Take control, adjust your controls that is

Want to make your ATV experience more enjoyable?  Want to increase your ability to go those long rides with less fatigue in your arms?  Want to do all this for free?  Of course you do!  Adjust your controls my friend.

It seems so elementary but many people fail to do this after buying their machine.  Whether it s a new machine or a used one, adjusting the controls to fit your particular body and riding style will surely help you enjoy your riding that new machine even more. Here is how to do it.

First off think about your natural riding position. Do you sit most of the time your riding or do you stand most of the time? Put both index fingers straight out to rest on the levers. Adjust the clutch (where applicable) and brake levers to make as straight of a line from your finger up through your wrist, hand and arm. If your a standing is what you do most of the time make sure your in the “attack” position.

The wrong way

The right way

Adjusting your levers is somewhat subjective but a general rule of thumb is you should never have to reach way up or way down to pull in either lever.

Big-Time Testing

I’m no farmer, but I’ve always been around it in my life. My Great-grandparents Jack and Stella Morrison owned a farm where they mostly grew hay and raised majestic Clydesdale horses. On my father’s side of the family, my Grandma Mildred Kaiser has a farm that is also mostly used for hay these days, although it used to be a dairy operation. I have stacks of great memories spending time at both places, and I still occasionally get down to my Grandma Kaiser’s farm when I’m back home.

Through a recent ATV Magazine farm implement test, I recently traveled to a farm near St. Cloud, Minnesota and used Quadivator equipment to plow, cultivate and seed a two-acre field with clover for deer hunting purposes. Even with the big equipment, and Quadivator’s stuff most certainly is heavy (and heavy-duty), it was still a lot of work. It was hot, humid, sunny and dusty, but I had a great time!

Our Arctic Cat 700 did a fantastic job pulling the Quadivator disc.

It took most of a day, but once finished it was great looking at the ground and knowing we got something done – not some completed Word document or expense report – but something tangible that you could see and touch. And, on this muggy July day here in Minnesota, I bet that clover is growing to beat the band. It better be…

Now that my travel schedule has calmed down, with most of the 2011 introductions behind us, I’ve turned my attention to three projects: our Can-Am Outlander 650 mud bogger (that’s coming along great!), a mud tire test we’ve been wanting to do for a long time, and a very fun UTV shootout that I can’t release details on – not yet, at least. All three should be a lot of fun, and we might have another amusing comparison test in there that’s still in the planning stages. [Read more]

Finally, Can-Am’s Commander UTV Drops

Waiting for something good is difficult. Think of the kid impatiently waiting for a friend to come over, two days before Christmas or on the eve of his or her birthday – pacing, biting nails, looking out the window with a sad face, etc… This has been the delicate emotional state of many enthusiasts eager for information and photos of the most anticipated ATV product in years — the Can-Am Commander line of UTVs.

Can-Am's new Commander 800 and 1000 models are the most UTVs to hit the scene in years - for good reason!

Rumors about this machine were circling three years ago, where everybody assumed it would be the ultimate Polaris RZR killer, faster than an Indy Car, possibly powered by rockets, with a carbon fiber frame and costing more than a BMW 5 series. Remember now, the UTV field was much less crowded a few years back – before the mighty Arctic Cat Prowler 1000, ultra-successful Kawasaki Teryx and the outrageously fun, widened Polaris RZR S.

John Prusak and I traveled up to Quebec in late May for the introduction, and we were biting nails, staring out the window and generally feeling uneasy on the plane as we were overcome with excitement. Would it be worth the wait? Would the rocket power be too much? Questions, many questions… [Read more]

The Dirt: Better Times Ahead

This is from The Dirt, by John Prusak, in the May/June 2010 issue of ATV Magazine.

Congratulations seem to be in order. By the time you read this, you will have successfully made it through what, in many areas, was an unbelievably harsh winter.

At one point in February, every state in the country except for Hawaii had snow on the ground. And, let’s face it, Hawaii isn’t much of a state is it? It’s more of an island paradise than a bona fide part of the good-ol’ ATV-riding world we call the U.S. of A.
Most economists agree that you’ve also made it most of the way through one of the worst worldwide recessions our planet has ever experienced. Oh sure, unemployment is still higher than anybody wants and we’ve all taken some financial hits the past couple of years. But we’ve pretty much made it through the storm, and better times appear to be on the horizon. [Read more]

Could Creating A 'Traveling ATV Club' Curb Illegal Riding?

The Examiner (A paper representing Pennsylvania communities Allentown/Millstone/Roosevelt/Upper Freehold) had a front page story entitled “ATV Club Considered For Roosevelt Residents.” In the story  – written by Correspondent JANE MEGGITT -an area resident and member of the town’s recreation commission, wanted his town to create of an off-road vehicle club to stop kids from riding illegally on public land.

