[redhead]

PowerSports Business took a look at the first year of the Pioneer and the Viking by talking with dealers. To be honest the Pioneer is steam rolling the Viking..

Mike Scott, sales manager at Coeur d'Alene Powersports in Idaho, said the dealership's off-road sales have exceeded expectations. As ATV sales have slowly declined and UTV sales have picked up the slack, he wishes Honda would increase production of both Pioneer models to match local demand for the vehicles.
"Pretty much every [Pioneer] that comes in is soon out the door and gone," he said.
The Pioneer 700-4 has been a particularly strong performer. Scott is surprised by the strong consumer interest for the Pioneers, given the lukewarm reception of the Big Red.

Kyle Funge is a salesman at Mondak Motorsports in the heart of North Dakota's oil boom that sells both the Viking and Pioneer models. (For more on Mondak Motorsports, see page 20.) So far, he's been pleasantly surprised by sales of both, but is struggling with the slim availability of the Pioneer, which he's been sold out of for more than two months.

His Honda customers have been interested in the reliability of the vehicle and its belt-less transmission, which appeals to farming customers in the area.
In comparison, Funge said, the Viking is approximately 10 mph faster than the Pioneer, and its three-seat design attracts the many larger guys that are in the area to work in oil production

Viking, Pioneer embark on Year 2 of sales | Powersports Business

While the viking stumbles along 60% off its expected pace....

Win winner!

 

[mr.smith]

The Viking is 60% off of its goal!? That is a big gap. With sales that low they could be losing money by producing Vikings.

I guess that just proves that we all made the right decision by going with Honda.

 

[SSpeckerwood]

I guess that just proves that we all made the right decision by going with Honda.

well some think they did good by buying the pioneer ....

 

[CSFI]

Did they really expect anything less? I'm mean really have you looked at the viking? It looks like a regurgitated penguin meal. The Rhino was a great looking rig and sold well I think and then Yamaha went and hired the guy that Honda fired for designing the Big Reds plastic, lol. Like it or not people are heavily swayed by looks, if its uglier than sin I don't care how well it performs people won't buy it in large numbers.

 

[DG Rider]

Did they really expect anything less? I'm mean really have you looked at the viking? It looks like a regurgitated penguin meal. The Rhino was a great looking rig and sold well I think and then Yamaha went and hired the guy that Honda fired for designing the Big Reds plastic, lol. Like it or not people are heavily swayed by looks, if its uglier than sin I don't care how well it performs people won't buy it in large numbers.

Agreed. I'd rather have a Rhino.

 

[hondaman87]

I know one of the reasons Honda is slow on the pioneer production is because they did not know how the Viking would go. Now Honda need to pick up the pace and get some machines to the dealers.

 

[redhead]

I know one of the reasons Honda is slow on the pioneer production is because they did not know how the Viking would go. Now Honda need to pick up the pace and get some machines to the dealers.

Are you saying that Honda was waiting to see if the Viking took off in order to ramp up Pioneer production or did you accidentally type Viking instead of Pioneer?

 

[OLT]

I always thought honda waits on no one