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8 • July 13, 2015 • Powersports Business NEWS www.PowersportsBusiness.com scooters and generators already is more than 500,000 annually. Since 2006, Hisun's com- bined ATV and side-by-side production has surpassed 100,000. A total of 16 buildings include two research and development locations, along with an assembly plant and engine building plant. Engines and frames are built on site, and the factory provides injection molding as well as powder coating, painting, welding, assembly and packaging. Two buildings are empty, set aside for future growth. The assembly plant features a pair of 400-foot-long production lines, a pack- ing line and several sub-assembly stations. A six-acre test track, complete with both on- and off-road surfaces, whoops, rocks, mud, sharp turns, inclines pot holes and even small jumps was designed by a U.S.-based consultant with North American riders and drivers in mind. Hisun manufactures about 75 percent of the ATV and side-by-side components, including the engine. Electrical components and tires are bought from suppliers. Delphi Electronic Fuel Injection systems from the U.K. are used on all products, and Canada's CVTech clutch- ing systems are used on many models. Bando transmission belts are imported from Japan. Hisun's UTVs all meet current and proposed stability standards as being considered by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Testing on a banked track, the Level Flight Suspension certainly brought added confidence as this driver made his worldwide debut in a 1000cc UTV. In fact, Hisun is one of the first Chinese manufacturers to bring a 1000cc UTV to market, topping out a range of 14 different UTV sizes that start at 250cc. There are another 10 ATVs to choose from, from the Axis 110 (sport quad) and Forge 110 (with cargo racks) to the Forge 550 and 750, and the Tactic 800 and 1000 EPS, with its 976cc EFI 8-valve V-twin. The lineup of 2015 side-by-side product alone is impressive. The four sport side-by- sides in the Strike series include the 250 (MSRP $4,549), 800 ($10,499), 1000 ($13,999) and 1000 Crew ($15,999). The utility side-by-sides include the Sector 250 (MSRP $4,749), 450 ($8,449), 550 ($8,999), 750 ($9,999) and 1000 ($13,999). Finally, the HS Series offers the HS 400 (MSRP $7,499), 500 ($8,499), 700 ($9,499), 700 Crew ($10,999) and 800 Crew ($11,999). All models are EPA and CARB com- pliant and come with a 1-year factory warranty. In fact, Polaris is the only other company in the world that boasts a more complete line. All engines manufactured by Hisun are used in Hisun-built products; no engines are sold to competitor UTV manufacturers. Ryan Daugherty, vice president of sales and marketing for Hisun Motors USA, the wholly owned subsidiary of the parent com- pany, says powersports dealers are intrigued by the warranty program. Aftersales service and parts are available via the company's massive assembly facility in McKinney, Texas. About 50 employees work on two assembly lines. More than 14,000 Hisun-built vehicles were sold in North America in 2014. All of them undergo a 31-point inspection and at least six miles of testing prior to their shipment to dealers and retailers. Units are shipped fully assembled to dealers 5 to 10 units at a time in a dedicated 53-foot trailer. Hard top roof, two-piece windshield, side mirrors, nitrogen assisted performance shocks and a heavy-duty winch are all standard on side- by-sides. The HS series includes taillights, alu- minum rims, camouflage and a receiver hitch. FACTORY TOUR Daugherty figures the best way to show off Hisun's engineering and manufacturing acu- men is for a behind-the-ropes tour, so we did just that and then some. The trek began with a 36-hour junket from Minneapolis to Detroit to Beijing, followed by a domestic flight to Chongqing, a municipality of 30 million in southwestern China. It's been a manufacturing hub ever since World War II, when its distance from the sea and the surrounding mountainous region allowed for much of the area to remain unscathed simply due to proxemics. We stayed at the luxe Westin Liberation Square in the Jie- fangbei Central Business District, not far from the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. An exceptional breakfast buffet provided the perfect start for the hour-long van ride to the factory. ChangShou is a smallish city of less than 1 million that has been growing rapidly HISUN CONTINUED FROM COVER 1988 1992 1995 1999 2003 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2015 Launches in a small warehouse in Chongqing Becomes a major frame manufac- turer for the motorcycle industry Becomes first Chinese motorcycle manufacturer to establish a factory in Vietnam Brings 500 and 700cc ATVs and UTVs to market at the new 2 million- square-foot factory in Chongqing Manufactures first V-twin powersports engine in China Hisun Europe begins operations Invites Powersports Business to ChangShou for a factory tour and testing Begins manufacturing cub bikes for Southeast Asian countries Merger allows Hisun to become of company of nine subsidiary brands Launches 800cc ATV and UTV Hisun USA begins operations Begins relocation of old factory to new location in ChangShou, about 50 miles outside Chongqing CBD HISUN: A TIMELINE TO THE U.S. See Hisun, Page 9 Above: UTV plastic parts undergo a water transfer camouflage process at the Hisun factory in China. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. The gigantic Hisun factory in China includes 16 buildings, many prepared for future growth. 2. A Horiba emissions testing machine ensures EPA and CARB standards are met. 3. Assembly line workers are treated to a specialized air condition- ing system over their work stations. 4. Tube bend- ing is highly automated.