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Curtis Supplies Cabs to St. Andrews

Course marshals will move in weather-proof comfort

Curtis Industries, LLC has supplied fourteen of its StreetPro SE golf car enclosures to the St. Andrews Golf Club in Scotland, site of the upcoming British Open. Curtis’ dealer installed the enclosures on Yamaha Drive golf cars. The cab equipped cars with be used by course marshals.

The StreetPro SE system is a compact panel system with parallel opening doors that glide open close to the cab for easy operation and convenience.

The auto close feature keeps the interior weather tight and comfortable. Doors can also be locked in the open position while the car is in motion for fair weather operation and greater ventilation.

The smart design approach uses a rugged tubular supporting structure with custom thermoformed panels attached to the OEM roof and windshield.

Large custom molded windows provide excellent visibility. The vinyl rear window opens for ventilation.

The design, fit and finish provide superior styling with doors closed or open. Heaters and ventilators are also available.

Curtis Industries, LLC is the leading manufacturer of cabs, enclosures and accessories for compact tractors, golf cars, and utility vehicles. The company, which started in 1968, also manufactures truck plows and snow and ice control equipment for tractors and utility vehicles. Curtis Industries, LLC markets its products exclusively through a large network of dealers in the United States and Canada as well as Japan, Korea and Western Europe. The company operates from a modern 150,000 sq. ft. facility in Worcester, MA. For more information on Curtis products please visit www.curtisindustries.net or call 800.343.7676.

GBC MOTORSPORTS DIRT TAMER TIRES

One of the most popular and probably the most practical aftermarket products you can invest in is a new set of tires for your ATV. Even the OEMs realize the value of good rubber and in some instances offer an upgraded tire on “premium” packaged units.

However, if you want to make your current ride look and act like one of these premium models for significantly less than a brand new ATV, you can improve your ride quality and your overall riding experience with a set of new tires from GBC Motorsports.

For avid trail riders, GBC Motorsports has developed the DIRT TAMER tire with a beefy non-directional tread pattern that works amazingly well over all kinds of terrain. The Dirt Tamer bites into terra firma delivering excellent traction over rocky surfaces and when climbing steep slopes. Leaving the rider as sure-footed as a mountain goat.

The Dirt Tamer’s heavy-duty 6-ply construction resists punctures you might encounter on the trails from sharp rock edges or roots and its tread lugs run deep into the reinforced side-walls so you’re assured the best grip over slippery surfaces.

If your current tires just aren’t grabbing like you think they should or your tires are looking more like inner tubes, investing in new rubber is one way to ensure you’ll continue to enjoy the trails this season.

Visit www.gbcmotorsports.com today to find the right size tire for your ATV.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Steadymate Tie-Downs

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AJ Lester looks at Steadymate tie-downs and the importance of properly securing your ATV or side-x-side.

Check out Dirt Trax Television’s YouTube page for more Test Rides at YouTube.com/dirttraxtv.

Click here to purchase you own DVD set of the Dirt Trax Television season!

Natalie Wins Pro ATV National Aboard DS 450

John Natalie gave BRP its first AMA ATV Motocross National win when he raced his Team Motoworks / Can-Am DS 450 to the overall Pro-class win at Pleasure Valley Raceway near Armagh, Pennsylvania this past weekend.

Natalie took the holeshot in the first Pro moto and never looked back as he took this win. In the second moto Natalie nearly grabbed another holeshot and finished second. With those two moto results, Natalie took the weekend overall in the class.

“This is a special moment for everyone at BRP,” says Jimmie O’Dell, Racing Manager for Can-Am ATVs at BRP. “That John was able to give BRP its first overall victory at the AMA ATV motocross nationals is only fitting, he has worked hard to bring this moment to the company. And he could never have accomplished it without the amazing dedication shown by the Motoworks organization to put the Can-Am DS 450 on top of the podium.”

The win was made even sweeter as Natalie was able to accomplish it a little more than an hour from his home, so there were plenty of friends and family on hand to witness the win. The win also puts Natalie in third for the overall season championship race in the Pro class.

“I am really proud to give Can-Am their first overall win! I have to thank Can-Am and Motoworks for everything they have done and I couldn’t be happier to give them the win today,” said Natalie “It felt great to be in the lead off the start like that and to run in first place for the whole first moto. I felt good out there and my quad was running perfectly.”

