Red three wheelers and swore they would never touch it again. The Goldwing community was begging for a Factory Honda trike. Nada.
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For me a trike design (handlebars, short wheel track) is not what I am talking about. I am talking about an autocycle design. A car-motorcyle hybrid design (car engine, single rear wheel, etc) that polaris and vanderhall has successully created. I don't think Honda has ever tried this.
I agree, Can-AM created their own low end model. It is like buying a Sportster 883 or better yet a Harley Street 500 or 750. Yes you get a bike at a discounted price with the name, but it is just so maybe you will buy the real thing later. I thought the competition would be something like the Carver (went out of business), the Morgan, even maybe the Elio. I had hope for the Niken from Yamaha but it also has not taken off. Don't forget about the Honda Neowing (possible release 2020) all of which will be competitors for Can-Am, but not for Polaris (in my opinion). If you want to get really into a cash cow... the Scorpion will do that for you (it sounds like an F1 race car), or the Vanderhall, Campagna T-Rex, my favorite (side by side seating).. I could go on but .....
Unfortunately there is a narrow sweet spot when it comes to pricing for the autocycle niche, go to high in price like the T-rex then you box yourself into the corner and go bankrupt (campagna is no more). Vanderhall and Polaris got it right for pricing ($21k-$40k) and design for what they offer where as failures like Tanom motors which had the dumbest business model imaginable (strip down retail motorcycles just to get an engine, really?) fall by the wayside.
Companies like Morgan dip their toes in the autocycle waters but never go in fully (they just cancelled an electric version due to supplies) and continue to milk their nostalgic offering from the past. I love my slingshot but I really hope some big names offer up their solutions soon. My next autocycle will be the electric vanderhall because I love electric and it's perfect for the country-side joyride.
I am still baffled by Honda, of all the motorcycle makers out there they have the infrastructure to crush it in the autocycle world. They have decades of car-design and motorcycle manufactoring experience and all the car/motorcycle resources you could hope for and yet they haven't bothered with the autocycle design. Crazy!
One thing that stood out is the console being more vertical. Polaris designers finally realized the angled console simply fails with a lot of sun angles. I suspect they had the console angle change at the top of their list for the refresh. Don't see how they can sit on this update till '21. They just need to bite the bullet and discount preceding years to move the inventory.
yes, my kit with 4 new wellnuts in a small package in the box
prob is my set were given to me for free (still gave the guy some bucks) so no well-nuts for me. He either used them or lost them. The shields were collecting dust in a corner of his garage.
Meh doesn't matter, probably going back to the full windshield this fall, after I get my fill of the bubbles for now. Seriously that wind noise around the ears is deafening even with a full helmet. Thank god I use hearing protection because the times I haven't I feel I lost some hearing when I get back home. My dogs love the extra airflow though, they look so cute when they have their snouts tilted-up taking/sniffing in all that air at speed.
I swear my dogs have more fun in the sling than I do, they get to enjoy not only new sights and sounds but smells lots and lots of new smells.
Looks good, put the Batman decal on outside edge of wing.
JUST SAYIN
nope, got enough batman logos. I am getting the hood vent mirror chrome painted, gonna be ready in two weeks 
I think it will be interesting with all those updates/upgrades to see what the price jumps to. The regular MC business is suffering because they are priced way too high for the younger folks (the ones mentioned in the video I.E. non core) to afford.... Anyways...
This is why the used slingshot business is thriving. I have a buddy who owns a used motorcycle dealership and constantly buys and sells used slingshots. At $15-17k it is very tempting for the young crowd to pick one up instead of a shiny new crotch rocket.
If Polaris couldn't keep them on the show room floor and they had back orders out the wahzoo than yeah you would see other manufactures entering the market. To the Spider question there was another manufacturer that got into the game.... Polaris with he SlingShot. To thier credit took a different approach.
Did anyone notice the headers. Not a Turbo setup. One as to assume we will see two engine variations if the turbo rumor is to be believed. Now it is possible they are going the S/C route and this would not be seen in the teaser image.
Well I recently visited a large dealership in Richmond where they had a huge selection of off-road vehicles and guess what, polaris has competition (Honda, yamaha amongst others etc) and something tells me those off-road units are not flying off the dealerships floors either. Here is yamaha's entry.
https://www.yamahamotorsports.…801-1462258587.1564527801 and Honda is deep in the off-road side by side business as well. I know since I sat in both the yamaha and honda offerings.
So it baffles me as to why Honda and Yamaha hasn't put out an autocycle by now. Especially Honda because they have their own car engine plants and could easily have the best autocycle on the market both in performance and at least matching in looks to the slingshot. Yamaha bike designs have been some of the best cutting-edge stuff out there for decades. Just think what they could come up with for an autocycle.
Either company could literally corner the autocyle market with their brand-name alone. Polaris should count their blessings that they haven't......yet.
Display MoreI base my belt tension on years of use of cog belts. V belts rely on friction of the two surfaces to transfer force, cog belt are close to gears in the process of transferring force. Harley when first putting cog belts on their motorcycles had a v belt attitude, they ran them tight. After buying several (read a bunch) axles and bearing sets they loosened them and saved rear bearings and axles. The SS has a carbon fiber cog belt, carbon fiber contracts when heated it does not stretch. By the time I lower the air in the rear shock, put two people in it and ride for an hour the belt is snug, not loose not tight. When under drive pressure the top of the belt becomes tight and establishes the position of the cogs entry and exit of each of the teeth of the drive/driven sprockets. The off drive side is effected by the looseness/tightness of the belt and thereby the entry/exit position of the cogs. The cog entry/exit of the corresponding tooth of the sprocket would be the only place friction would occur and cause heat, other than ambient heat. When run in a horizontal attitude looseness is not a bad thing, when in the vertical attitude looseness would kill a belts ability to stay on the drive/driven sprockets. Sometimes the manufacturer makes errors in their build process and it takes time and component failure to have corrections made by the manufacture, think Harley.
