Where Are The Great ATV Writers.

I just finished reading (yet) another great article by one of my favorite motorsport writers and perhaps one of the greatest motor vehicle writers of all times. Peter Egan writes the most incredible columns for Road & Track magazine and Cycle World. His columns, titled ‘Side Glances’ and ‘Leanings’ are indeed incredible, incredible stuff.

On the day the magazines come in the mail I excitedly make my plans to set aside a ‘special time’ where I can sit comfortably, glass of wine in hand and spend some quality time with an old friend and his musings about his life’s travels, adventures, and sometimes just his thoughts on various subjects. Whatever they are about, they are always entertaining and always amusing.

I enjoy my time with Pete so much that I even buy the past collections of his writings so that I can relive the experiences he describes over and over. And every time I read them I feel like I’m sitting there visiting with an old friend. Make that an interesting old friend, as I know more than a few ‘old’ friends that I wouldn’t enjoy spending this much time with ;-)

And all this to ask the question: where are all the great ATV writers? My first thought (no make that my first wish) is that they are all too busy riding to spend any time writing. A worse thought is that it reflects on who we are as a group. My worst thought is that my worse thought is the right thought. Oh never mind, even I’m getting confused.

Is it possible that ATVing is less interesting to write about than sports cars or sport bikes? That just can’t be. I know because I’ve enjoyed them all and they all have their great adventures that are worth writing about. So we’re back to that worse thought thing – perhaps it’s that ATVers are a class of people that are less interested in reading than those people that are interested in sports cars or sport bikes?

Bummer.

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I doubt it. If I am please let me know where the good ATV writers are doing their writing. I want to find a friend to drink some wine with while reading about his adventures.

Turbo Dog!

For those of you that read my earlier (Used ATV Post) you may have noticed I mentioned my new Flyin' Miata Turbocharged MazdaSpeed. I have fallen in love with chatter - the sound of the pop-off or blow-off valve.

Well, thanks to Dan we've discovered that if you can find a Turbo Dog you can enjoy this wonderful sound in the comfort of your own home!

Is There a Used ATV In Your Future?

What To Do If You Can't Afford A New ATV —

Let’s face it, the economy just isn’t very good right now. And, as long as we’re facing it, I don’t think it’s going to improve very much for a while. Then, to make things worse, most knowledgeable types are forecasting that the price of gas is only going to go higher.

It’s all quite depressing news to everyone except folks like my friend, a UPS driver who continues to put in more hours each week than he prefers. More likely than not you are one of the 80% of able-bodied men that still have a job but continually wonder just how secure it is in our current state of affairs.

No matter who you are though, these are good times to keep your spending within the limits of your savings rather than the limits of your credit card. And even then it may be best to limit your spending to just a small percent of your savings.

But you want a (new?) ATV!

So what are we to do? I see three scenarios:

1) You bought a great ATV some time since 2005 or so and wonder if you should buy a new one or just keep this one and ride it.

2) You own an older, perhaps tired or too small ATV and you’d like to upgrade.

3) You don’t own an ATV at all and want one!

So here’s my advice – for what it’s worth!

1)  For those of you with your dream machine sitting in your garage, count your blessings! Need some help counting? Check out what a new ATV costs nowadays. And if that’s not enough you might also notice that nothing has really changed all that much, or improved, just gotten more complex and just maybe made more cheaply.

My advice for all of you is to use a portion of your savings to buy a good set of radial tires or a new winch (or just a synthetic rope). Then put the rest in gas and keep riding!

2) Owning an older, smaller, out-dated ATV may be the toughest dilemma of any. Is it something that you can live with? Is it something that a good set of radial tires and maybe a set of better shocks can change? Those are the items that just may make your current ATV ‘good to go’ for a while longer..

If not, here’s my suggestion. Clean it all up. Detail it. Change the oil and filter. Fix anything that’s wrong with it. Then you can sell it with a clean conscience to someone from group three. You will sleep well at night knowing that you have given someone an unregretable entry into our great sport.

3) So you don’t own an ATV or you’ve sold your old ATV and are ready to look for something better!

