Reducing blistering hands

Its a fact of life for most ATV riders, blistered hands.  If your not having problems with blistered hands then your probably not riding hard enough!  All joking aside it is a real problem even if you ride infrequently.  This article will introduce some tips on how to mitigate or in some cases eliminate blistered hands.

First blisters main cause is from moisture either from your perspiration or if you ride in wet conditions combined with friction on the grip or glove.  The ultimate solution is to eliminate either one of the causes. As most know it is nearly impossible to do that.  Here is some advice to lessen the effects on both causes.

First and most obvious is if your not wearing purpose built riding gloves, get some.  The purpose built gloves are designed with padding and materials that wick moisture (sweat) away.  Riding gloves are also ventilated to keep your hands cooler thus reducing how much your hands will sweat.  To work properly they also must fit properly so try on a few different brands and sizes.   As I stated in my other blog post gloves are pretty inexpensive.

If you already have a good pair of riding gloves that fit properly, the next thing you can try is using some type of talcum (or baby) powder also “Gold Bond” type powders can work well also.  I have also read that some people have good luck with aerosol type anti-perspirant problems if sprayed on the hands.

If you already have developed some blisters a quick remedy to alleviate them from developing further is using a similar treatment of foam pads for your feet.  Using athletic tape and pads designed for corns and bunions you can make some temporary padding to keep blisters from forming or mitigate the pain of them breaking open while riding.

Also swapping the grips from a hard compound to a softer or even gel style grip can ease the possibility for blisters.  This is personal preference of course.

Another remedy is more of a change in technique on how you ride.  More specifically a change in technique in how you hang onto the bars.  When it all possible loosen your grip on the bars even if its for a second or two.  This allows some air circulation as well as relaxes your skin and muscles to prevent the moisture from sitting between your skin and glove/grip.  This also helps mitigate another common problem for people “arm pump” (tightening/soreness of the muscles in the forearm) but that is another topic for another day.  Gripping the bars too tightly is a hard habit to break because at early stages when people are learning to ride (regardless of age) the natural instinct is to grip them tightly to maintain control.  Experienced riders and racers know that to control the machine doesn’t require gripping the bars tightly all the time while riding so most loosen their grip over jumps or down straights where the machine is fairly stable  on its own.

Well there you have it a few “home remedies” for a common problem.  Like the common cold there is more than one treatment for the problem and I am sure there are others, so if you have a good remedy that works for you post it in the comments area.  Remember the less fatigue you have while riding the faster and longer you can ride.

Photos from SNV Supermoto in Primm, NV

The 5th Annual Stateline Supermoto Challenge was held this year at Primm Casino April 3-5th. Although there had to be some last minute track changes. The racing action was great to watch.  Check out my favorites from the event at www.markelliotphotography.com
 

Quad Results:

Granlund, Niclas	38	las vegas, Nevada	4	Yam NGR	1	25
Batista, Tim (G)	TBD	Riverdale, CA	12		2	24
Riley, Chris (G)	TBD	Bloomington, CA	40		3	23
Morris, Luke	31	Littleton, Colorado	77	Honda TRX450R	5	21
Lastra, Garrick	32	mesa, Arizona	42	lsr 450 kenz	6	20
noerr, dj	18	taft, California	842	yamaha yfz 450	7	19
Capogni, Dennis	20	chino, California	8	Yamaha YFZ450	8	18
Bigham, Shawn	24	Lake Havasu City, Arizona	471	Yamaha YZ450F	10	16
Daake, Aaron	27	westminster, Colorado	13	Yamaha YFZ450	12	14
Oostra, Chad	40	Denver, Colorado	420	Honda TRX450R	13	13
Boyer, Bobby	26	glendale, Arizona	20	Honda Big O Tires/LSR TRX450	16	10
Helton, Alex	35	Las Vegas, Nevada	56	Honda trx450	17	0
Angel, John	36	Elizabeth, Colorado	860	Can Am .	18	0
anderson, jason	40	Dublin, California	11	yamaha YFZ450	19	0
Pacheco, Kenny	37	Glendale, Arizona	7	Big O Tires 450R	21	0

Full Results can be found at www.XTRM.com

and Upcoming Event information at www.statelinechallenge.com

Good News: CPSC Making Progress On Lead Youth ATV/Motorcycle Ban

Finally! After all of this hand-wringing, petition signing and lost sales over the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that has banned youth ATV and motorcycle sales due to their lead content, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is finally taking steps to delay enforcement of the law, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

While it’s definintely cause to take a deep breath and optimistically hope we’re seeing the light at the end of this, it’s still gravely important to keep on top of this and write any/all legislators you can about this. Learn more and get involved at www.mic.org/stoptheban.cfm.

