Dec 2006 ATV-Industry News

Updated 1/1/07

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PETTY AND 4-H JOIN FEDS IN SAFETY PUSH

With youth safety in mind, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and 4-H - the nation's youth agricultural program - have joined forces with NASCAR legend Richard Petty to launch a new campaign, according to ATVA News. “Before I hit the track, I always gear up,” sources quote Petty as saying. “That means I put on a protective helmet, goggles, gloves, a chest protector and boots that all fit properly.” ATVA also cites CPSC Acting Chairperson Nancy Nord, who says, “ATVs are not toys, especially adult ATVs, which can travel at 60 mph and weigh up to 800 pounds.” Among the safety push's recommendations, according to published reports, are: wearing protective gear and a helmet, no doubles on single ATVs, no paved-road riding and no drugs or alcohol. The move comes as the CPSC is recommending a spate of offroad initiatives, according to news sources, that includes a ban on 3-wheeled vehicles the agency maintains are 3-times more likely to promote injury as 4-wheeled vehicles, making voluntary safety standards mandatory, requiring retailers to provide free training courses to buyers and their families and requiring child-specific warnings for full-size ATVs.

Kawasaki Motors Corp. has recalled its 2007 Bayou 250 ATV because the nuts securing the tie-rods to the steering shaft may not have been tightened sufficiently during manufacture, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. If the nuts come loose during operation, the driver could loose control, the Star-Telegram says. The vehicles are said by the newspaper to have been sold in September and October 2006. The contact number for further information, according to the Star-Telegram, is 866-802-9381 and the Web site is www.kawasaki.com.

Canadian authorities have asked for the recall of every Polaris model ATV sold in Canada since 2001 - 88,215 units - according to wire reports. The problem, newswire sources say, is an incorrect angle for the rear reflector that prevents it from properly reflecting light. The Canadian transportation authority, Transport Canada, announced it has placed ads in newspapers across Canada alerting consumers to the alleged problem, according to the newswire. The ads are necessary because many ATVs are not registered and there is no other way to contact such a far-flung ownership base, according to newswire reports. Polaris has responded in kind, the reports note, with newspaper ads across Canada alerting consumers to contact a Polaris dealer for a replacement reflector.

The Brevard County (Florida) county commissioners unanimously voted to exempt the county from a state law that would have allowed ATVs on local roads under “certain circumstances,” according to the Florida Today newspaper. Another Florida newspaper, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, says the state law allows anyone to drive an ATV on dirt roads up to 35 mph as long as a licensed driver is supervising. The Brevard County action came after several residents from at least two separate communities voiced opposition to ATV riders who ride unsafely, churn up roads and make too much noise in their neighborhoods, Florida Today reports. Meanwhile, in Flagler County (Florida), the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports county commissioners also are looking to opt out of the state law.

Bob's Cycle Shop in Athens Township (Pennsylvania) went up in flames, according to the Web site of WYOU TV News in Scranton. The fire is under investigation, according to the CBS affiliate, which reported heavy damage and the loss of an undisclosed number of ATVs and motorcycles. No one was hurt, according to WYOU.

Carter Brothers Mfg. Co., Inc. of Brundidge, AL, has inked a 5-year deal to sell ATVs made by Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd. of Taiwan, according to Carter Brothers' Sally Wang. The agreement covers a number of ATVs ranging from 90- to 600-cc models, as well as several different-sized Sanyang (also known as SYM) scooters and engines for use in current and future Carter projects that include golf carts and go karts, Wang says. SYM has been in business since 1954 and is Taiwan's largest manufacturer in the motorsports industry, with 2,400 employees, Wang notes. Says Jonathan Arn, Carter's CEO: “I am proud to announce this partnership between SYM and Carter, as it will drastically impact the future sales and market share for both companies.

The Minot, ND, City Council is reportedly looking into banning ATVs from city streets, according to Internet and wire service reports. ATVs have historically been allowed to operate up to 15 mph on streets that were deemed the shortest route out of town, KXnet.com says. Minot Police Chief Jeff Balentine urged the ban, Web and wire service reports state, citing safety concerns and holding sway with the Council over the protests of ATV riders, who had asked, to no avail, for a chance to prove themselves.

The opportunity for “stopping by the woods on a snowy evening” just got better. New Hampshire has opened the first several miles of ATV trails at Jericho Lake (near Berlin) in what is planned to be a 350-mile ATV-friendly trail system, according to ATVA News. The multi-use trails are on a 7,200-acre tract of the White Mountain National Forest, according to news sources. What are you waiting for - as Robert Frost might have urged in his poetic nugget cited above - you have miles to go before you sleep.

Time was, the guys in the black hats headed for the woods after a big heist. The best hideouts always seemed to be well offroad. But the old adage “you can run but you can't hide” just got an all-terrain boost in North Carolina. According to ATVA News, municipal and county law enforcement representatives from a number of areas are now permitted to ride ATVs on streets and highways in their respective jurisdictions in pursuit of miscreants across hill and dale. News sources report the state has listed regions for the program on its Rapid Response Web page at www.amadirectlink.com. Now, planning a getaway is a lot trickier in the Tar Heel State.

Warn Industries of Clackamas, OR, has voluntarily recalled about 218,000 ATV winch kits because of a possible overheating hazard, the company reports, noting it was acting in concert with the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Warn says one winch reportedly overheated, causing melting damage to an 8-post contactor in the winch, but resulting in no injuries. The winches were sold nationwide between May 2001 and September 2005, Warn reports, and retailed for $700. The affected kits contain allegedly suspect 8-post contactors and consumers with such kits are asked immediately to disconnect the winch from the battery and contact their dealer for a free replacement contactor. The toll-free consumer contact number is: 866-408-3767 between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT, Monday-Friday.