Here’s my advice. First, and perhaps most important, don’t get in a hurry. Have the amount you want to spend decided upon in advance and set aside. Now start looking. Where? Which ATVs should I look for? What do I look for in the ATV? Whoa! Slow down! Let’s go through this one item at a time.

Where to look? There are lots of good places to look. The local classifieds are the easiest simply because the ATVs to look at will most likely be closest to you. There are internet classifieds as well, but beware that as the distance that the ATV is away increases, the more time and money it will cost to look at it and the greater pressure you’ll be under to make a quick or hasty decision.

Which ATV should I buy? This is a very personal question, and one I’m always saying must fit what you plan to do with your ATV. But I will also say this. I have favorites and they are based on two things – how well they work for the recreational exploring that I love so much, and how well they hold up over the long haul. I like to ride ATVs a lot more than I like to work on ATVs.

The machines I’ve always fallen back on are the Suzuki King Quads. I’ve put many, many miles on them since the day they were introduced. I love how smooth they are. How quiet they are. And I love how reliable they are. I also love the Yamaha Grizzly. It’s a great machine, especially since its redesign in 2007. And the same goes for the Brute Force since it’s redesign in 2008.

Want something smaller? The King Quad 500 has all the features of the 700 and 750. Or look at the 400, which is basically a redesigned Eiger is a rock-solid and simple machine. As long as we’re talking rock-solid and simple, the Honda Rubicon, Foreman, and little Rancher fall into that category. So do the smaller Yamaha’s like the Kodiak and the Big Bear.

Reliability is a big issue as although I love hiking, I don’t like walking back from a ride! And yes, we’ve all heard stories of this and that, but I prefer to rely only on my own eyes. Spending so much time around the Paiute Trail in the busy summer months I get to see a lot of machines being used exactly how I use mine. I see many with lots of miles and I see some broken down along the trails.

The machines listed above are also the very same ones I see used for many years and many miles with little chance of major problems. But as with anything, your experience may vary. The good news is that you can lessen the chances of getting a bad machine by just paying attention.

Here’s what to look for – and how to look:

We’ll assume that you have narrowed your search down to one or two ATVs that fit your desires and purposes and it is now time to go look at the ATVs in person – well, so-to-speak.

The first thing to do is to talk to the owner for a while. Find a little of what’s he like. Ask him why he is selling the ATV. Ask him what he did with the ATV. I like to get a feel for the person that’s selling so I can get a first impression of the type of person they are. This gives me the first (and maybe best) idea of how it was taken care of.

I also like to look around a bit and see what else the seller has and how well he takes care of those things. I like to look around and see if his garage is clean. Is there an old truck being restored or perhaps a clean Miata sitting under a car cover? How’s his daily driver look? Clean? Are there supplies laying around like he would do his own oil changes? Is there a compressor for blowing air filters out?

Okay, now let’s take a closer look at what you came here for:

Take a look at what the ATV looks like externally. Are there any obvious scratches on the fenders like it’s been abused? How does the seat look? Is it faded from sitting outside? Is the seat ripped? Is there obvious rust? What about the handlebars and controls? Are they all clean and straight? Is it pretty obvious that the ATV has not been rolled? Good!

Next, look under the ATV. Are the skid plates beat badly or merely a few scratches? How about the CV joint covers? Are they clean and not ripped or leaking? How are the tires? Are they stock or are they new radials with little wear? Stand at the front of the ATV and look at the front tires. Are they lined up – pointing in the same direction? Are they worn fairly even?

Now let’s look a little closer. What’s the mileage? Hopefully you already knew the answer to this but look anyway. Pull off the seat and take a look at the air filter. Clean? Look at the battery and the cables. Clean? No corrosion hopefully. Pull the oil dipstick and check the oil level and cleanliness. No foam in the oil hopefully. Ask the seller when he last changed the oil and how often he changed it? What oil does he use? Ask him if he uses any additives? And ask if he ran regular or premium fuel as well.

Look closely at each side of the ATV. Are the little plastic fasteners all there? Are they in good shape or do they appear to have been removed and replaced roughly? Look at the bolts you see. Do they look like they’ve been removed? If it has a winch take a close look and see if it’s been used. If it has, the cable will be worn at the end where you should be able to easily notice it even without spooling out the cable. Look again for rust to see if the ATV was run in the mud or snow and not cleaned properly.