From the AMA:

PICKERINGTON, Ohio –The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has voted to deny a petition to exclude youth-model motorcycles and ATVs from a law that bans their sale because of possible lead concerns–but has cleared the way for a second vote by month’s end to delay enforcement of the law, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

Because both members of the commission have said they favor a stay of enforcement, the move almost certainly will stay the execution of parts of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) within the agency.  On Friday, commission filings in preparation for the vote indicated a stay could be as long as two years, possibly expiring May 1, 2011. A planned second vote on that timeframe was expected by the end of April.

In addition, it’s not clear whether state attorneys general, who are also charged with enforcing the law, will also stand down.

“Clearly this latest move shows that the CPSC realizes that youth-model motorcycles and ATVs have no business getting caught up in a law aimed at children’s toys,” said Ed Moreland, the AMA’s vice president for government relations. “We’re heartened that both commissioners favor a stay of enforcement, and it appears that this could clear the way for dealers to sell youth-model motorcycles and ATVs–an important consideration for riders and motorsports businesses alike as the riding and racing season ramps up.

“However, this vote doesn’t solve the larger, long-term issue, which is whether or not youth-model motorcycles and ATVs will be exempted from the CPSIA,” Moreland noted. “We believe they should be excluded, and we will continue to work with our partners in the industry and our friends in Congress to make that happen.”

Acting CPSC Chairwoman Nancy Nord went on record on April 3 favoring a stay of enforcement. On April 16, Commissioner Thomas Moore agreed.

“It is clear from the post-enactment statements of some Members of Congress who were

Conferees on the CPSIA that they believe the Commission has the authority to make sensible

allowances for these vehicles as long as child safety is not compromised,” Moore said in his statement. “Given the extremely restrictive language of the law, the only avenue I can see is for the Commission to establish an enforcement plan that follows, to the greatest extent possible, the Act’s intention for future production, while providing relief to the industry and the riding community for vehicles already manufactured and those manufactured during the stay.”

The full text of Moore’s statement is below.

STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE THOMAS H. MOORE

ON THE PETITION FOR TEMPORARY FINAL RULE

TO EXCLUDE A CLASS OF MATERIALS UNDER SECTION 101(b) OF

THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2008 (CPSIA)

April 16, 2009

I am aware of the speculation that has surrounded my vote on this issue. My staff has spent the time since the ballot came to the Commission working on what I believe is a good solution for the riders of youth motorized recreational vehicles, building and expanding upon the initial position taken by Acting Chairman Nord. The direction my colleague and I are giving to the staff today balances the Congressional desire to protect children from unnecessary contact with leaded components in these vehicles with the need to protect those same children from the potential for physical injury related to riding inappropriate adult-sized vehicles, or riding vehicles either in need of repair or less structurally sound than the ones currently on the market.

It is clear from the post-enactment statements of some Members of Congress who were Conferees on the CPSIA that they believe the Commission has the authority to make sensible allowances for these vehicles as long as child safety is not compromised. Given the extremely restrictive language of the law, the only avenue I can see is for the Commission to establish an enforcement plan that follows, to the greatest extent possible, the Act’s intention for future production, while providing relief to the industry and the riding community for vehicles already manufactured and those manufactured during the stay. There are compelling safety arguments that justify a stay of enforcement.

It is ironic that I am defending vehicles that I consider to be dangerous for children under 12 to ride and which contain accessible parts with excess levels of lead. However, the alternatives appear to be more dangerous. American parents seem to be willing to accept the risk for their children riding these vehicles, so it is the agency’s task, at this stage, to ensure that the vehicles are as safe as possible. One safety rule the agency has stressed is keeping children off of adult-sized ATVs.1 To the extent that new children’s ATVs cannot currently meet the lead limits in the CPSIA, there is the likelihood that parents seeking new vehicles will buy adult-sized ATVs for their children to use. We have also been notified by one ATV manufacturer that they are simply relabeling their Y-6+ and Y-10+ youth ATVs as Y-12+, removing the speed limiting device and continuing to sell them. Thus the vehicles that are more accurately sized for younger children will be less safe because of their ability to attain higher speeds.

The other part of the safety equation that helps balance an enforcement plan against the increased lead exposure it allows, is based on the assertions that certain vehicle components cannot be made with lead below a certain level without compromising the structural integrity (or another safety element) of the component. The enforcement plan of the Commission must require concrete data from the manufacturers on this point to justify their continued use of lead in excess of the applicable lead limit.

