Sunday, August 21, 2011

Most Durable ATV CVT? Study Says It’s Yamaha

Most Durable ATV CVT? Study Says It’s Yamaha

PRESS RELEASES — BY TOM KAISER ON AUGUST 18, 2011 AT 7:51 AM 
Press Release
CYPRESS, Calif., Aug. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., has long touted its ATV and Side-by-Side (SxS) vehicles as being the toughest of their kind, and now a third party study conducted by ADP Lightspeed has proved that claim.  More specifically, the ADP Lightspeed study shows that Yamaha has the most durable belt driven drivetrain in the industry.
“A lot of companies say they make the toughest ATVs, but now Yamaha can clearly prove that claim in our CVT transmission system,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV and SxS group marketing manager.  ”The ADP study proves once and for all that our vehicles have the best CVT drivetrain reliability in the industry.”
Yamaha’s claim is based specifically on an ADP Lightspeed competitive comparison study of Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) belt components reported in warranty and non-warranty repair order records for 2007 to 2010 model year CVT belt-driven 4×4 ATVs with engines 400cc and above.
Yamaha’s reliable Ultramatic automatic transmission system features an exclusive centrifugal clutch that allows the drive belt to remain under constant tension providing a key point of durability – something that sets it apart from competing models.  Also exclusive to Yamaha’s Ultramatic system is the one way sprag clutch that not only aides in durability but provides the most natural feeling four wheel engine braking for maximum traction and rider confidence.  This exclusive system is used in Yamaha’s toughest, most off-road capable ATVs and SxS vehicles including the Grizzly 700 ATV, Grizzly 550 ATV, Grizzly 450 ATV and Rhino 700 SxS vehicle.
A video on Yamaha’s website demonstrates how the Ultramatic system works as compared to the competition:

KYMCO Releasing Limited Edition MXU 500i To Complement Ford’s Wild F-150 SVT Raptor

 KYMCO Releasing Limited Edition MXU 500i To Complement Ford’s Wild F-150 SVT Raptor

HEADLINES, PRESS RELEASES — BY TOM KAISER ON AUGUST 19, 2011 AT 7:51 AM 
Press Release
Spartanburg, S.C. – KYMCO USA has entered a partnership that will have the powersports vehicle specialist produce an ATV to complement the rugged F-150 SVT Raptor off-road performance truck offered by Ford Motor Company.
The KYMCO Built Ford Tough F-150 SVT Raptor Limited Edition MXU 500i is the result of an agreement between KYMCO USA and BDA, inc., the official licensing agent for Ford.

The limited edition ATVs are to be placed on display at participating Ford Truck dealerships during the promotional period.  However, they will be offered for sale exclusively through the Ford Collection website www.fordcollection.com <http://www.fordcollection.com/>  and participating KYMCO brand retailers will handle delivery of the ATVs purchased.
The most capable off-road performance truck to come straight from the production line, the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is powered by a 6.2L SOHC V8 engine producing 411 hp and 434 lb.-ft. of torque, offers 11.2-inch front and 12.1-inch rear suspension travel, and is outfitted with 17-inch wheels shod with 35-inch off-road tires.
As suitable for recreational pursuits as it is for utility needs around the desert bivouac or forest campground, the 2011 KYMCO MXU 500i is powered by a fuel-injected 498cc four-stroke, four-valve liquid-cooled engine producing 36 hp, offers 7.5 inches of suspension travel at all four corners via a front and rear independent dual A-arm suspension connected to five-position adjustable oil damped shocks with dual rate springs, and features a tough 25×8-10 front and 25×10-12 rear tire/wheel combination. Limited Edition package items include the custom Metallic Blue finish with Ford F-150 Raptor Graphics, the Built Ford Tough® badging and unique alloy wheels.
“This KYMCO ATV is a perfect brand extension for our F-150 SVT Raptor customers who have an affinity for outdoor adventure, and it’s built to help them practice their adrenaline-filled activities, John Nens, Director of Ford Global Brand Licensing, says of the MXU 500i.  It also looks the part, with graphics inspired by the same extreme sports and activities customers and enthusiasts of our high-performance truck find so alluring.”
“We’re very excited to work with the Ford people on this project,” KYMCO USA President & CEO Eric Bondy says of the partnership. “The team has been a pleasure to work with and we believe both Ford and KYMCO customers will be pleased with the offering.”
The KYMCO Built Ford Tough F-150 SVT Raptor Limited Edition MXU 500i ATV will debut Aug. 19-21 as part of the Ford F-150 Truck display at the Woodward Dream Cruise <http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/> , a classic car show in Detroit, Mich. expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Gearup2go.com Sponsor: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Mixed Emotions with Wins and Near Misses for G-Team

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Mixed Emotions with Wins and Near Misses for G-Team