Now it’s time to start the ATV. Does it crank right up and idle smoothly? This is rather easy on a machine with EFI and a bit more challenging on an ATV with a carburetor. But a good seller would have previously started the machine so it would already be warm when you went to start it. Put it in gear. Does it shift into gear cleanly? Does it start to move easily or does it seem to take what seems like too many revs to get it going?

While the machine is running pull in the brake handle(s). Does the lever travel too far? Does it fully engage? Do the same with the foot pedal. Check if the parking brake actually holds the ATV at a standstill. Turn on the headlights and see if they work correctly.

Now it’s decision time. I have seen some used ATVs that are so clean you wonder if they were ever used at all, some with less than 1000 miles so the real decision will only be if the price is fair. Remember, you will more often than not get what you pay for. Super clean will cost you more than beat hard and put away wet – almost every time.

Let’s assume that the ATV has been used but not beat. If it’s been beat you should have been able to spot that rather quickly and turn around and drive off without looking back, perhaps not even needing to look the machine over closely to see it’s not what you want.

A machine that’s neither unbelievably clean and yet not beat is the category where the vast majority of used ATVs will fall. This is where you’ll need to use the suggestions above for looking over the machine. This is also where you’ll be weighing the price to the condition. This is where you are on your own. Does the cost of the ATV fit your budget? If there are some small items like worn tires, is your budget enough to fix these items?

My advice is to find as clean of a machine as you can afford. The cleaner and lower the mileage, the more trouble-free use you’ll get out of the ATV. I also always plan to make some repairs on anything I buy. So you may need to replace the tires. You may also need to replace the drive belt. If the ATV has never had the belt replaced it is something I would just plan on doing no matter what. The same with changing the oil and air filter. It’s all just good preventative practice.

So there you have it. Find a clean machine being sold by a nice person that either can’t ride it any more or has simply decided to move on to another hobby and you’ll live happy ever after.

On a side note: I have recently sold several newer, higher dollar vehicles and replaced them with older, simpler, and less expensive, or simply different machines. In every case I felt comfortable with the decision being made – the selling based on my knowledge of the cleanliness of the vehicle being sold, and buying based on both the condition of the machine, and perhaps more importantly, the obvious moral character of the seller.

In one case I was so confident of the seller of the car I purchased (a Flyin’ Miata MazdaSpeed if your interested) that a deal was made sight-unseen. My son-in-law made the comment that it was like buying a car from myself. I’m not sure where the resting place for that compliment was directed, but I think it fell on everyone involved! What a great way to buy (or sell) a vehicle. I wish you the same luck.

Will Polaris Be Our Only Choice?

If you’ve seen any of our Latest News we’ve posted lately you’ll notice that Polaris has purchased Indian Motorcycles, the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in America. It’s an incredibly gutsy purchase that will save a great heritage. They also announced that they are purchasing GEM – Global Electric Motorcars from the Chrysler Corporation. That will give them a huge leg-up in the on-road urban electric vehicle market. That’s also an incredible marketing move! And if you look a little farther back you’ll see announcements about new machines – market-busting machines, like the new high-performance RZR XP.

More importantly (perhaps), if you look inside our shop you’ll see a number of wonderful Polaris machines sitting there waiting for good enough weather for an old man to ride in.

But it’s what you don’t see that worries me the most. You don’t see any Latest News about new Yamahas, Suzukis, Hondas or Kawasakis. Okay, okay, there’s a new Honda with EFI and a new Kawasaki with EPS. But I probably don’t have to remind you that those two items have been on Yamaha and Suzuki ATVs for more than just a few years.

It’s what I don’t see that scares me more than what I do.

While the folks at Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda are hiding behind closed doors cowering and waiting for the economic wolf at the door to go away, the folks at Polaris aren’t hiding behind closed doors. In fact, you won’t even find them sitting behind their desks! They are outside with their swords drawn, perhaps not just chasing the wolf away from their doors, but knowing all too well that the only place for the wolf to go is outside the doors of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki.

So not only does Polaris continue to dominate the market with new models, but perhaps more importantly, they continue to be aggressive in their marketing, supplying models to testers like us to ride and review. And while other manufacturer’s market shares decline, their share of the now smaller market continues to grow at an incredible pace!