In the amateur classes, Chase Henry, took the weekend overall in the 4-Stroke B class and furthered his lead in the class championship. His brother, Cole, still leads the Production A class after finishing fourth overall for the weekend.

The next round in the AMA ATV Motocross Championship will be July 17-18 at the famed Unadilla Motorsports facility near New Berlin, NY. For more information on Can-Am racing, the entire 2010 schedule, the 2010 contingency program and DS 450 amateur racer support program, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

Minute with Motorhead – Safety Basics

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Motorhead Mark Lester reviews some safety basics you need to remember this season before you hit the trails.

Check out Dirt Trax Television’s YouTube page for more Test Rides at YouTube.com/dirttraxtv.

Click here to purchase you own DVD set of the Dirt Trax Television season!

TEST RIDE: 2010 Polaris Ranger EV

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Luke Lester takes a quiet – like you could hear a pin drop – rip through the trails in Polaris’ Ranger EV.

Check out Dirt Trax Television’s YouTube page for more Test Rides at YouTube.com/dirttraxtv.

Click here to purchase you own DVD set of the Dirt Trax Television season!

FLUIDYNE POWERSPORTS RADIATOR FOR CAN-AM DS450

Can-Am’s super-specialized, high-tech DS450s respond well to horsepower-inducing moto mods and are serious racing weapons, but generating additional heat can lead to overheating, short-term power loss, premature oil breakdown or worse.

That’s why FLUIDYNE Powersports developed a more efficient radiator and fan kit for the complete line of DS450s. This performance upgrade keeps the Can-Am’s motor at optimum temperatures in low-air-flow riding conditions and provides consistent cooling in high-speed situations.

Compared to stock, this kit boasts 12 additional cooling tubes that give it 26 percent more fluid capacity, significantly lowering coolant temperatures. Working in tandem with the more efficient core is FLUIDYNE’s 1.5-inch larger cooling fan that covers more of the radiator to better dissipate hot air.

FLUIDYNE’s new DS kit pieces are also stronger and more durable than their OEM counterparts. Constructed from aircraft-quality aluminum, structural improvements include thicker materials throughout, a CNC-machined billet filler neck and beaded hose connections for leak-proof sealing. These components are held together with beefy TIG welds to withstand extreme conditions and produce a crash survival rate far exceeding the stock parts.

Not only does FLUIDYNE Powersports’ DS450 radiator and fan out-cool and outlast the stock units, the assembly comes with a one-year warranty and installs easily, utilizing the factory mounts and hardware.

Fresh off a win in the 1000-mile Vegas-to-Reno off-road race, as well as the 2009 Baja 500 Utility ATV and Open Pro Motorcycle classes, FLUIDYNE Powersports radiators have been proven around the world. Developed and manufactured in the United States, they are built upon 50 years of experience in vehicular fluid dynamics.

Available for the entire DS450 series and other late-model ATVs, side-by-side vehicles and motorcycles, FLUIDYNE® Powersports radiators are sold through dealers nationwide.

When the heat is on, FLUIDYNE Powersports radiators keep things cool. For more information, log on to FluidynePowersports.com.

Yamalube Biodegradable Air Filter Cleaner

New Yamalube Biodegradable Foam Air Filter Oil and Cleaner Kit is Environmentally Safe, Requires Water Only

Anyone that has spent a day on dusty trails and then taken a look at their air filter can attest that the foamy exterior is likely covered in dirt and debris. Still, cleaning and oiling foam air filters is the most overlooked maintenance issue that motorcycle and ATV technicians see today, and neglect often leads to expensive engine repairs.

Although effective, mineral foam oil requires solvents for cleaning. Solvents are harmful to the environment and require a sealed container for transportation if you want to clean your air filter during an event or at your favorite riding area.

To solve that problem, Yamalube is introducing the Yamalube® Biodegradable Foam Air Filter Oil & Cleaner Kit that only requires water for cleaning and can be poured on the ground without hurting the environment. This makes cleaning and oiling foam air filters easy and environmentally safe.

The kit contains dirt-grabbing, water-resistant, super-tacky filter oil and a non-alcohol-based heavy duty, concentrated detergent specifically design to clean foam air filters treated with this oil. Yamalube® Biodegradable Air Filter Oil can only be washed out with Yamalube® Biodegradable Foam Air Filter Cleaner and water.