Meggitt reports that the man wanted adult volunteers to provide training for club participants (adult supervisors and riders alike). It also reported the man wants all involved to sign a release form and argues ATV riding is a sport and it should be funded if it’s keeping young riders safe and curbs illegal riding. The story said he also asked the town to fund the club so it can take the kids to a legal riding spot a couple of times a month to help them “get their ATV fix” so to speak.

Here are the issues with this story:

The town doesn’t want to fund anything or mess with the liability (insurance).

The man is concerned with the kids’ safety and continually having to have police involved to curb illegal riding. And he essentially calls ATV riding a sport that deserves the town’s attention.

What’s your take? How should communities step up and fix issues like this. A) Continue to police the illegal spots and punish the repeat violators (confiscate the ATVs)? B) Side with one of its residents and fund something that could protect its young people and the community? C) Other options?

[Source: Examiner]

Dirty Turtle Riding Area

Here’s a perfect example of off-road enthusiasts not submitting to suburbia and keeping the passion alive. Tired of driving several hours to partake in the sport they love — off-roading – a “band of OHV brothers,” so to speak, instead figured a way to transform 270 acres of land outside of Bedford, Ky., into a riding area. That park, which opened April 10, 2010, is called Dirty Turtle Offroad.

The Dirty Turtle Offroad facility is open to all types of off-road machines. (Courtesy of DTOR)

The DTOR site says “Over the last few years some great, local off-road riding areas have been closed. We have wheeled throughout the U.S., and must say the best place to off-road is right here in good ole Kentucky. With the help of some fellow friends, it was decided it was time that folks within 1.5 hours of Lexington, Louisville, and Cincinnati [Ohio] have a great place to enjoy their off-road toys. TEAM DTOR is comprised of a few folks who wanted a place to ride their quads and enjoy their 4x4s without having to spend all day driving just getting to the trailhead.”

The park, which is open to all types of off-road vehicles, claims to have some of the “finest and meanest trails in east of the Mississippi.”

I love that a group of riders took the initiative to bring off-roading fun closer to home. This looks to be the perfect example of “If you build it, they will come!”

For more info, visit Dirty Turtle Offroad.

Can-Am GNCC ATV Racing: Round 4 Pirelli Big Buck Breakdown

Chris Borich is at it again. The reigning Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Pro ATV Champion won his third race of the year with yet another come-from-behind win at Big Buck in South Carolina. It appeared as though Yamaha’s Taylor Kiser might post his second win of the 2010 season, but Borich, using his GNCC expertise, survived the dust and used a passing line to get by Kiser on the final lap and notch the victory.

We heard from Borich at Round 3 that he’s confident he can win every round and knows when it’s time to charge to the front. Much like Steele Creek, Borich trailed but was racing comfortable in a position that would let him take the lead once the opportunity arose. He said he basically has to wait until he finds a passing line or the other riders makes a mistake. At Big Buck, it was the former, and Borich prevailed yet again.

From Left: Taylor Kiser, Chris Borich and Adam McGill on the Big Buck podium. (Courtesy of Yoshimura)

“I’m feeling really good the bike, and the Suzuki and Yoshimura programs are clicking right now. My Suzuki worked awesome from start to finish, and the Yosh power just hooked up and went to the front,” said Borich.  [Source: Yoshimura R&D press release]

GNCCracing.com reported that Borich said he used a clever line at Big Buck to get the lead. “On the previous lap, I saw this line going down a hill and I gained a lot of ground on Kiser there. I knew if I could find it again then I could make a pass there,” said Borich. “On the last lap, I saw the line and I just held it wide open and got around him him.” [Source: GNCCracing.com]

You can’t fault Kiser, who led the race from lap one to part of lap four. The young racer put in yet another solid performance and without the presence of his teammate, nine-time champ Bill Ballance (who didn’t race due to his injuries). He finished two seconds behind Borich and had to again settle for the second stair on the podium. He trails Borich by 10 points in the race for the pro title.

Third place went to Adam McGill, who recovered from a gut-wrenching performance at Round 3, on his Can-Am. After the first lap, he was in fifth. However, by the end of the race, he had scored another valuable podium finish. Coincidentally, fellow Can-Am racer Chris Bithell fell from third place on lap three to fifth on the final lap. GNCCracing reported that Bithell “waved McGill around” or could have possibly finished third himself.

The final top five spot went to KTM’s Bryan Cook. It was his second-consecutive fourth-place finish and he tallied another $250 Motorcycle USA holeshot award. Cook lost some ground between lap two and lap three as he dropped two positions, falling from third place to fifth place.

