Might be first time we agreed

 

I had to Google SXS, I guess I must live under a rock... In my limited "over 50" world I personally do not know anyone that has a SXS, I have seen a total of (2) in a driveway or open garage when I pass riding around my town.
I also Googled a place to ride a SXS in my area and I only see a few in my State and most if not all are a few hours away.
I do however live in a boating paradise ( 100 yards to the ocean ) so I do see a boat parked in many driveways but many of those driveways or garages also hold a Harley! I can't say people don't ever sell a Harley to buy a boat but IMO, a Boat , a Harley and a SXS are all very different things.

I did sometime back watch a Youtube about how the SXS hobby was building a tourist attraction is old coal town of WV, thats cool but looks like a hobby I simply know nothing about...
With a Harley I have a public road at the end of my driveway, if I owned a SXS I would be required to load up and drive 2-3 hours minimum or buy land 2-3 hours from my house to find a way or a place to use it.

 

+1. Upright riding position, weather protection, < 600lbs, storage capacity, ground clearance. Once you ride one, it's hard not to like it.

 

I think it's all about location here people just drive them on the road . If I had one there's tons of places I could just drive it too . As far as not seeing any I guess that's location also there everywhere here .

 

Ya its about location. They don't sell a lot of snowmobiles in Texas I bet either. It is similar to a snowmobile, in that you up, here similar area. You need trails. Though farming close trails in summer. You don't see SXS in chicago, you do see lots of FIBs up north with them.

Like the snowmobilers, you got a crowd that trailers up north, gets a motel. That I think has increased a lot last 10 years so, I suspect. But I can't say for sure ATV tourism has gone up. But I see a lot of them at the bars now., obviously dependent on area.

But I stand by generalization, these people were not the hard core bike crowd, and wife probably would have made them sell anyways. I have lots of friends and family with 4 wheelers and SXSs, but I don't think any of them had interests in bikes.


Only so much money and time. But I find time for both. I don't have young kids though, and OL likes both. While i do know people with both, it does tend to be one or other.

 

Like I said before a couple of my friends that sold their bikes were as hardcore as it gets . One of them built several bikes from the ground up and he's the one that went crazy over the SXS . They are neighbors and that whole neighborhood looks like a SXS get together every evening. Him and his wife are loving it , as someone else said it's family and kids and he's crazy about his grandkids and now they can ride with him . .

 

I said it many times, it is family friendly and his wife probably made him sell the bike.

Lots of people come and go from bikes. But I still stand by, it in general they were going to go anyways. Mr hardcore as it gets, sold his bike, so I guess not as hardcore as it gets.

I like my sxs, but I am not taking it to work or the grocery store. For me there is room for both. I am lucky my OL likes both.

 

Just sold it. Got pretty much what I had in it. Nice!

 

ATVs and SXSs are hunting and work vehicles here. Yes, they are fun, yes you can haul an elk home over terrible snow covered roads, but I would never equate them with a touring bike. The former remain tools for me, while my motorcycle is a passion all on its own. Even if I could explain it to you, you couldn’t understand it. If you ride, you know.

Now I could have fun on an ATV or SXS, and I enjoyed my enduro and dual sport, even played on them. In my life they are not in the same category as my motorcycle and touring the open roads. Too many nuances to describe here. But most of you already know those answers as well.

 

I built this in 2011 to ride around the compound. Lots of modification to the engine and the frame is a Doodle Bug that I stretched 18 inches to help keep the front end down. It will go at least 60 mph. I'm thinking about pulling it out of storage this year and see if I can get 20 horsepower out of that engine and maybe even paint it It's a dangerous toy...