The Yamalube Biodegradable Foam Air Filter Oil & Cleaner Kit is available at Yamaha dealers nationwide.

CAN-AM COMMANDER: Big Guns Fully Loaded

To say the all-new Can-Am Commander has been long anticipated is an understatement; this is the most talked about new SxS vehicle this model year. Can-Am has been working the press for over 18 months with tiny information teasers in advance of the Commander’s arrival.

The new Commander is both fast and powerful. Even in base trim and when equipped with the smallest available Commander powerplant, the potent 71-horsepower 800R V-twin currently used in the Can-Am Outlander, it’s still a rocket.

The 800R Commander is capable of pulling even with the current crop of mainstream RUVs including Arctic Cat’s 75-hp XTZ 1000 and Polaris’s Ranger RZR S 800HO with 65 horsepower.

Here’s the bad news if you own one of the competition’s horsepower cannons. The Commander is available with an optional 1000cc 85-horse V-twin reactor and it’s capable of propelling the Commander in a way only professional desert racers experience when belted into a race-prepped SxS. For sure, we’ve never ridden any SxS that comes close to the wheel shredding power and thrust of the Commander 1000. Nothing.

Even though the Commander X will occupy the Pure Sport designation along with the RZR S, it can do more. It’s fully a utility UTV equipped with a unique dual mode dumping cargo box with two tailgates! The box has a false floor and opens to Big Gulp dimensions. With 85-horsepower on tap, hauling top soil becomes immeasurably more interesting.

The Commander is also an ergonomic homerun, featuring the nicest seats in the biz – removable for use around the campfire. The steering wheel and instrumentation tilt in concert and the control placement is superb. A drive-by-wire throttle allows for two separate throttle response programs and a 10-mph limiter if the driver’s seatbelts are not fastened.

There’s much more to say about the new Commander, and you can be sure we’ll be saying it in All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine and on Dirt Trax Television over the next few months.

* CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE COMMANDER
* CLICK HERE TO WATCH A PREVIEW OF THIS TEST RIDE

EPA Roadblocks Import of Small Rec Vehicles

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew its approval of the import and sale of up to 200,000 gas-powered off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

The agency suspects that tailpipe emissions information was either incomplete or falsified. This is the first time EPA has voided certificates of conformity for these types of vehicles and only the second time the agency has done so for any type of vehicle.

EPA is considering an enforcement action under the Clean Air Act, which could lead to significant financial penalties against the businesses that manufactured or imported these types of recreational vehicles.
 
As a result of a lengthy investigation, EPA is alleging that the applications for the certificates contained false or incomplete information.

EPA issued the certificates in 2006 and 2007 to the U.S. counterparts of four of China’s largest manufacturers of these types of vehicles: Hensim USA (City of Industry, Calif.), Loncin USA (Hayward, Calif.), Peace Industry Group (Norcross, Ga.), and Seaseng (Pomona, Calif.). The certificates were issued based on applications compiled by their consultant, MotorScience Enterprise.  EPA believes MotorScience Enterprise intentionally submitted false or incomplete emissions information.
 
The Chinese manufacturers are Chongqing Hensim Group Co., Chongqing Longting Power Equipment Co., Zhejiang Peace Industry and Trade Co., and Zhejiang Chisheng Industry and Trading Co.
 
All vehicles imported or manufactured in the United States are required to have certificates of conformity, which are issued by EPA.  To obtain a certificate, a manufacturer or importer must submit an application that describes the vehicle and its emission control system, and provide emissions data that demonstrates that the vehicle will meet federal emission standards for certain pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and total hydrocarbons.  EPA’s alleges that this information was falsified.
 
Because the manufacturers failed to properly test the emissions from their own products, EPA cannot determine whether the vehicles meet EPA emission standards. Without proper emission controls, recreational vehicles can emit substantially more pollution than allowable under EPA standards.
 
Volatile organic compounds and NOx emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, or smog.  In addition, exposure to even low levels of ozone can cause respiratory problems, and repeated exposure can aggravate pre-existing respiratory diseases.
 
The California Air Resources Board, which issued executive orders similar to EPA’s certificates of conformity, has also voided its executive orders covering the same vehicles that were sold in California.  
 
Today’s action impacts the companies that manufactured and imported these vehicles. A consumer who owns a model that was covered by these voided certificates is not responsible for these companies’ wrongdoing and can continue to use the vehicle.