CJ Greaves Goes 1 and 2 in Antigo, Super Buggy Points Race Tightens
Photos courtesy of Jeff Nemecek / Traxxas
Abrams, WI (August 15, 2011)—The Monster Energy/Toyota/Maxxis team of Johnny Greaves, Marty Hart, and CJ Greaves headed to the familiar territory of Bark River International Raceway this past weekend for rounds 7 and 8 of the TORC Series. Johnny, Marty and CJ have all enjoyed a lot of success at this track located in the Upper Peninsula of Mich. There will only be one race held at Bark River this year so the G-Team was revved-up and ready to take on their respective classes. The record crowd witnessed some exciting racing as well as some ugly incidents on and off the track.

Johnny Greaves at Bark River International Raceway.Johnny Greaves ended the weekend with a win on Saturday and a controversial 5th place on Sunday. He took a couple of Oakley Bomb awards, breaking the track record in the process. Marty would have his best showing with a 4th place finish on Saturday. Sunday he led a good portion of the race only to be involved in a freakish crash with the front running Chad Hord. CJ Greaves dominated the Super Buggy class with 2 wins and a 2nd place on the weekend. In his Pro Light program, he podiumed for the second time this year in the Sunday race with a 3rd place finish.
CJ GreavesOn Saturday, CJ was up first in the Super Buggy class. The first race was a make-up race. CJ dominated from green flag to checkered flag and took the win by a mile. His luck was not so good in the Pro Light Truck race. He worked his way up to 7th after starting from the back row of the grid due to a motor change. Unfortunately, he blew a tire and had to pit as the field went to yellow for the competition caution. The crew did a quick tire change and got him back out on the lead lap but had to work his way from dead last once again. He worked hard making a lot of passes and mustered a 9th place finish for Traxxas/ Monster Energy/Maxxis/Oakley/Toyota.
Up next was Marty Hart in the Pro 2WD class. Marty started on the front row and had a great start by winning the hole shot, and the lead. He was looking impressive as he led lap one in his Monster Energy/ ReadyLift/ GearUp2Go.com/ Maxxis Tire Toyota. The top 3 trucks began to pull away from the field with Marty leading and stretching it into lap 2 with Bryce Menzies and Jeff Kincaid in tow. On lap 3, Menzie hit Marty in the air off the RB jump allowing Bryce and Kincaid to pass him for the top 2 spots. At the restart following the competition caution, Marty did not get a good start. Both Chad Hord and Scott Taylor passed Hart sending him to 5th. Marty battled with Taylor and was able to pass him to finish 4th. The third place running Chad Hord began to experience mechanical problems with the finish line just a few turns away. However, he was able to hold on to third pushing Marty just off the podium but completed his best run of the season.

CJ dominates the Super Buggy class at Bark River.The regularly scheduled Super Buggy race was next. CJ hoped to capitalize on his win earlier in the day. Starting from the third row, he pushed hard through turn one of the rolling start, making it safely through and into third. When the leader spun-out, the top 2 racers- Steve Krieman and CJ Greaves were able to pull away to a huge margin over the rest of the field leading up to the competition caution.
On the restart, CJ made a great outside, inside move on Krieman to make the pass for the lead. Larry Job also passed Krieman into second as Krieman's vehicle began to develop problems. CJ and Job were 4 or 5 turns from the field when the final lap came around. Job tried several desperate attempts to get around the Monster Energy/Maxxis/Oakley sponsored buggy of Greaves but was unable to get in done. CJ cruised on for his 2nd win of the day.
Johnny holds the lead against Ricky Johnson.The much anticipated Pro 4x4 race was up next. With the foofaraw from Charlotte still fresh in the minds of everyone, the Pro 4x4 race was sure to be an exciting one. Ricky Johnson won the hole shot but Johnny was right on his bumper. The two pulled away from the rest of the field and it was as if they were one truck all the way to the competition caution with Johnny pulling along side RJ several times.

On the restart, just about all the trucks made contact with each other as they attempted to get the nose of their truck out front first. Johnny and RJ collided in mid air as they came around the horseshoe turn. As Johnny's momentum slowed, Mike Jenkins was able to take advantage and move into the lead. Scott Douglas was on the inside of Johnny as he poured the coals to his Tundra's 4 Maxxis tires to get back up to speed. Meanwhile, Ricky Johnson's truck pulled off the track with a flat and possibly mechanical issues. By lap 8, Johnny used his favorite passing lane in Cemetery turn to get around Jenkins to take the lead.
CJ Greaves in his Traxxas Pro Light truck.Sunday's racing was equally as exciting. Up first was CJ Greaves in his Pro Light truck. CJ had a great start and went in and out of the top 5 through the first half of the race. He wound up in the top 4th at the competition caution. With only a few laps remaining, he passed Brad Lovell to take over the 3rd spot. He set his sites on the front runners but ran out of time and settled for the impressive 3rd place finish--his second podium of the year.

