Growing In Glamis, Aboard Yamaha SE Quads

Back in 2007, when I was still new to  ATV Magazine and ATV Sport, our staff took a trip out to the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA, a.k.a. Glamis) in extreme Southern California for a 450-class sport quad test. I had been riding my whole life, but had only ventured outside of the Midwest to ride a few times at this point – to North and South Carolina, Oregon, Kentucky and West Virginia. Everybody said I just had to ride in the dunes. From the descriptions I heard, I was very excited and a bit intimidated by such an alien riding environment of towering dunes, stadium-sized sand bowls.

Back in ‘07, we were there to ride the newly-expanded fleet of 450cc sport quads including: Yamaha YFZ450, Suzuki LT-R450, Honda TRX450R and Kawasaki’s new KFX450R. We also had a few built-up machines out there, which I really had no business riding for my first visit, in such fast company.

I learned all the basic techniques before my first ride: don’t stop at the bottom of a hill, turn out (back downhill) if a hill climb isn’t going your way, maintain speed on off-cambers to keep the quad planted, look out for witches eyes (quad-swallowing divots created by shifting wind patterns) and, most importantly, don’t go off on your own unless you’d like to become a well-dressed stick of beef jerky. [Read more]

Follow ATV Magazine On Facebook!

ATV Magazine comes in many forms – in print; on our brand new Web site; and,
for your convenience, on popular sites like Facebook as well.

To connect with us on Facebook, just go to our page at www.facebook.com/atvmag. There you’ll find pictures and updates that go out exclusively to our Facebook fans.

All-New ATVMagOnline.com

Looking for even more ATV content in a more organized, modern format? Of course you are – and that’s why we’ve unveiled the all-new ATVMagOnline.com – ATV Magazine’s brand-new web site. While the design is a big change, the real differences lie in the content organization and the integration of our blog site, photo galleries and new navigation tabs to keep things like how-to, destination, racing and event coverage all in separate, searchable categories.

Looking for information on a specific quad? You can read all of our reviews, comparison stories and even access our annual Buyer’s Guide information about any ATV on the market one of two ways:

1. Type the name of the ATV in the search bar at the top of the site. For example, type “Suzuki King Quad 750″ and you’ll see all the recent stories we’ve done on the King Quad, as well as buyer’s guide information with specs, our opinions and pricing information.
2. Mouse over the ATV tab, go to Manufaturer, choose a maker and you’ll see every story related to that brand – all the stories, product tests, build projects and the buyer’s guide specs.

The goal is to make it easier to research, buy or sell your quad, and to make it easy to find your favorite stories in the mag. [Read more]

Autumn Offers Year’s Best Riding

Good day, and a happy autumn to all of our ATVMagBlog readers. It’s the first official day of fall, and the leaves have just started turning here in Minneapolis. Tundra dwellers and mountain people, though, have all seen the end of summer coming for a few weeks now, and many northern and high-altitude locales are already in the peak of fall color.

I saw the first signs of nature’s transformation two weeks ago, while riding in northern Minnesota with Kale Wainer from Arctic Cat and Rocky Cutsforth from Rox Speed FX, testing our built-out Thundercats (read the story coming in an upcoming issue of ATV Magazine). It was a bright, sunny, cloudless day, a great sign: here comes the year’s best time to ride.

Whether you’re in Southern California waiting for the summer heat to dissipate, or just dreading winter’s coming onslaught from somewhere more season, this is the time to rack up as many miles as you can, while you can.

I’m always riding, but fall is by far our busiest season at ATV Magazine with several new machine introductions, our ATV Trials event (we’re doing it in Moab, Utah this year) and various other excuses to ride. Tomorrow I’m off to the airport again, heading to the southeast part of the country – and the forecast’s calling for good weather, and warmer temperatures than we’ve got in Minnesota. [Read more]

The Maine Attraction

I’ve got nothing against cities, but I think rural areas usually make for a better vacation. Even though I grew up in the countryside and really enjoy the rural lifestyle, I live in a city and have been a resident of Minneapolis for nine years now. Luckily, I get to spend a lot of time in some of the country’s most rural places through my ATV Mag travels, some naturally spectacular areas. I just returned from one destination that really had an impact on me – Maine’s isolated northwestern edge near Jackman.

