Gander Mountain to sell Arctic Cat A TV’s

Gander Mountain, the well-known Midwestern retailer of hunting, fishing, and outdoor sporting goods, is now selling Arctic Cat ATVs at its Superstore in Geneva, Ill.
The Superstore will also carry Arctic Cat parts, garments and accessories. To further its commitment, a service facility operated by Arctic Cat trained and certified Catmaster technicians also will be on site.
Other Gander Mountain locations are being considered to carry the quads.
Winchester Special Edition
The Olin Corporation, manufacturer of Winchester Ammunition, and AlphaSports have created a special edition ATV. AlphaSports has been a factor in the youth ATV market and just recently expanded its line to include adult ATVs and motorcycles. The Winchester edition is designed to entice sporting and hunting ATV riders.
The Winchester Special Edition is a 180cc four-stroke machine with an automatic CVT transmission with reverse gear. The machine will be available in August 2003.
Honda Kicks Off Footwear
The motorcycle division of American Honda and H.H. Brown Shoe Company are collaborating to produce a line of Honda licensed footwear set to debut in the fall of 2003.
The line of shoes and boots is grouped into four categories: Traditional, a durable and functional collection featuring classic lines and good looks; Touring, featuring the Gold Wing line of traditional and Euro-styled boots; TransAlp, a group of all-terrain weather resistant boots for off-road and ATV riding; and Sport Trax, a casual, hip, and sporty line designed for skating, surfing, and driving lifestyles.
The line will be available at select dealers across the country.
Polaris And Kolorfusion Agreement
Polaris Industries has licensed Kolorfusion Internationals’ patented decoration technology for ATVs and off-road vehicles. The decoration technology will allow Polaris to camouflage plastic, rims, racks and brush guards. The exclusivity agreement is for four years, which can be extended for an additional year.
Tony Fichter, purchasing manager of Polaris Industries, commented, “After completing our tests of the Kolorfusion process, we knew we had a superior method for the decoration of our ATVs, as compared to the industry’s current methods. Accordingly, we want to provide this break-through technology on an exclusive basis into our markets and we are planning to expand it well beyond camouflage oriented consumers.”
Kevin Geraghty, national sales manager of Kolorfusion, added, “Polaris is the type of company we have been seeking that validates our technology to the surface finishing industry. The fact that they are willing to pay for an exclusive speaks very highly to the value they perceive our technology can give them in their market. Polaris will purchase its ongoing print requirements from Kolorfusion and we anticipate starting annual revenues to Kolorfusion in excess of $1 million.”
Information about when the technology will be seen on the showroom floor is not yet available.
Cycra Racing opens second Office
Cycra Racing, a plastic and accessories manufacturer for motorcycles, has opened an office in Southern California. The new facility in Simi Valley also warehouses the complete line of Cycra products that are manufactured in Columbus, Ohio.
Cycra hired long time motorcycle enthusiast Bill Rudell, who has been working in the motorcycle industry for the past six years, to manage the office. Rudell will handle marketing, including media relations, race support and promotions.
Cycra President Ken Laivins stated, “We couldn’t be any more excited about the future of Cycra. Our products are a perfect fit for the California market, we were just needing better representation. With the opening of Cycra West, our presence in Southern California will be a huge addition to our company.”
Glen Laivins, co-owner of Cycra, added: “Now that we will warehouse a huge amount of inventory in Simi Valley, we will be able to satisfy our dealers and distributors requests with next day shipments. And having Bill supporting racers trackside and visiting dealers on a regular basis, this is just what we’ve been waiting for.”
Electronic Fuel- Injected Cat?
Arctic Cat is testing EFI systems that may appear in its larger displacement ATVs. If testing results are favorable, Arctic Cat would be the first manufacturer to implement an EFI system on a utility class ATV.
“Developed internally with a major fuel system supplier (Keihin), our R&D teams have been running ATV models with the EFI system in place for quite some time now,” said Ole Tweet, vice president of new product development. “Should we decide to move forward, consumers could see a fuel-injected Arctic Cat ATV within a six- to 12-month time frame.”
The company’s concept Two Rider Vehicle, featured in the September 2002 issue of ATV Magazine and originally slated for a 2004 release, continues to be in the testing phase, too. Jay Lusignan, media relations specialist for Arctic Cat, said, “It’s still in testing and we haven’t made any final decisions on when it will be released.”