ATV Digest
Seven major manufacturers of ATVs have published an open letter to the West Virginia Legislature urging passage of ATV safety legislation during the current session. The letter, which has been published in full-page advertisements in the Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail, calls on legislators to pass clear age limits and other safety rules on ATV operation long advocated by the ATV industry and safety proponents.
“There are three essential components to improving ATV safety: rider education, parental supervision and appropriate ATV safety legislation,” stated Tim Buche, president, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), a not-for-profit trade association providing information on the ATV industry.
“Major ATV manufacturers and distributors through the ATV Safety Institute (ASI) provide free hands-on training to purchasers of new ATVs, and sponsor a nationwide public education campaign to promote rider safety and parental supervision,” said Roger Hagie, director of public affairs for Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. and chairman of the SVIA Board of Trustees.
“But education is only part of the answer. State legislation regulating the safe use of ATVs is the important missing element in West Virginia. We hope that this session is the time that West Virginia joins most other states in passing ATV safety legislation.”
The letter was signed by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Arctic Cat Inc., Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc., Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., Polaris Industries Inc. and Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
In West Virginia, almost nine out of ten accidents ending in fatalities over the past six years involved behaviors by ATV riders that the industry warns against in the owner’s manuals, on-product labels and in rider education programs.
The ATV manufacturers have pledged their continued active involvement in promoting passage of ATV legislation in West Virginia.
“We will continue to work with all those advocating for appropriate ATV safety legislation and we call on the CPSC, riders, consumer groups, and West Virginia government officials to join us to advocate for state legislation that supports and promotes safe and responsible ATV use,” said Hagie.
The letter can be downloaded at www.pbnco.com/atv/ATV_Safety.pdf.
CYCLE COUNTRY CHANGES AUDITOR
Cycle Country has retained Henjes, Conner, Williams, and Grimsley, L.L.P as its independent auditors, effective immediately. Henjes, Conner, Williams, and Grimsley, L.L.P replaces Tedder, James, Worden & Associates, P.A. who served as the company’s independent auditors since Cycle Country went public in 2002.
The change in independent auditors was recommended by the company’s Audit Committee and approved by its Board of Directors.
BOMBARIDER ATV FINISHES DAKAR
At the 2004 Dakar rally, which ended Sunday, Jan. 18 on the beaches of Dakar, Bombardier’s DS650 Baja X was the only ATV to cross the finish line of the grueling race. The ATV was piloted by South African Cornel De Villiers and was the only ATV out of 11 that started the race to cross the finish line. The DS650 ranked 54th overall.
The ATV’s shocks were modified from stock, and additional fuel tanks were added to the machine to survive the demands of the race.
The 32-year old De Villiers has been racing quads since 1998 and is a two-time winner of both the Roof of Africa rally and South African Championships. He also finished first in the four-stroke category and fifth overall at the 2002 Pont-De-Vaux race. He won all five races on a Bombardier DS650 ATV.
LRD PERFORMANCE NAMES DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
LRD Performance has named Tom Floyd as the company’s new director of sales and marketing. Floyd has more than a decade of racing experience and a marketing background.
Floyd started his career as the owner of a retail mountain bike shop in San Diego, Calif. In 1995, he started a cycling apparel company and launched the women’s brand “girls love dirt!” Floyd sold both businesses in 1998 to work for Haro Bicycles as the manager of their global mountain bike racing program.
In 2000, Floyd began work at FOX as its marketing manager.
LRD Performance builds high performance racing engines and exhaust systems for the performance ATV markets.
If you have ATV news of interest to the readers of Powersports Business, please contact Cassandra Clawson at cclawson@ehlertpublishing.com.
