June 2006 ATV-Industry News

Updated 7/05/06

Archives: Jan 06, Feb 06, Mar 06, Apr 06, May 06

PMC HAS NEW FOCUS

PMC North America, a re-manufacturer of powersports engines and crankshafts for ATVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles and personal watercraft, was purchased by Z&J Acquisitions in late 2005 and is currently setting their focus on earning customer trust, making products ready to ship and building cooperative relationships, reports new PMC President Edwin Barr. He said PMC North America has already changed one policy to defer charges to dealers for engine cores, instead of charging dealers for the core until it was received by PMC. Barr proclaimed the company also plans to add more products to become a better-known single-source supplier.

The Cathedral City Council voted to make riding ATVs or offroad vehicles within city limits illegal, even if it is on private property, according to news services. The southern California city reportedly set fines for violating the ordinance at $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense, $750 for a third and $1,000 for all additional convictions within a 12-month period.

Polaris Industries announced they granted $269,267 to 34 ATV organizations in 20 states under the company's T.R.A.I.L.S. program, according to a press release. The acronym stands for Trail development, Responsible riding, Access, Initiatives, Lobbying and Safety. The company states the grant program provides financial support to national, state and local ATV clubs, associations and grassroots groups. Funds can be used by organizations for trail development and maintenance projects, safety and education initiatives, lobbying and other projects to increase and maintain land access, according to Polaris.

Winnebago County, Ill., officials denied a family use of their personal ATV track to satisfy owners of new homes built around them, according to the Rockford Register Star newspaper. The track reportedly consists of four mounds of dirt landowners Dave and Diane Normington built on three-acres of private property. The county began requiring a special-use permit, reports the media. When reportedly attempting to obtain one, a preliminary panel denied the Normingtons. The newspaper notes the family bought the property 20 years ago and has since seen three subdivisions of homes built within a half-mile of theirs. It is the new neighbors complaining of noise that prompted the county to take action, according to the media.

The BlueRibbon Coalition, a national trail-based recreation access group, released poll results showing 73 percent of the people living in Colorado around the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests oppose limiting access to the forests, according to a press release. Public Opinion Strategies, one of the nation's largest public policy polling firms, conducted the survey, the coalition stated. “This survey confirms our belief that some environmental special interest groups are way outside of the mainstream with proposals limiting public access ... With the roadless task force getting ready to determine roadless areas in Colorado, the time to get involved is now,” said Chair of the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition Dennis Larratt.

Marshall County Sheriff John Gruzinskas is seeking tougher ATV laws in West Virginia to lower the number of ATV accidents he says are partially due to a strict Ohio ATV law driving riders into his jurisdiction, according to WTOV television news. The difference between the two states is West Virginia allows ATVs on secondary paved roads and Ohio doesn't, according to the media. Gruzinskas was reported as saying the difference is bringing hundreds of riders into his state. West Virginia State Sen. Jeff Kessler told WTOV he agrees with Gruzinskas and notes the state should re-evaluate current ATV laws to address any needed changes during next year's legislative session.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives is considering adoption of Senate Bill 1830, which if passed would require anyone younger than 18 to wear a helmet when riding an ATV, according to the Norman Transcript newspaper. State Sen. Bernest Cain told the press he wrote the bill at the request of emergency room doctors and nurses, who indicated most of the riders under the age of 15 accounted for nearly half of 391 ATV-related deaths over a ten year period. He noted none of them wore helmets. One dealer was reported as saying he believes the problem stems from parents failing to supervise their children properly while they ride ATVs.

Vermont legislators are in the midst of controversy over granting limited ATV access to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, a former 96-mile long railroad track stretching from St. Johnsbury to Swanton, reports the Caledonian-Record newspaper. The Vermont Bike and Pedestrian Coalition is opposing the use of ATVs on the trail, insinuating the decision was made outside of public view, according to the newspaper. The state reportedly changed the method of receiving federal grant money to allow ATVs to cross the trail, dogleg it and share some bridges to avoid making a 96-mile long barrier between existing ATV trails.

The federal Interior Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved a proposal to provide the U.S. Forest Service with $262 million for recreation programs in 2007, according to the group Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA). They report the subcommittee appropriated $73.4 million for trails programs, including ATV trails, which is $13 million more than the President's budget request. The measure reportedly goes to the House Appropriations Committee for approval before a vote can take place in Congress.

Bombardier Recreational Products resurrected the name Can-Am for its ATVs, according to news sources. Once the name of offroad motorcycles in the mid-1970s, the media reports Bombardier chose the name to coincide with the launch of its 2007 ATV product line with the Can-Am Renegade 800 quad. “We believe the Can-Am brand better represents the positioning of our products in the marketplace and provides the perfect platform to reach out to and attract powersports enthusiasts,” company President Jose Boisjoli told the media.

Martin Racing Performance signed a cooperation agreement with Zongshen America to develop racing parts and accessories for Zongshen-built vehicles and offer technical support, reports the media. Martin Racing Performance is a supplier of racing components for ATVs and go-karts. The company announced it will assist Zongshen in joint product development and Zongshen agrees to provide Martin Racing Performance with its entire lineup of private-label models of ATVs, scooters and go-karts, which are currently sold through nine U.S. import companies.

It has been brought to our attention that in our May issue of ATV-Industry, we did not properly communicate to our readers the message behind Hydrodynamics' suspension products and business model. We highlighted the company's newest product, the P-51 Non Reservoir iShocks for the Rhino, which is a pre-load and rebound adjustable non reservoir set of completely tune-able shocks. This set retails for $1499.95 with 30+ point margins for dealers. According to Brian Bott, Hydrodynamics' vice president of sales and marketing, the trend Hydrodynamics has created with all of their products is the ability to offer dealers profitable and stock-able suspension systems. Bott explains sales of ATV products is increasing, due largely to the convenience and stock-ability of the kits. “We've got the front end of an ATV all in one box that is easily displayable in your store,” Bott explains. He adds that for those customers looking for a more customized approach, HDUSA's time on service or rebuilds is 1 week, guaranteed. “The guys at HDUSA are here to help, regardless of who your customers are or how they ride.”