Features

4/4/2011-ATV Digest

Used shoppers looking most at Honda, Polaris
Honda and Polaris have three of the most-often viewed used ATVs of 400cc and over, according to Kelley Blue Book online data provided to Powersports Business.
Honda’s 2005 TRX 450R was the most-often viewed ATV of over 400cc and?Polaris’ 2005 and 2004 Sportsman 500 4×4 were the second and third most viewed ATVs, according to consumers who logged on to Kelley Blue Book’s website.
Suzuki’s 2003 Quadsport Z400 was the top viewed ATV between 250cc-399cc.
Along with the most viewed ATVs, this data also provides values for these popular quads. These values are shown to Powersports Business readers before Kelley Blue Book publishes its quarterly findings.
Kelley Blue Book works with industry auctions, private parties, dealers and receives consumer feedback from its website to identify the wholesale values.
The Kelley Blue Book Wholesale Value is based on clean units, fully reconditioned and ready for resale.
The Trade-In Value is what dealers should pay a consumer. These values do not include additional equipment or mileage adjustments.
The powersports section of KBB.com received an average of more than 4.6 million visitors (customer views) in a recent quarter and has an average of more than 1.5 million visitors montly.
Arctic Cat unleashes a WildCat at recent show
Arctic Cat showcased an unexpected ROV dubbed “Wildcat” during the close of its 2012 snowmobile dealer show in Nashville, Tenn.
Arctic Cat has strived to bring innovative designs and technology to its customers since 1962. With 2012 marking the brand’s 50th anniversary, off-road styling cues of the Wildcat’s bodywork coupled with its aggressive sport stance and interior suggest Arctic Cat will move into the pure sport ROV segment.
“This is the Year of the Cat! It’s also the Year of Excitement,” Claude Jordan, Arctic Cat’s CEO, told dealers in attendance. “Inspired by race-bred and race-proven designs, we are committed to giving our customers the highest-performance models they deserve in the snow and off-road categories, as well as future endeavors.”
Very few details were released regarding the Wildcat, but Jordan noted, “An extremely capable suspension is what all pure sport ROV owners are begging for, and we promise this will be an industry leader.” When asked about production dates, Jordan hinted, “You may see this in dealer showrooms during our 2012 fiscal year, which would end next March.”
Suzuki recalls KingQuad ATVs
American Suzuki Motor Corp. has recalled about 29,000 KingQuad ATVs because of a fire hazard.
The plastic fuel tanks in some KingQuad ATVs were improperly manufactured, and they can develop a fuel leak, posing a fire hazard. American Suzuki has received 19 reports of fuel leaking from KingQuads; no injuries have been reported.
The recalled units include: all 2008-’10 LT-A450X models, all 2009-’10 LT-A500X models, all 2008-’10 LT-A750X models and 2011 LT-A500X and LT-A750X models manufactured before Dec. 11, 2010. The ATVs were sold at dealerships from July 2007-February 2011. Suzuki is notifying all consumers who own recalled ATVs.
Civil trial jury rules in favor of Yamaha, dealer
In what the trial judge labeled the largest civil trial in the history of Warren County, Ohio, an eight-member jury returned a verdict in favor of Yamaha and its dealer on March 21 in a case involving the death of a 10-year-old girl who was ejected from a Rhino in a rollover crash, according to a press release.
After a three-week trial involving 41 witnesses, the jury returned a defense verdict in favor of Yamaha, its dealer who sold the vehicle and one of the vehicle’s co-owners, who was also a defendant, according to the press release.
Yamaha’s lead counsel, Paul Cereghini of Bowman and Brooke LLP, said, “This is now the fifth defense verdict in a row for Yamaha.”
Tread Lightly!’s membership doubles  
The nonprofit organization Tread Lightly! has doubled its membership over the last year after offering several new benefits, including significant discounts on insurance, Goodyear tires, and new Chrysler, Jeep, Ram Truck or Dodge vehicles, according to a company press release.
Lori McCullough, Tread Lightly!’s executive director, also attributes the rapid increase to growing concern over potential loss of access for outdoor recreation. “We haven’t seen a rise in membership like this since the early ’90s,” said McCullough. “There has never been a better time to be involved — not only are we offering substantial new benefits — but Tread Lightly! has also created some outstanding campaigns and programs that are gaining considerable notice among enthusiasts and industry leaders.” PSB

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