The Pro 2WD race was wild and crazy. Marty Hart started from the pole position. When the green flag flew, Marty charged to the horseshoe turn hole-shot, exiting the turn in first place. Scott Taylor lost control and went over the k-rail. Hart checked out and was looking very strong leading the entire first half of the race. On the restart, Marty's Toyota/Maxxis combination won the hole-shot once again with Chad Hord mixing it up behind him with Bryce Menzies. Chad passed Bryce and was able to overtake and pass Marty. As they entered the Cemetery turn, Chad slammed into the outside barrier, careened back into the path of Hart's machine, which crashed full speed into the side of Hord, then Menzies ran into them as they both were in the middle of the track. The crash took Marty out of a race that looked very promising for him.

CJ continued his success in the Super Buggy on Sunday with a second place finish. He sits firmly atop the points standing in first, 11 points ahead of the next competitor. CJ has either won or had a second place in every buggy race thus far this season.

The Pro 4x4 race featured the same type of mayhem as the Pro-2. Johnny dominated all but the last lap of the race. With the checkered flag in site and one more turn to take, it looked like Johnny Greaves would win his second race of the weekend over Ricky Johnson. However, Ricky aggressively hit Johnny in the side, turning him hard into the outside k-rail, taking him out of the race. RJ went on to win but was accessed a points penalty that amounted to a slap on the wrist for his rough driving. Johnny's Toyota was the fastest truck on the track earning him his second Oakley Bomb Award of the weekend. When the dust settled and USAC had made their ruling and the points tallied, Johnny and RJ were tied for first place in the standings with 135 points each.
Crandon International Raceway is the next stop for The Off Road Championship series on Labor Day weekend, September 3rd-4th. These crucial make-or-break races are sure to provide a lot of excitement for the 10's of thousand that make their annual pilgrimage to Crandon.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

NEW- Yamaha OEM Accessories!


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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Congress Passes Lead Law Exemption for ATVs

Congress Passes Lead Law Exemption for ATVs

HEADLINESOTHER — BY TOM KAISER ON AUGUST 3, 2011 AT 6:30 AM 

Congress has passed a bill that would categorically exclude youth off-highway vehicles from lead provisions in the Consumer Product Safely Improvement Act of 2008.
The bill, H.R. 2715, passed through the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 421-2 after being introduced by Mary Mack Bono (R-Calif.) and G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.). The Senate then followed suit by passing the bill later in the day. The bill now heads to President Barack Obama.
The legislation grants an exception to all youth powersports vehicles from the CPSIA’s rule that prohibits lead from products intended for children 12 years old and younger. Youth ATVs and dirtbikes can contain lead in certain parts, including batteries and valve stems.
“For more than two years, the powersports industry and its riders have urged Congress to categorically exclude youth dirtbikes and ATVs from the CPSIA’s lead content provisions,” said Paul Vitrano, general counsel of the Motorcycle Industry Council. “ATVs and dirtbikes do not present any lead-related health risk to young riders, and Congress has made it clear that it never intended the lead content restrictions and testing requirements for toys to apply to these vehicles. We are gratified that our community’s passion and perseverance have paid off and now both houses of Congress have passed the bill containing categorical exclusions in the same day.”
Added American Motorcyclist Association Washington representative Rick Podliska, “We’re extremely pleased that members of both parties in both houses of Congress have agreed to exempt kids’ dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles from the lead law that would have effectively banned them at the end of the year. It is time for this nearly three-year ordeal to be over, so America’s motorcycling and ATV-riding families can once again ride with the peace of mind that their lifestyle will no longer be threatened by this misguided lead law.”
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) had been working to enact the measure since 2009. The MIC and thanked her for her work.
“This legislation will help both ensure children’s safety and spare countless businesses and individuals unnecessary cost and disruption,” Klobuchar said. “After years of hard work, I am pleased that this common-sense solution will finally become law.”
Polaris Industries CEO Scott Wine said, “On behalf of riders and manufacturers everywhere, I would like to thank Senator Klobuchar for her dedication and leadership in ensuring that youth powersports vehicles are available for our young riders to safely and responsibly enjoy with their families. This unfortunate situation went on far too long, and I am glad that Congress has finally corrected the error for all Minnesotans.”
Claude Jordan, president and CEO of Arctic Cat added, “The Arctic Cat family would like to thank Senator Klobuchar and her team for their dedicated efforts in pushing through this legislative modification. This will ensure that our youth customers have access to riding the right products. Additionally, the increased volumes resulting from this action will continue to support additional manufacturing jobs for Minnesota.”