Features

March 13, 2006 – ATV Digest

Suzuki Tops Spain’s Growing ATV Market
Spain’s ATV market has grown dramatically in the past three years. In fact, recently provided numbers suggest five times as many quads were sold there in 2005 than in 2002.
According to figures recently published by Quad & Jet, a Spanish ATV magazine, a total of 43,997 quads were sold in Spain from January to December 2005, up from 32,4989 units in 2004, 15,959 units in 2003, and 8,071 units in 2002.
The 10 most-sold ATV brands in Spain in 2005 were Suzuki, responsible for sales of 12,019 units; Yamaha, 7,813 units; KYMCO, 7,316 units; Honda, 3,197 units; Polaris, 2,869 units; CSR, 1,598 units; Kawasaki, 1,345 units; BRP, 1,075 units; Linhai, 776 units; and Factory Bike, 610 units.
The 10 most-sold ATV models in Spain last year were the Suzuki LT-Z 400, responsible for 10,732 units; KYMCO MXU 250, 3,078 units; Yamaha YFM 660R, 2,353 units; KYMCO KXR 250, 1,938 units; Yamaha YFM 350R, 1,333 units; Honda TRX 400, 1,208 units; Polaris Predator 500, 1,157 units; Yamaha YFM Grizzly 660, 1,063 units; and the KYMCO MXer 50, responsible for 837 units.
WPSA Announces ATV Series TV Schedule
The World PowerSports Association (WPSA) PowerSports ATV Tour will race a 10-event schedule this year, all of which will be telecast on ESPN2.
The schedule includes venues throughout the Southeast and Midwest, with both standalone events and races during Grand National Championship TT ATV race weekends.
The events will be telecast on ESPN2 in one-hour midday and early afternoon timeslots on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning June 3. ESPN2 also telecasts WPSA’s PowerSports Snowmobile Tour events.
“ATV racing is a made-for-television sport and we’re pleased to showcase it to a national TV audience,” said PowerSports Enter-
tainment, Inc. CEO Rick Murphy. “We promised the community there would be a professional ATV racing tour in 2006 to build on that momentum and we’re delivering on that promise.”
The PowerSports ATV Tour will be headed up by longtime motorsports producer Tes Sewell. Sewell, who was named director of ATV Operations, PowerSports Entertainment, Inc., joins WPSA after leaving Media X International (MXi), which was the sport organizer and producer of all ESPN’s X Games motorsports events except Snocross.
“WPSA is giving ATV racing the shot in the arm it’s needed for many years by bringing it national TV exposure through ESPN2,” said Sewell.
The season kicks off April 22-23 in Gainesville, Fla., followed by an event in Brashear, Texas, May 6-7. The tour heads into the Midwest May 20-21 for a race in London, Ky., followed by a double event in Lizella, Ga., June 3-4. The Tour next moves to Taylorville, Ill., on June 10-11, ahead of a race in Greenbrier, Ark., June 24-25. The final three event dates are to be announced.
For more information, visit www.wsaracing.com.
Dunlop, Suzuki Team Up for 2006 ATV Racing
Dunlop has partnered with Team Suzuki/
Yoshimura ATV Race Team for the 2006 ATV race season.
Team members Doug Gust and Jeremiah Jones will run Dunlop’s latest high-performance ATV tire, the KT381 and KT385 Radial sport tires, on their Suzuki QuadRacer LT-R450 race machines this year.
The KT381 and KT385 Radial sport tires also come on the 2006 Suzuki QuadRacer LT-R450 as stock equipment.
“Suzuki and Dunlop Tire have worked very well together through the development of the new QuadRacer 450 racing ATV,” said Rod Lopusnak, ATV operations manager for American Suzuki Motor Corp., “and expanding this partnership into the Team Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV racing program makes perfect sense. We’re sure both Suzuki and Dunlop will benefit from the relationship.”
“Motorsports racing is a big part of Dunlop’s history, and expanding that performance application into the ATV market is very exciting for us,” said Dennis Teed, director of the ATV business unit for Dunlop Tire North America. “With Suzuki’s passion and dedication to ATV racing, we know we’ve picked the right racing partner.”
Works Introduces Springs for LT-R450
Works Performance, Canoga Park, Calif., now offers an upgrade for LT-R450 Quad Racer shocks with custom tuned triple-rate spring sets.
The Works spring sets are designed for competition or recreational use, and can be used with stock or extended a-arms. They’re also available in a low-slung Stadium setup. All the spring sets, custom assembled to the rider’s weight and type of riding, are available in different color combinations (black, white, blue and red).
Works also now offers a new line of shocks featuring a larger shaft and larger reservoir for increased cooling for the LT-R450 Quad Racer. The Black Widow shocks are a piggyback style and the G-Series feature a dual-line remote reservoir.
The complete Works spring kit, including six springs, two preload collar, crossovers, go-betweens, and detailed instructions with photos, retails for $269. Front shock pairs cost from $439-$1139 and rear shocks start at $839.
Works upgrades also are available for the YFZ450, TRX450, and LTZ400/KFX400.
3,200 Go-Karts Recalled
Two companies are recalling approximately 3,200 go-karts manufactured in China.
The recall involves the two-seat Manco Blazer model 1050L-09 and Sunright International model RTV50-SK50, both equipped with a 49cc engine and an electric start. The go-karts were produced in several colors, including red, green, blue, and yellow.
Manco Power Sports Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., and Sunright International, Norcross, Ga., say the throttle that controls the engines in the go-karts can fail. The vehicle then could not return to idle speed, posing a loss of control hazard.
Sunright and Manco have received a total of three reports of incidents in which the throttle did not return to idle speed, though no injuries have been reported.
The Manco go-karts were sold at retailers nationwide from November through December for about $900. Sunright go-karts were sold at other retailers in Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas from August through November from $900 to $1,100.
The recalled Manco karts contain VIN numbers of 1095292 through 1099782. The Sunright karts contain VIN numbers of 04100017 through 05100771.The VIN number on the Manco go-karts is attached to the frame behind the seat back cushion. The VIN number on the Sunright go-karts is stamped on the side of the engine.
Registered owners of the vehicles will be notified directly by Manco or Sunright. Consumers are asked to stop using the vehicles and to call or visit the retail location where the go-karts were purchased to schedule a free repair.
For more information, contact Manco at 800/643-7332 or Sunright at 888/ 737-7488. psb

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