Is there a connection between marketing and market share? I suppose if there wasn’t we’d have neither marketing departments nor measurements of market share. While Polaris continues to market their ATVs and UTVs, the competition pulls the blankets over their heads, loaning only a very few test units to the biggest reviewers to evaluate.

The capitalist in me says that Polaris should be rewarded for their bold and aggressive marketing. The realist in me sees that Polaris’ reward is a well-deserved increase in the share of our market.

Let’s just hope that Polaris will someday offer a V-twin for those of you that liked Kawasaki’s instant power, a balanced, high-geared single that’s smooth enough for all you King Quad fans, a 4wd system as capable as what you love about the Yamaha’s, and a simple, reliable workhorse for the Honda fans. Because the way things are going Polaris will be the only manufacturer standing.

Hurrah for them. Too bad for everyone else. I don’t know what to say about all of us.

What the Heck is a Dry Sump Oil System?

Most production vehicles, whether they are ATVs, UTVs, cars, or trucks, have what is called a wet sump oil system. In a wet sump system, the oil is stored beneath the crankshaft in an oil pan. In a wet sump system, the oil pump sucks the engine’s oil from the bottom of the oil pan up through a tube, and then pumps it to the rest of the engine.

Four-stroke engines are both lubricated and cooled by oil that is circulated throughout the engine lubricating the bearings and other moving parts. After it’s lubricating trip it drains to the sump at the base of the engine under gravity.

In a dry sump system, the oil is stored in a tank typically located outside the engine rather than in the oil pan. There are at least two oil pumps in a dry sump - one pulls oil from the sump and sends it to the tank, and the other takes oil from the tank and sends it to lubricate the engine. In a dry sump, the oil still falls to the base of the engine, but rather than being allowed to collect in an engine sump, it falls into a much shallower sump where it is removed by a second pump and is pumped into the external reservoir where it is both cooled and (also very importantly!) de-aerated. Oil is then drawn from the remote tank by the pressure pump and circulated back through the engine. The two pumps are often referred to as scavenge pumps and pressure pumps.

Dry sump systems have several important advantages over wet sumps systems. Because a dry sump does not need to have an oil pan big enough to hold the oil under the engine, the engine can be placed lower in the vehicle. This helps lower the vehicle’s center of gravity. The reservoir can also be relocated to another part of the car to improve weight distribution. There can also be an increased oil capacity by using a larger external reservoir than would be practical in a wet sump system. An increased capacity also allows the oil to cool and release entrained gasses from ring blow by and the action of the crankshaft. Basically, the oil capacity of a dry sump can also be as big as you want.

In a wet sump system, turning, braking, acceleration, and running across side hills can cause the oil to pool on one side of the engine. Dry sump designs are not nearly as susceptible to the oil movement problems that wet sump systems can suffer from due to these forces. If the oil in a wet sump is forced to one side in the oil pan the oil pump pickup tube can be temporarily uncovered leading to a loss of oil pressure. Because the scavenge pumps are typically mounted at the lowest point on the engine the oil flows into the pump suction by gravity rather than having to be lifted up into the suction of the pump like a wet sump does. Also the scavenge pumps can be of a different design that is more tolerant of the entrained gasses than the typical pressure pump which can lose suction if too much air is mixed into the oil. Since the pressure pump is typically lower than the external oil tank it always has a positive pressure on its suction regardless of cornering forces.

From a strictly engineering perspective the dry sump is the superior solution, however with real-life economic considerations, where vehicles have to be built to a cost, it is usually eliminated as being too expensive. Dry sump systems do add cost and complexity, and the extra pumps and lines require more oil, so maintenance costs rise accordingly.

So there you have it, more than you wanted to know about dry sump oil systems.

Polaris RZR XP - The Performance Details

It doesn’t take much of a look to see the differences between a RZR and the new RZR XP! It’s taller, wider, and longer. That may be simplifying the issue a bit but it’s true. About the only place the XP is the same as the other RZRs is in the cabin. Same seats, same steering wheel, same gauges, same everything.