Pro Notes:

• 14 Pro class racers competed and only a dozen completed all four laps. Brandon Sommers (one lap) and Jarrod McClure (three laps) each had issues.
• Three XC2 Pro Am class riders comprised the top 10 overall (and 11 of the top 20 overall spots) at Big Buck.

Biggest movers: Not too many racers made serious place changes at Big Buck. A few guys improved their finish by moving up a couple of spots, but there weren’t as many as we might normally see. On the positive side, Borich, who moved from third (after lap one) to first on the final lap to snag the win deserves mention. McGill (podium) and Harold Goodman (career-best ninth place) also deserve credit for charging hard to earn good finishes.

Biggest movers 2: Cook (see above) and Jeffrey Pickens (who dropped from fourth after lap one to sixth at the finish) each had a shot to challenge for a spot on the podium, but each racer missed out in S.C. However, they are fourth and fifth in the class points race, respectively. I have a feeling one of these guys in going to have a top three finish this year.

Top Four Pro Quads (After Four Rounds):

How’s this for brand diversity in in the pro class? Borich and his Suzuki lead the class. Kiser on his Yamaha is second. A Can-Am (McGill) sits in third and is followed by a KTM (Cook). The top Polaris rider (McClure) is currently in 10th. Harold Goodman is the top Honda rider and he’s in 12th in the points race.

Fowler vs. Wolf:

Walker Fowler has won two races in the XC2 Pro-Am class this year, including posting his own come-from-behind win at Big Buck. Brian Wolf has also posted two victories in the class. However, he’s also finished second twice and that trumps Fowler’s 20th at the opener and fifth-place ride at Round 3. Though winless in 2010, Kevin Yoho (second) and Josh Kirkland (fourth by 1 point) are also in contention. All four of these riders would certainly make the Pro class a lot more interesting if they decided to move up! I know that highly unlikely, but it’s worth mentioning.

Who’s Really Leading?

In the 4×4 Open class, Daryl Rath has not won a class overall in 2010, yet the Minnesota racer currently sits in first place. Rath posted his best finish and overall of the young season, earning second in the class. He’s now one point ahead of reigning champ Bryan Buckhannon, who finished ninth at Big Buck. He has 72 points to Buckhannon’s 71. It was the Can-Am rider’s worst finish since a DNF at Round 7 in 2009. Let’s remember, however, that even that year Buckhannon rebounded (I say that because he also missed two other rounds that year) to win the class crown. Round 4 went to Zach Zakowski, who also has 71 points in 2010.

Women

I can’t help saying something about this class after each round. Why? First, they’re fast female racers. Secondly, it has to be the tightest points race in the series. KTM’s Angel Atwell posted her second win of the year, yet sits in fourth place 2 points behind Yamaha’s Traci Cecco (one victory) and Kristen Atwell. Can-Am’s Lexie Coulter is the class points leader with 73 and one victory. Let’s not forget Jennifer Albright, who sits in fifth, just four points behind Coulter.

Cheyanne Shadron is another young lady to keep an eye on. The 15+ class competitor is undefeated this year and has been super fast on her Honda.

Another Bithell

College A (16-21) is another class with a tight points battle. Four different riders have posted wins at the first four rounds of 2010. Jamie Bithell currently sits atop the points race with 76 (one win). KTM rider Aarol Bright has 73 points, a win at Round 2 and is in second. Two Yamaha-mounted racers sit in third and fourth, respectively. In third is Patrick McGuire, who won the Big Buck event and is just six points behind Bithell. Zachary Strong won the opener in Florida and has 68 points. Keep an eye on these young racers.

Super Fast After 50

Anyone remember Grandpa Putt-Putt? Dave Simmons is the exact opposite and probably should be called Grandpa Speedy. He has won three GNCC morning overalls on his Yamaha, yet only has 40 total points. How? He didn’t compete in Florida. His first overall in the Sportsman A/B ranks didn’t count for points. After moving to the 50+ class, the Pennsylvanian has won two straight overalls and has proven to be super fast.

80-point Mark

Only 10 racers have posted 80 points (perfect scores) by winning all four rounds in 2010. Here they are. How many will make it to The Ironman Finale with a chance a perfection?