The industry has pointed to the European Union’s RoHS and ELV Directives as a guide for what lead reductions or substitutions may be technologically infeasible for their youth vehicles. While we might not need to allow the high lead limits allowed in those Directives for all components, there is guidance to be taken in how the European system is administered. They set an expiration date for their exemptions. Prior to that expiration date it is up to industry to come in and make their case that it is still technologically infeasible to reduce lead to a level at which an exemption is no longer required. The evidence considered is strictly limited to technological feasibility, not on the higher cost of a viable substitute. The guiding principle for this agency’s determinations has to be the safety of the children riding these vehicles.

I believe a stay of enforcement issued by the Commission should:

–relieve all makers, sellers, and distributors of youth motorized recreational vehicles made to date and through the expiration date of the stay from enforcement actions for failure to meet the lead limits of the CPSIA;

–allow those vehicles to be repaired, sold, traded, and otherwise used as they have been;

–allow the sale, distribution and installation of replacement parts that are comparable in lead levels to the old part being replaced until such time as those parts can be brought into compliance;

–expect industry to bring their vehicle components into compliance on a

reasonable schedule, to the extent that is technologically feasible, and to provide us with the detailed information we need to make informed decisions about those components in the future.

The Commission simply cannot ignore the safety tradeoffs that could arise by not providing this relief but it must also work with industry to bring the non-complying components of these youth vehicles as close to the lead limits established by law as is currently technologically feasible, to the extent those parts cannot be made inaccessible. The Commission also needs to let the riding community know that they can continue to use the vehicles they own as they always have.

I believe the approach taken today by myself and Acting Chairman Nord of directing the staff to draft a Federal Register notice containing concrete elements of a stay is the reasonable approach that the Congress is looking for us to take. I anticipate that the Commission will vote to approve it in the near future.

1) Most of my discussion is focused on the ATV industry as they present the greatest (lead and non-lead) safety challenges. However, the enforcement program will also apply to children’s off-road motorcycles and snowmobiles.

Rivir Clothing: Bringing Contemporary Style to the Action Sports World

The Pacific Northwest is a mecca of sorts for the action sports community.  Motocrossers have Washougal, sand slinger’s have the Oregon Dunes, skiers and boarders have Mt Hood and the wind/water crowd has the Columbia River Gorge.  Rivir Clothing is a new clothing line catering to everyone with a shared passion for the outdoors.  [Read more]

Quick Tip, cure those annoying rattles

Here is a quick tip for those of you running any type of skid plate or other bolt on parts that contact the frame.

Isn’t it annoying, you installed that new set of belly pan and a-arm skid plates and now your machine sounds like a pissed off bumble bee at anything less than full throttle.  Well here is a tip that comes from our own ATV magazine forum.  Before you install those skid plates, go to your local hardware store and pick up a short roll of a single coated closed cell foam tape (such as 3M’s 4516, but any cheap brand will work).  I suggest getting the thinest you can find but thickness doesn’t matter all that much. 

Start by test fitting your parts and noting where the skid plates contact the frame or any other metal to metal area.   Mark these areas with a magic marker.  Take your tape and stick it to the frame in the areas you marked.  Install your skid plates sandwiching the tape between the frame and the skid plate.  Presto! you vibration woes are now a thing of the past.

This tip can be used anywhere you need to isolate vibration.

Cramming It All In

As promised, I’m back with a report from my California travels, and other random updates.

First of all, riding the Jawbone OHV area in the Mojave Desert was incredible. As I said in a story (see the July issue of ATV Sport), this area should be considered among the best large-scale ATV riding areas in the country.

We explored the old hillside mining town of Randsburg, and spent our second day buzzing around the Jawbone Open Area near the Jawbone Station BLM office. With windmills in the distance, and trails in every direction, it was a very fun ride. Trail 99 is the greatest, I’m telling you. Also, it was cool to see the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which cut through the entire area – mopre than 100 miles away from L.A. [Read more]

Lets go racing! Getting your machine ready

If you missed the first two installments of this series read them first, here and here.

The next thing to think about when your trying your first race or organized event is getting your machine outfitted with the minimum required safety equipment.  Every sanctioning body for a race series or event organizer will publish some type of guidelines outlining the minimum requirements for any machine being entered into their event.  Before you get all excited and load your machine for the races, it would be a good idea to read through the rules and regulations for the race or event you intend to ride.