So let’s take a look at the differences:

Up front is a new tubular subframe designed to hold even longer a-arms. These arms are an additional 2 inches longer than the already extended arms of the RZR S so they can provide 13 ½ inches of wheel travel. That’s a lot of travel, but as Doug Roll always said, long travel doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t work! In this department, Polaris added a set of Fox Podium 2.0 shocks. These shocks have plenty of height-pre-load adjustment as well as adjustment for compression damping.

Although the front suspension is greatly enhanced, it is the rear suspension that is the most visibly changed! Like many off-road racecars, the rear suspension now consists of a 3-point trailing arm system that provides 14 inches of travel.

The advantages of a trailing are system is multifold. First, it provides a more controlled travel and camber gain so that the tire will actually lean in at the top a bit as the travel goes up. That camber allows a longer movement with less scrub. Polaris still designed some camber in the system so that during hard cornering, the tire will lean in and keep from rolling over as much. In addition to better travel, the trailing arm set-up is also a much stronger system for off road use.

And, as on the front, the rear is equipped with long-travel Fox Podium 2.0 shocks with plenty of adjustment for preload and height and adjustment for the compression damping.

 Now for the other very big difference in the XP – the new engine! Designed from the ground up for this machine, the ProStar 900 is a work of art, looking more like something that should be in a racecar rather than a UTV. Oh wait, this is a racecar!

The 875cc twin cylinder DOHC engine now sits in a more conventional direction, with the cylinders and crankshaft running side-to-side rather than front to rear like in the other RZRs. And it’s built for performance, with the pair of 46mm throttle body injectors mounted right next to the cylinder with a very short intake manifold. Also helping to get plenty of air into the engine is a new intake system that pulls air in from the left side of the body and directly into an air box that in essence stores a mouthful of air ready for the engine to suck up when the throttle is mashed.

There’s also a new air filter that has 90%  more capacity than the old-style canister system. And it’s mounted in a box located under an easy-access panel right under the bed.

Polaris also designed a stainless steel exhaust for a freer-flowing path to extract the used air and fuel. All this helps the ProStar to produce a whopping 88hp from it’s 875cc’s.

But wait, there’s more! The ProStar is designed with a dry sump oil system. This allows the engine to sit lower and the oil to be held in a tank away from the heat of the engine’s block. It can also provide a larger oil capacity for better cooling as well. In this case, 3 ½ quarts are held in a finned plastic tank that located under an access panel on the left side of the bed. And that’s also where you check the oil level.

With an eye toward night duning and late-night racing in the desert, the engine is fitted with a large capacity stator that provides an incredible 500 watts at idle, and 750 watts at revs.

There’s also a new CVT transmission with a zero-clearance set-up and helical cut gears for faster takeoff and stronger, more reliable operation.

All of this sounds good but the prove will be in how it works. We’ll take it out for a test next.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

My Favorites Off-Roaders -

I’ve made no bones about the fact that I love the King Quad. I loved it from the first ride. It had everything I needed – 2wd, 4wd, and 4wd with a front locker. It had a great gauge package. But best of all it was smooth – the engine was incredibly smooth for a big single. And to help in the smoothness department the KQ had a higher ratio transmission that allowed the engine to turn at a lower rpm – something an old guy that liked to short-shift when cruising really appreciated! Of course it still had its Achilles heel, a far too steep of a front caster that caused some steering and handling problems – especially when fitted with better tires.

That caster and handling problem was all fixed with the addition of power steering – not so much as the EPS itself makes it handle better, but the powered steering made it possible for the Suzuki engineers to add in a proper amount of caster!

As the King Quad competitors improved, another feature of the KQ became more apparent – it didn’t have a parking brake in the transmission, but stuck with a simple parking brake on the handlebars. I like this set-up for a couple of reasons. First, when shifting into reverse you never have to try to keep from hitting park inadvertently. And second, sometimes when working or even stopping along the trail it’s easier to simply leave the machine in drive and set the parking brake to keep it from rolling while you reset the GPS, look at the map, or check a fencepost.

I’ve also had a long love affair with 2-seat ATVs. For years I struggled with which one I liked more, the Can Am Outlander 650 or the Sportsman Touring. Both had some advantages and some disadvantages. But with the introduction of the 2011 XP Touring I was able to make a decision. The new Touring with its ADC now goes down hills without trying to swap ends. It now allows me to quickly remove the second seat and have a stable single seat machine with plenty of rear rack space. And as a tourer, the Touring is without competition in the plush, comfortable department.

