Press Release –

The final round of the WPSA 10 round series was held amongst the gentle rolling hills of Boswell, PA. Cool temperatures and a brisk breeze made for a refreshing if not chilly weekend at Field of Dreams Motocross Park.

As Team Rockstar / MSR / Suzuki / Yoshimura / Pro Taper came into the weekend, Suzuki had already dominated the Manufacturer’s Cup so much that they just had to basically show up with one quad on the starting line.

The series individual riders championship, however, was another story with Suzuki being 11 points down on Friday. Even though the team had won half of the races of the year, there were still enough points outstanding to threaten an overall win by the team points leader – Dustin Wimmer.

As the heat races commenced on Saturday, a couple of races put Dustin within 9 points by the end of the day, but only a wing and a prayer could give him top honors.

Sunday was a day of waiting. With both sets of heat races run on Saturday, there was little to do but practice, strategize and try and relax.

At the start of the main, Natalie grabbed the holeshot with Wimmer and Wienen running three and four behind him. Both moved up a notch by overtaking 2nd place Creamer. Wienen then charged ahead of Wimmer and was suddenly on the heels of John Natalie. This lasted for a couple of laps until Chad finally edged him out in a tight turn on the white flag lap. At the checkers, it was Wienen, Natalie and then Wimmer.

“It was tough to catch Natalie when he had such a strong start,” Wienen said after the race. “But every race I’m in, I never give up and was able to finally pass him on the last lap for the win. I wanted to end up the series with the most wins (5) and I did it.”

Suzuki’s Rod Lopusnak was happy with the day’s win and of course with the coveted Manufacturer’s Cup. “This is the second year in a row that most races that have been won were on a Suzuki, and we’re really proud of that. This really demonstrates how good the bike is and the kind of commitment that Suzuki has made to the sport of ATV racing.”

Lopusnak went on to comment about 2008. “We’re really excited about coming back with three of the top riders in the country. Doug Gust, Dustin Wimmer and Chad Wienen are going to be tough to beat. With the new 2008 QuadRacer R450 and this incredible combination of riders, it’s going to be an exciting year ahead for Suzuki and Team Rockstar/MSR/Suzuki/Yoshimura/Pro Taper.”

Press Release –

Today marked the beginning of a new era for BRP as its first on-road vehicle, the 2008 Can-Am™ Spyder™ roadster, rolled off the assembly line in Valcourt, Québec.

A three-wheel vehicle (two in the front, one in the rear), the Spyder roadster offers the performance of a traditional motorcycle with much of the peace-of-mind of a convertible sports car. It is powered by a Rotax® 990 V-Twin engine, produced by BRP Rotax, the company’s Austrian division and a world leader in engine development.

“This is a very important day in the history of BRP,” said José Boisjoli, president and CEO, BRP. “Our employees around the world have a lot to be proud of as we bring to the market a product that is a true paradigm shift, a completely new and unique vehicle, one that will redefine the roadster category. The Can-Am Spyder roadster is yet another testimony of BRP’s passion for innovation and for the powersports industry,” he added.

The February 2007 launch was followed by a targeted marketing campaign in both North America and Europe, which gave potential clients the opportunity to ride the new roadster.

“Since its official unveiling, the Spyder roadster has been a hot topic among powersports enthusiasts, open-road newcomers and media alike the world over. To date, more than 20,000 consumers have tried the Can-Am Spyder roadster in 11 American states, four Canadian provinces and eight European countries,” concluded Boisjoli.

The first units will be delivered to selected dealerships across North America in October while dealers in International markets will receive theirs at the beginning of 2008.

In 2008, BRP will pursue its go-to-market strategy and deploy the Can-Am Spyder roadster to approximately 20 additional American states, a few other Canadian provinces and 15 countries in Europe, South America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. The roadster’s worldwide deployment should be completed within the next two to three years.