• 90 Modified (12-15) – 1 PIT 003 LEVI COEN 1 1 1 1 80
• 4×4 Lites – 1 CAN 233 KEVIN TRANTHAM 1 1 1 1 80
• U2 – 1 CAN 206 CLIFTON BEASLEY 1 1 1 1 80
• Utility Senior (45+) – 1 CAN 709 FORREST WHORTON 1 1 1 1 80
• Schoolboy (13-15) A/B – 1 HON 239 BRADEN HENTHORN 1 1 1 1 80
• Schoolboy (13-15) Novice – 1 YAM 505 KEVIN MCKEOWN 1 1 1 1 80
• Women Novice (15+) – 1 HON 244 CHEYANNE SHADRON 1 1 1 1 80
• Sport (15+) – 1 SUZ 265 ROMAN BROWN 1 1 1 1 80
• College B (16-21) – 1 YAM 424 AARON GRABER 1 1 1 1 80
• Senior A (40+) – 1 HON 328 TOM WRIGHT 1 1 1 1 80

For more info, see GNCCracing.com

Go Social or Go Home

You can find me on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and probably a few more social networking sites. I’m there to  showcase my stories, thoughts and other ATV industry tidbits I find on the Internet. The reason for this post is to remind those companies that have not created a fan page/business account on a social networking site to do so. It’s not enough to only have a Web site these days. Sure, people will still search for parts, accessories and news and find it doing a Google or Bling search, but you can also reach them in other ways.

Here’s just a quick search on Facebook for ATV companies (and a few I’ve found).

Companies like WARN Industries have a done a great job on social networking sites.

Houser Racing

AXO

EVS

Brimstone Recreation

Hatfield-McCoy Trails

Shoe Helmets

Answer Racing

Polaris

Can-Am

KYMCO

Kawasaki

LRD

Bushwacker Enclosures

Troy Lee Designs

Barker’s Exhaust

HMF Engineering

LoneStar Racing

GNCC Racing

AWRCS Racing

ITP Tires

Yamaha Racing

Maxxis

There are so many more company that have profiles on Facebook, but many others that do not. If you’re one of the companies that has not created a fan page or profile, you really need to consider it. I’ve seen local dealerships and other online parts suppliers find new ways to interact with costumers through Twitter and Facebook. In fact this goes beyond ATV companies. I also recommend every ATV club and organization to create accounts to interact with their members, share events, photos and news with sponsors and the ATVing public.

Don’t just take my word for it:

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2010/01/19/a-collection-of-social-network-stats-for-2010/

http://acquia.com/about-us/newsroom/coverage/7-questions-key-social-networking-success

“Online social networking is expanding. In December 2009, there were 248 million unique monthly users on the top eight social networking sites (SNS) in the US, an increase of 41% from January 2009. Mintelinternet users have a profile on at least one SNS, up from 41% a year before. Marketing spend on SNS increased 166% from 2007, reaching $2.4 billion in 2009, and becoming an increasingly important way to reach a young, often hard to reach audience finds that 61% of .”– [Source:www.researchandmarkets.com]

http://www.socialnetworkingwatch.com/2010/03/how-is-social-networking-useful-to-your-business.html

Dirt Blog: Pismo RZR Adventure Changes Everything

Last week, I had a life changing experience, and so did my bride.

We were in California on a part-vacation, part-work trip. It started in and ended in San Francisco, but in between we put more than 1,200 miles on the rental car working our way down, then up the California coast. Alcatraz, the Monterey Acquarium, Hollywood Boulevard – we pretty much lived the life of the tourist family in California.

The Polaris RZR 4 cruised up the faces of dunes with ease.

Smack dab the middle of this Prusak Family Adventure (think of the Griswolds, except with a Hyundai Elantra rental instead of the “family truckster” wood panel station wagon that Chevy Chase drove) was a stop at my own equivalent to Wally World in the National Lampoon movie: the Pismo Beach OHV riding area. Longtime friends and co-workers like Jerrod Kelley and Bill Lanphier had spoken of this cool sand dune riding area right up against the Pacific Ocean for years, but I had yet to experience it. [Read more]

Polaris Awarded Contract With Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing

In a recent press release, Polaris Industries announced it has been awarded a new “competitively solicited contract” with Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing (E&I). This means Polaris vehicles can be used by all E&I Cooperative members, which is made up of more than 1,700 colleges, schools and other educational institutions. E&I, which Polaris deemed the largest member-owned buying cooperative for higher education, manages a diverse portfolio of these types of contracts and supplies value-added services to these learning centers. Polaris said it “sees benefit of being part of that portfolio due to the increasing demand for its products by colleges, universities and schools.”

Polaris’ Dave Huguelet, director of Business Development, called the contract “an efficient and effective way to showcase its product.”

“Polaris offers a broad range of work utility vehicles that will enable enhanced productivity and value for school groundskeepers, security and event management,” Huguelet said in the press release.

Effective March 1, 2010, the contract includes “a full catalog of ATVs, Rangers, snowmobiles, the new Polaris EV LSV (Electric Vehicle) and parts and accessories.”

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories is available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage.

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