It’s so good that I can almost overlook the things I don’t like – a single brake lever, the park position in the transmission, and the 4wd system that keeps me from choosing what I want it to do.

But life is more than about handlebars. Being a guy that got his first car (a Meyers Manx of course) at 14, I’ve always had an affinity for holding a steering wheel. I longed for a side by side for years before they came out, even going so far as to be designing a side by side ‘buggy’ out of a Kawasaki Prairie.

So I was excited when Yamaha brought out the Rhino, but I fell in love when I saw the RZR for the first time. Like a lovesick teenager I can remember that first look even today – a great looking, powerful, and 50” wide machine! And I soon found out it was relatively quiet (as compared to the existing Rhino) and handled incredible!

And yes, I’m constantly driven crazy by some of the glaring problems I find with the RZR. Every machine needs a parking brake, something that used to be called an emergency brake because it was a separate ‘mechanical’ system that could be used to stop a vehicle if the primary braking system failed! It would be a tremendous comfort to have a lever to pull when heading down some fast, twisting trail in case a brake line gets ripped and you no longer have a brake fluid to operate the hydraulic system. I won’t even mention how good a nice lever at the right side of the seat is for helping set of a machine for tight corners ;-)

Then there’s the fact that the RZR still sends all of its engine braking to the rear wheels – something that can be extremely irritating on some of those steep, rocky trails I love to explore. That’s something that could be easily fixed with the addition of the ADC system like’s found on the Touring!

But even with those glaring problems the RZR does what no other side-by-side buggy can do – go on the 50” ATV trails. And do it in comfort and with the ability to carry enough camping equipment for the two passengers! So until something better comes along, the RZR is one of my favorite off road rigs. The proof of this can be found in the fact that there has been a RZR sitting in my garage every single day since they came out! The only other machines that can say that are the Suzuki King Quad and the Kawasaki Prairie!

But, my life is more than just riding for fun – living on 20 acres requires something for work – something to haul wood and hay, and tow the rough-cut mower. And living in a small town where things like this are still possible, it’s nice to have something to run to the Post Office, or to the small general store. We’ve used Kawasaki Mules for this for many, many years, with everything from Diesels to Crewcabs sitting here over the years.

It was only recently and as a fluke while at a Polaris new-model introduction that I got to use an electric UTV, the Ranger EV. You guessed it, I fell in love. While certainly not quiet the machine of choice for exploring the trails, thanks to the inability to actually carry any spare volts along in case you run out, it works perfectly around the farm or ranch. Quiet is good in many ways. You don’t upset animals, and in fact actually can here them while you drive by. Perhaps the most noticeable advantage I’ve found to the EV’s quiet operation is when towing stuff – especially something like the rough-cut mower. With no engine sound coming from the EV, you can now more easily hear if the mower is running okay or bogging down, or if you’re dragging it across the field with the blade stopped ;-)

But wait, there’s more! I have one more need. I need something to haul people around – more than just one! For this I need a crewcab something or another. I’ve tried the Mule Transcab. While it’s quiet and good for around the farm or town, it struggles horribly out on the trails. The RZR 4-seater is just too difficult for easy entrance and exit.  The Ranger is too big and wide, so big in fact you might as well be driving a Jeep around. But like Goldilocks I’ve found the crewcab that’s ‘just right’, the Ranger 500!

Yeah, it’s still long, but it’s pretty hard to have a good 4-seater without adding some un-wanted length. Where the 500 Crew shines is that it is narrow enough to fit on many of the trails and it has the suspension to get over them without beating all the passengers to death. And the 500cc EFI engine has adequate power to even climb up the mountain trails with a full load of people on board.

Now here’s where I say that like every Polaris, the crew is not without some glaring faults that if I were the Product Manager that I’d fix. There’s no parking brake what so ever! And, well, that’s it I think. Wow! I think I just amazed myself – I can only find one fault! I better go for a ride and make sure that’s right.

Don’t get me wrong now, there are a lot of good machines out there and something I like to point out to everyone that asks me which ATV is best for them. And maybe that’s exactly what I’ll talk about in the next blog. It’ll help me update the FAQ page on the website.