Flying into Portland, Maine was spectacular, with all the tiny islands, big bridges and old buildings really painting a nice postcard to see through the plane’s window. One of my close friend’s, Meghan Howard, lived here for a year for school, so I had a list of places to check out, mostly down by the waterfront. Portland is the lobster capital of the world, after all.

After grabbing my rental car, I drove into downtown, walked by the water and grabbed a cup of lobster bisque, but then realized the time and knew I had to get on the road for Jackman.

The drive up was also a picturesque experience, with all of rural Maine’s tiny churches, small town charm, rushing rivers. After two hours things started getting really rural north of Augusta, with signs warning motorists of moose crossings.

Pretty soon my four-lane freeway was a two-lane highway, winding along through the trees with very few houses and even fewer towns. My destination was the Brown Moose Motel in Jackman, where I would meet up with Kevin Cavanaugh of Maxx’s ATV Rentals the next morning to do some riding.

Breakfast was found (every day) at the Mama Bear’s Den cafe across the street, and the riding Kevin and his sons-in-law Nigel and Mike showed me, was unique and spectacular. Most trails were wide paths abandoned from logging use, but some were very tight and technical, crossing many rivers with cool names like Penobscot. [Read more]

Best ATV Hunting/Fishing Destinations

Our upcoming September issue of ATV Magazine (mails out July 14th, newsstands August 4th) is our annual hunting issue and it’s packed with great stories, including a hunting-type build project on our new camo Grizzly 550 with power steering.

Putting it together, we spent a lot of time thinking about the greatest ATV hunting and/or fishing destinations – where a quad is a part of the journey, and not just for driving across a parking lot.

We’ve done turkey hunting in Oklahoma, lots of deer hunting and the Sept. issue has a great feature on bear hunting in Canada. But, what’s the greatest ATV hunting or fishing trip you’ve been on? Or, do you have one you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t found the time for?

I’m hoping to put together a fly-fishing trip in western Montana (potentially at the posh Resort at Paws Up) with the president of St. Croix Rods, Paul Schluter. He’s an old friend, and it’s a great excuse to try some awesome, top-end rods, do some riding and learn more about fly fishing.

We’re always looking for our next destination. What’s your ultimate ATV hunting or fishing trip? Where would it be, and what would you hunt?

America’s Best ATV Riding

We’re doing a story in the upcoming (July) issue of ATV Magazine about the 25 best (and our favorite) ATV riding areas throughout the country – based on our team’s experience, uniqueness of terrain, quality of the trails, regional amenities and miles of available OHV riding.

Some of the locations on the list include Southern California’s Imperial Sand Dunes (of course!), New Mexico’s Carson National Forest, Grand Lake, Colorado, Coal Creek in Tennessee and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – among 20 others.

Where do you all recommend? What are your favorite riding areas, and why? We are always looking for new places to check out, so comment or e-mail and let us know where you like to ride.

Follow the conversation at the ATV Magazine/ATV Sport forum at www.atvmagonline.com/forum.cfm.

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.

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]

Going To California

On Friday (March 27) my boss John Prusak and I are flying to LA to pick up a Toyota truck, a Raptor and a Rhino to do some riding in the Mojave Desert. Neither of us have rode in the area, and we hear it’s a good time.

After two days of that, I’ll be dropping John off so he can fly back to Minneapolis and, then, head to a Can-Am event at Carolina Adventure World later in the week. For me, I’ll continue up to Santa Barbara for a Fox Shox event. I’ll be riding quads, mountain bikes, potentially a dirt bike and will get a ride in Ford’s new F-150 SVT Raptor, which I can hardly wait for.

Then, I’m driving the rental car the 7+ hours up the Pacific Coastal Highway to meet up with some friends and an old co-worker up in San Francisco. Should have some fun pictures from the trip, and some good stories for upcoming issues of the magazine.

Hopefully you’re already riding, or getting ready to do some of your own. So it begins for us all… another exciting riding season. Stay tuned for pictures and to hear how it goes. Send me pics from what you’re doing and we’ll try to post them on the web or get them in the mags.

- Tom

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