TMI
LC
Well thankfully when the belt is too tight, the rear pulley bearings begin to make a creaking sound (kind of like an early warning system). Buddy of mine asked me to listen to his recent weird noise because he wasn't sure what it was and based on my recent extensive experience with mine, I knew instantly it was the belt getting tight on him once I heard it.
I am convinced the system is designed to tighten up over time vice loosen over time as a safety measure to prevent belt damage (from loose tension) at high speed revolutions.
The good news is resetting the belt tension with its many steps is a straight-forward process although tedious at times.
So for me as long as I don't hear the creaking and measure the tension between .5 and 4. inches of deflection, I feel confident the belt and pulleys will last me the stated 100k miles and then some.
Interesting note, the service manual states if you have to change a belt (excessive wear/damage) then it's recommend to change the pulleys too. Very interesting statement.
Just a question here, are you guys loading the SS with approx weight the riders add. The belt gets tighter as the suspension sags under weight.
I run my belt about 1 to 1 1/4 inch lose when not loaded and cold. As we load and heat the belt it gets tighter. Has worked for me for 20k, and of course washing and dry lubing the belt.
LC
Glad it works for you but I will stick to the manual's .4 inch when cold. Since the specs state I believe a 450lb passenger limit I suspect the .4 inches should accommodate that. I believe the manual states the vehicle should be unloaded when checking belt deflection. I would have no problems going as loose as .5 inches cold to allow for really hot summer climates.
One thing to keep in mind with a really loose belt the resulting slippage would heat up the belt real fast to the point where the belt would be tight enough to prevent further slippage but at the cost of damaging the teeth for the belt and/or pulleys.
Might as well milk the bodystyle, it's very unique and nothing else comes close. I think new model's biggest selling point is the automatic transmission. I am pretty sure the Polaris suits realize that there are a lot of potential customers waiting on this possible change who don't want to or physically can't drive stick (casual wives who don't want to ride backseat on motorcyles but don't care for stick, older folks who don't want the hassle of a clutch, etc).
Just the other night, a 30 something asked me if the SS came in automatic when I said no, he was clearly disappointed. As for the new lights, I think they look sharp but that kind of stuff can easily be attained through aftermarket knockoffs and I suspect a floodgate will open up for those types of light designs to retrofit older SS models in the coming years.
Still baffled as to why (after 4 years on the market) Yamaha, Honda or Suzuki have not come out with their own slingshot killer. I drool just thinking what they could do with an autocycle concept. Polaris would be toast if they ever did.
Here is a one minute walk-around with the bubble canopy if you are interested....
Well the bubble canopies do fit but were not intended for 2019 models, the were designed with two bolt attachments (1 on each side). Polaris decided to remove the inner bolt fittings for 2019 meaning all there is are gaping holes where there should be threaded inserts on the inside section for each canopy. So basically I only have one bolt holding each one down on the outside. The stock windshield only uses a single bolt on the outsides and one for a center mount (3 total).
The good news is they are installed firm enough once you get the center paneling seated over them for the inside of the canopies.
Although the look is perfect for the batmobile theme the functionality is disappointing. I can see why Polaris did away with this design and stuck with the windshield. The wind noise around your head is really annoying. Sure the extra airflow keeps things much cooler but at the cost of a lot of noise. I will use them for now until the fall then probably switch back to the stock windshield for warmth and less noise. Still the look is indeed perfect.
If only they had been 20% wider and 20% taller I think they could have matched the windshield functionality.
That was a very nice informational video..
I like things that tell you how and why you should or should not do certain things....and the results of said actions...
Yeah, probably the biggest step that I did not know about until I got the manual was after loosening all the required bolts to slack the belt you then re-torque the big 30mm bolt to max torque then immediately loosen it again. This is a positional reset of the swing-arm shaft and if you miss this step then chances are the belt will not be aligned correctly after you finally torque the bolts to check the belt tension and you get to do the whole 25 step process all over again as per the manual notes. This is why you need the manual.
Sorry for the fast talking (got me out of breath 
) but I wanted to keep the video as short and sweet as possible.
Even though this is not a detailed how to video it will give you a very good perspective on the procedures for tension and alignment of the belt and my lessons learned.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to get a hold of the manual for your own DIY maintenance on the SS. You can buy it direct from Polaris for about $200. That said, I will easily earn that cost back within a couple of years. I suspect at least an hour of labor costs when going to a polaris dealership for this full procedure. The nice thing about the manual is it removes all mysteries with regards to how the machine is built/intended to work (increasing your confidence as you work on it) and also there is some interesting commentary from the mechanics viewpoint relating to customers and how they report problems.
I am pleased to report after finally getting this process nailed that my belt is whisper quiet now during all types of driving.
Note: .4 inches is what I mean when I am saying ".4" in the video
You can't upload videos here, gotta upload them to youtube, then you can link them. Would be a good public service
I know, I will have a link to the video on my youtube channel shortly....
You should make a video of how to do it right and post it on the tubes.
I might try to do a summary with my iphone to emphasize the importance of step order and the mistakes I made. Assuming the video is not huge I will post it here.
BTW, although I am too old to be putting on a costume I do have my two regular batmobile riders with me that I hope to get costumes for during the holloween season. Here is Robin the dog wonder....
And his sister who will either be batgirl (if I can find the costume. She does have the ears for it) or wonder girl-dog (wonder woman)