But for now, you know exactly what I beg the PR folks to allow me keep sitting outside my office ;-)

Just in case you wondered what a Meyers Manx was ;-)

God Bless -

Doug

Where are ATVs Made

Where are ATVs made? That’s a question of almost mythical proportions and a question with most answers with just about as much knowledge as a myth. Many people who are thinking they’re buying an American ATV are pretty quick to point out their purchase as patriotic and just as fast to point their finger at their friend’s new purchase as an act bordering on a being traitor to our country.

This all came to a head for me a few years back when we tested the new Toyota Tundra. The comments on You Tube were an amazing mix of how good the truck is and how horrible it is to buy a Japanese vehicle.

I attempted over and over again to point out that the Tundra was made in the United States, but the haters pointed out that the ‘profit’ went back to Japan! I wonder what money they are most concerned about – the money paid to workers or the profit to the corporation?

So here we go with the same information about ATVs and UTVs. It is meant to clarify many misconceptions. Of course I’ll also then confuse the issue later…..

The manufacturers in alphabetical order:

— Arctic Cat. All Arctic Cat ATVs and UTVs are made in the United States except the newest trio, the 350, the 425, and the 450i 4x4 Crossover.

— Can Am. All Can Am ATVs and their one UTV, the Commander are all made in Juarez, Mexico.

— Honda. The Rincon, the Rubicon, all Foreman, all Ranchers, the Recon, and the 250X and 400X are all made right here in the United States. The rest of the Honda lineup is made in Japan. Honda's UTV, the Big Red is made in Mexico.

— Kawasaki. All Kawasaki ATVs and UTVs are made in the U.S. except the KFX90.

— Polaris. Polaris recently made the announcement that they would move a part of their manufacturing to Monterrey Mexico. In essence, what this means is that the ATVs and UTVs that will be sold in the southwestern part of the U.S. will now be manufactured in Mexico. All the ATVs and UTVs sold in the northeastern part of the U.S. will continue to be made in the U.S.

— Suzuki. The King Quad 750, 500, and the 450 are made in Rome Georgia. This includes both the standard models and the EPS models.  The sport ATVs like the LT-R450, all the kids ATVs, and all motorcycles are assembled in Japan.

— Yamaha. The Rhino, the Big Bear 400 4x4 IRS as well as all of the Grizzly 350s and 450s are made in Newnan, Georgia.

So while that just may clear up the question as to where ATVs are made, let’s take a look at the ramifications of where ATVs are made.

The most obvious are the advantages for the Japanese manufacturers to make their machines here in the United States. First and foremost they can cut down on the cost of delivering the machines from the factory to the dealership. Second, they are helping the economy of the country where they are selling their merchandise. Is there a downside? One might think that because the Japanese manufacturers are so well known for their quality that that could adversely be affected by building the units here in the U.S. That has been proven to be false with the proof being that it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between any of the ATVs made here or there. Proven false I say because the quality of a machine is designed in first, and can be controlled in the manufacturing process second.

The harder thing to do is to point out the advantages for the U.S. and Canadian manufacturers to make their machines in Mexico. First, Mexico lowers the cost of the manufacturing process. Taxes are lower. Wages are lower. And employee benefits are less. The bigger question is whether the quality is better or worse than if they were built in the U.S. Once again, I believe that that is more a question of design and workforce management than simply location.

So what does all this mean?

I don’t know about you, but to me it means good ATVs can be made anywhere in the world. So can bad ones. Does it make it right? No. But it’s how it is.

Anyone? Anyone?

Around my house, when someone is rambling through the rooms looking for another family member, we often use a quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, calling, "Bueller? Bueller?"

So staying in character with Ben Stein, Bueller’s Economics teacher, I ask if there are any ATV manufacturers out there still making new models? Anyone? Anyone?

You know how much I sing the praises of Suzuki King Quads – I love them. I would love to seem some new changes like Special Edition models with better shocks and tires. I’d love to see better racks. Or how about a 650 model? Or maybe most important, a side by side to compete with the RZR. I have heard inside rumors that they have a RZR fighter but don’t want to release it at this time. So I (unfortunately) can only imagine what these models would be like, or how great they’d be, simply because there are no new Suzukis. Bueller? Bueller?

