Bringing new riders into the sport

From time to time we all run into or meet new people that are eager to get into the sport, and because most of us are thrilled to share the joys of the sport we all know and love, we are more than happy to introduce and teach the “new blood” all there is to know about riding ATV and motorcycles.  Problem is we as the unofficial mentor of this new rider tend to get overzealous and over-estimate the new riders abilities (from our own excitement).  Over estimating this new riders abilities can either present a less than desirable outcome and in some cases present a dangerous situation for this “newb”.  Below are some considerations to keep in mind when introducing a new rider to the sport for the very first time. [Read more]

American company acquires foreign company? Polaris?

Will some new engine tech and design come to Polaris via Swiss Auto? Time will tell.

It may seem shocking to most, especially in this recession as well as the state of the country where typically the news headlines talk mostly about American companies leaving or being acquired by foreign entities.  The somewhat shocking news of the exact opposite happening raises and eyebrow for me.  This company is Polaris of all companies.  Now not being a hard core fan or follower of Polaris’s development of machines over the years I will be brief.  My perceptions of Polaris’s ATV’s are mixed.   I see the small displacement and older models very problematic, while the newer models are light years ahead of previous models and fairly reliable in the long run.  What does this have to do with the recent acquisition of Swiss Auto power sports?  I think Polaris will be coming out with some very exciting and probably radical ATV and motorcycle designs that people actually want to buy.  Even though I probably will never buy a Polaris I am excited in them taking a risk in developing new engines and technology that can only help the industry as a whole in the future.

To read the press release follow this LINK.   To read a more in depth analysis on the acquisition CLICK HERE

Yamaha's new YZ engine design, will the YFZ benefit?

Regular readers of my articles know I am not an engineer, nor some fancy pants engine builder, I don’t claim to be either.  What I am is a motorcycle enthusiast with a side of ATV interest. (read my bio HERE )  So when the motorcycle side of the industry introduces a interesting new concept to mass production, my eyebrows raise and my mind thinks “Will this translate to ATV technology and design?”

Inside the new YZ450F engine

Yamaha has pretty much shocked the motocross world with a complete redesign of their YZ450F motocross bike, especially in the engine department.  In a nutshell Yamaha has turned the engine (specifically the top end) back wards putting the intake in the front and the exhaust in the rear.  The cylinder is also offset from the crankshaft to maximize the transmission of the downward force on the compression stroke.  When you think about it, that is how it should have always been   Mass centralization is the name of the game as well as more power from the better flow characteristics.  Now this concept is not entirely new, Yamaha used this type of layout on their 2 stroke GP bikes in the 80′s.  Of course Cannodale used a similar layout as well as Huesaburg has their intake in the front although their engine is even more radical as it uses a stacked transmission (much like a sport bike).  Usually these types of radical departure from the norm either succeed or fade into obsucrity (a-la the CRF250 with its dual exhaust).

Why go into all this when the development is not even on an ATV?  Well much like my last blog entry, I want to ask the question,  When (and if) we will see this technology be translated over to the ATV world?  My personal opinion is “yes” but probably not for a few years.  However in saying that, why is it that sport ATVs generally lag behind in the performance development?  The only notable exception is with the LTZ450 having EFI before the motocross bike, but even that is a moot point as Gas Gas pioneered EFI on a dirt bike and ATV back in the early 2000′s. I am interested in your thoughts on the subject.  Leave a comment or discuss it on our own ATV Forum.

Engine configuration explained