Polaris to drop quad bikes in Australia

Polaris Australia and New Zealand managing director Alan Collins says the off-road vehicle market has experienced a transition from quad bikes to side-by-side vehicles.

Manufacturer Polaris has announced it will withdraw all quad bike models from sale in Australia before October, as a result of the new Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019, which will take effect from October 11.

Polaris has decided not to comply with the new standard due to the rapidly reducing size of the quad bike market, along with the commitment to remove quad bikes from the market by October 2021, when Operator Protection Devices become mandatory.

Polaris Australia and New Zealand managing director Alan Collins said farmers had transitioned from purchasing quad bikes to side-by-side vehicles.

“Polaris has publicly stated numerous times that we believed within 24 months the quad bike market would be minimal at best, as the market shift away from quad bikes and towards side-by-side products was in full force long before any government mandates or safety standards were enacted,” Mr Collins said.

“Obviously this shift will now accelerate even further over the coming two years as the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 takes effect.”

Polaris will discontinue quad bikes from sale by October, but full product support for parts and warranty will continue in Australia for at least 10 years.