And then there’s Kawasaki. My history with Kawasaki goes way, way back. I know them well and respect them in many ways. I know too that they had something they called a Super Mule – a Prairie-based side by side in testing well before the RZR was released. What’d they do? Fired the guy that was responsible. Hmmm. They still refined the Brute Force until it was formidable competition with anything on the market – at least until power steering became an issue. Bueller? The there was the Teryx, a better Rhino, but that’s all the farther it went. Bueller? And then there’s the most popular class of ATVs, the 400cc class. Could Kawasaki come out with a 400cc Brute Force? 450cc Prairie? Bueller?

Yamaha. The first Side by Side! The first ATV with power steering! The first ATV to really get that mass centralization perfected. Many, many great machines. Of course I even had spy photos of a new 950cc V-Twin, short wheelbase 4-seat Rhino that was due to be released in February of 2010. Bueller? Yes, Yamaha does have a good, solid line up of ATVs but they do lack a twin. And in spite of the inside rumors I’ve heard about spreading out Rhino line to include more sport machines and more recreational machines, what we really got was new colors and graphics. Bueller?

Honda? Same-o same-o. Their new and incredible UTV is the size of a Toyota pick up, and almost the same price! Although they’ve entered the realm of power steering and IRS, their most incredible ATV, the Rubicon continues on almost identical to the day it was introduced. Wasn’t it Honda that introduced the ATC? The 250R? The hydrostatic transmission. The Pilot! The Pilot? Can you imagine what the same Honda that introduced those machines would do now? Bueller?

Okay, Arctic Cat just came out with some new machines. Fairly good ones too if you are not looking for anything new - and if you’re looking for another ATV made in China. For a great company filled with American pride they’ve gone awol. Bueller?

Hey, what about Can Am? They’ve come out with some great new stuff! The Commander, Can Am’s first entry into the UTV market is a good machine. They put power steering on their ATVs! They also have those special editions with nice wheels and better tires, winches, and other niceties. They have a good, full line of machines but seem to continue to develop using the ‘Bigger is better” mentality rather than “Better is better.”

And of course there’s Polaris, seemingly the only company that continues to introduce new models at a rapid pace. An alarmingly rapid pace actually. It’s as if they intend to be the only ATV company still in business when this is all said and done. And considering their line-up of models I doubt we’d lack much – except maybe two-lever braking to 4 wheel discs. And engine braking that goes to all 4 wheels without having to push a switch. And a true 4wd system with a locker. And perhaps most importantly, a design team that spends a little more time making their products with a little more quality rather than a little more profit!

And that brings us back to one of the biggest advantages of competition in the marketplace.

Anybody? Anybody?

An All-new Polaris Side by Side is Coming on 1-1-2011

I’ve been keeping my mouth closed for a while knowing I was going to go to a secret location at an undisclosed time to test a new Polaris, but now Polaris has leaked the first news that I can share about this – There’s a whole new class of Side by Side coming on January 1^st!

While I knew it was coming and that I’ll be one of the first of the media-types to take it for a spin, what I still don’t know is what it is . . .

So the best I can do is guess – or wish . . .

Let’s just say for a moment that the ‘term’ “whole new class” is a marketing term. So unless we see a street legal RZR, or maybe a RZR with wings, ‘whole new class’ may be a bit of a stretch.

But if we think of the RZR4, or the RZR S as a whole new class of Side by Side then maybe we can guess at what we’d like this new RZR to be.

Personally, I’d like to see a 50” RZR XP. That means it would have the smooth 850cc engine and transmission complete with ADC. Or even better would be a RZR with a conventional 4wd system complete with lockers front and rear. Of course it would also be nice to see it come with a longer travel suspension like we’ve done to our RZR.  It should have a mechanical parking brake. And a better looking cage. And come with radial tires and a winch.

Well, that’s all just wishful thinking I suppose. Right or way wrong, at least we don’t have long to wait to find out.

Leave to Polaris though to break new ground when everyone else is hiding in their offices afraid of the economy.

Any thoughts?

A street-legal RZR would be a “whole new class of Side by Side!”