Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/148632
s nd e to or- use mpvaage ral eyan rts 25 diills lly nt. he nits in oa unt to en ket get nk at's is alfor rly are nd we he ted on tra ote . lly ear to ou nd gis Kid mp- ay, rm ess mdy hey ok tty the ga naid. Day on isda e7 www.PowersportsBusiness.com news Powersports Business • August 12, 2013 • 7 Honda cover Continued from Inc. "The dealers were blown away by it, absolutely blown away." The same could be said for the nearly 900 associates who gathered on a picture-perfect June day in Timmonsville for the Pioneer's mass production line-off ceremony. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley joined the Pioneer as the star of the show, celebrating the company's $27 million investment in the plant to add the side-by-side line. That expansion also brought 65 jobs to the rural community. Haley hopped in the Pioneer driver's seat alongside Brian Newman, president and CEO of HSC, for a quick ride around the inside of the plant following the line-off ceremony. Katsumi Fujimoto, business managing officer for North America, Bob Gurga, vice president of American Honda motorcycle sales, S.C. Sen. Hugh Leatherman, S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt and others celebrated the event with remarks. And while the Pioneer, available in both 2-seat and 4-seat configurations, was the first Honda side-by-side from its origins to be designed and manufactured in the U.S., the marketplace can expect more such offerings in the coming years. "Pioneer is our big step into side-by-side. Big Red got us in the door, allowed us to put our toe in the water," said Kevin Aschenbach, off-road media coordinator for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "We're ready to jump in. Pioneer definitely represents us jumping in full speed ahead. We're on the gas as far as development goes, and looking at other utilityand sport-based areas." HSC also marked its 15th anniversary with the event. Honda produces more than 20 ATVs at HSC, and the former location of the Honda PWC line now hosts the side-by-side production lineup. The event also featured a ride on part of HSC's durability testing grounds outside the plant. There, the Pioneer 700-4's convertible seating arrangement took center stage. It can Photo by Kevin Wing m HSC president and CEO Brian Newman hopped in for the first ride of the Pioneer with S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley. easily be converted from 2-seat to 3-seat or 4-seat configurations and back to an open loadcarrying bed without use of tools — an industry first. The two rear seats tilt up individually out of the bed structure with the release of a latch and lock into place. Rear passengers can easily access the three-point seat belts, which are located up on the Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS). When the seats are folded in the down position, the bed maintains its full tilting functionality. "When we say we're bringing out product, it's going to be the same dependable product that Honda always makes," Savino said. "When you look at $9,999 [retail] for the 2-seater and it does everything the Big Red does but better, it's spot on." The Pioneer will have the added advantage of a larger dealer footprint as well. Where the Big Red was sold out of about 500 Honda dealerships for much of its existence, the Pioneer will be sold by about 900 dealers. The Pioneer 700-4 ($11,699 retail) is scheduled to arrive at dealerships in mid-August, with the 2-passenger Pioneer 700 in mid-September. "We're committed to side-by side and we have a lot of exciting vehicles coming up in future years," said Wayne Lambert, American Honda 4-wheel product planning. "You're going to see a lot more vehicles coming from us each year." psb Sturgis Page 6 Continued from performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Madison Rising. "It really might be the most important thing that we do here," Woodruff said. Thursday also represents Victory Motorcycle day, while Friday is Indian Motorcycle Day. Indian will bring one of its 2014 Chiefs to the Buffalo Chip after the model is unveiled Aug. 3 at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame. "We're just all about Americana here, and in our mind, Indian is all about Americana. We're just delighted to see the brand doing well, and genuinely honored to help them reveal the new Indian because I believe Indian is now forever going to be American because Polaris is such a great company and well managed. They have done such a great job reengineering this new product," Woodruff said. "We're just tickled to be a part of it." Just like Black Hills Harley-Davidson, the Buffalo Chip expects to see more people attending this year's rally than in 2012. The Chip's crowds have grown every year since 1991, and Woodruff anticipates its largest gathering ever this August. "I think the rally this year is going to have better attendance than in the last several years. I think there are more people coming this year, and the mood is exciting. People are just fired up. I'm surprised by the resilience of the biker. They just want to get away, and the motorcycle is just the perfect excuse to do that," he said. PSB P01x07-PSB10-News.indd 7 7/31/13 2:41 PM