Below are some common required equipment your machine must have to compete in most types of races.

Tether kill switch:

Also known as a dead man switch.  Nearly every race you will ever want to race will require this.  For those that do not know, basically a tether is attached to the rider and the other end is inserted into a normally closed switch to hold it open.  If the rider is thrown from the machine and the machine is not tipped over the tether releases the spring loaded switch snapping it shut grounding out the ignition, thus stalling the engine.  There are a few different styles and are inexpensive to add a bit of safety from your machine careening into spectators.

Nerf bars:  These are usually required mostly in motocross, flat track and hare scramble type races, but are highly recommended in any ATV riding situation.  Nerf bars provide protection from other riders wheels getting into your feet on the pegs.  More importantly nerf bars prevent broken legs in the case if your foot slides off the pegs the netting will keep you from running over your own leg or getting it jambed between the ground and the front of the peg.

Safety wire: This is one of those things that you have to read the rules and regulations for the event your planning on riding.  Certain sanctioning bodies may require certain fasteners and parts to be safety wired to prevent a fastener falling out of say the brake caliper and rendering your machine unsafe to the other competitors.

These are the three basic requirements you will probably have to add to your machine before entering most events.  Although it goes without saying that if your machine is in poor repair, parts dangling, exposed electrical and fuel leaks will most definitely get you disqualified or black flagged from competition during the race.  Other than that a completely stock machine (that meets the rules and class regulations) is worthy of competition.  Now of course one should ultimately spend some time setting your machine up for you and the terrain you will be riding on, but more on those procedures in the future.

Bottom line is don’t fall into the myth that you need a brand new high performance machine to make an attempt into the racing world.  Just some basic safety items as well as conforming to the rules of the event is all you need.

Protect For Less?

*This post was written by Tim Erickson, former editor of ATV Magazine and current editor of SnowGoer magazine.

Protect For Less!

I saw that marketing tag line on a website that was pushing ATV helmets for less than $60. I understand the need to have something at all price points, but seriously – are they saying our heads are worth compromising?

I don’t know about you, but I want a helmet that is built to exacting specification under careful eye of the manufacturer, not one that is farmed out to the lowest bidder that can construct a low-grade helmet that passes the DOT minimum. It might be superficial, but a helmet is one place where I absolutely believe that you get what you pay for. I’m willing to bet you’re the same, and I can prove it.

Suppose you know with absolutely certainty that you are going to crash your ATV and you also know you are going to bounce on your head. Suppose the situation provides you a choice: you can wear the $60 helmet or one that costs $200. Which would you choose?

I think it’s safe to assume that when a product’s manufacturing goal is the lowest price possible, there are some shortcuts to material, workmanship and comfort. That assumption alone is proof there are multiple reasons that helmets need to be picked carefully.

Factor price or a budget into the equation, but the most important consideration is how well the helmet fits. Different helmets have different shapes, just like the variety of heads out there. One manufacturer’s helmet might be a perfect fit while another doesn’t work at all. My head, for instance, fits wonderfully in a Shoei, but I can’t wear a Bell comfortably. And if you own a helmet that is uncomfortable, how likely are you going to be to wear it?

At this point, it’s hard to be picky. So many ATV users are not using helmets at all. Nobody who got hurt when they crashed an ATV planned on it, and anyone who survived a head injury is probably a helmet advocate. Wrecks happen and they take everyone by surprise. A helmet is a no-brainer and any incentive people have to start wearing one is fantastic. But the decision shouldn’t be made on price alone. At least with a $60 price point, people no longer have the excuse they can’t afford one.

— Tim Erickson

LRD Anniversary Edition Exhaust

LRD Performance has been tuning engines for some of the worlds top ATV racers since 1982.  Acceleration has always been, and continues to be the top priority at LRD.  Each exhaust system is built and tested with that concept in mind and it shows as they have the championships to prove it.

[Read more]

Denver area riders organize for rally

Riders in the Denver area are organizing a rally at the footsteps of the capitol on April 23rd in attempts to protest the CPSIA youth motorcycle and ATV ban.   A similar rally was held in Washington with great success, pictures of that rally can be found HERE . Riders in the Colorado area are encouraged to participate in the rally.  For more information on how to get involved or more information follow this LINK .  As an off road advocate I encourage others around the country to organizes similar rallies to gain exposure for this assault on our favorite hobby.

 

 

 

 

 For a printable .pdf to distribute click the link below.

Denver-state-capital-lead-ban-rally-3

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