The first Spyder roadster to roll off the Valcourt assembly line will be delivered to Jay Leno, a well-known collector and restorer of era-defining cars and motorcycles, columnist in Popular Mechanics Magazine, and host of the iconic U.S. television programme The Tonight Show.

Press Release –

Why? In extreme conditions, if the rider lands on the shift lever off a jump, it can bend the stock shift pin or worse, break the case.

Hinson Clutch Components Case Saver Shift Bracket replaces the stock bracket and shift pin with high quality steel pieces and also braces the pin to other points in the case to avoid the stress caused by the rider stepping on the shift lever.

Part # SB268, Case Saver Shift Bracket. Suggested Retail- $49.99

• Developed by racing experts to enhance the life of the cases and transmission in your quad.
• Manufactured from high quality steel

Hinson Clutch Components is the premier manufacturer of high performance clutches & components, providing to all major factory race teams, including Team Honda, Team Pro Circuit Kawasaki, Team Suzuki, Team Yamaha, and Team Red Bull KTM. Through this commitment they are proud to have won over 115, National & World, ATV, Supercross, Motocross, Supermoto and Off-Road Championships.

For more info contact hinsonracing.com.

A highly-modified Sportsman X2 is helping in the effort to control the wildfires in Greece.

The first of its kind, the Sportsman X2 Wildfire was created by the Danish Company FIREXPRESS who converted the ATV into an amazingly effective fire fighting vehicle.

Press Release –

Meeting hunters’ need for tough, reliable and affordable trail transportation, KYMCO USA has teamed with True Timber to introduce the MXU 500 Camo.

The company’s largest and most powerful quad is now available in True Timber Concealed Green Camo. This is a new pattern from the leaders in the field of digital effect camouflage.

Consisting of hardwood bark, limbs and green leaves, the detail of Concealed Green is amazing, and it looks great on the trail-ready MXU 500.

The shift-on-demand 4WD MXU 500 features a 4-stroke, double overhead cam, 499cc engine with shaft drive and KYMCO’s CVT transmission. Digital instrumentation, disc brakes, front and rear cargo racks, and a half-ton capacity towing hitch are all standard.

Big 12-inch Kenda Pathfinder tires and a substantial 10.2-inch ground clearance give solid traction and room to maneuver.

“Making our largest-displacement ATV available in True Timber Camo should move KYMCO to the top of hunters’ shopping lists,” said Bruce Ramsey, KYMCO USA Vice President for Sales and Marketing. “The MXU 500 is a workhorse equal to pulling any big game animal out of the woods.”

Suggested retail price for the MXU 500 Camo is $6499. KYMCO USA continues to offer a full one-year warranty on all ATVs along with an all new KYMCO Extended Protection Plan.

MXU 500 4X4 Camo Specifications

Color True Timber Concealed Green
Engine Type: 4-stroke water-cooled, DOHC
Displacement: 499cc
Cooling System: Liquid
Lubrication: Wet sump
Ignition: Electric w/pull start backup
Gearbox: Automatic CVT F-N-R-L-P
Drive System: Shaft with Hi/Low Gear
Drive: Shift on demand 4×4
Chassis: Steel
Front Suspension: Dual A-arm with hydraulic shocks
Rear Suspension: Swing arm with hydraulic shocks
Front Brake: Dual Disc
Rear Brake: Disc
Length: 87 in.
Width: 48 in.
Height: 47 in.
Seat Height: 31.8 in.
Wheelbase: 50.8 in.
Ground Clearance: 10.2 in. average
Fuel Capacity: 4.7 gals.
Weight: 634 lbs.
Tires: 12-inch Kenda Pathfinder

Feature Summary: Shift on demand 4 wheel drive, headlights and taillights, trailer hitch with cargo racks and front bush guards, 12” Kenda Pathfinder tires and a backlit digital dash with speedometer, tripmeter, fuel and temperature gauges.

If you know a thing or two about snowmobiling like we do, you’ll remember a few years back that a small company called Redline tried to enter the snomo-biz only to fail in its attempts.

This past weekend at Hay Days in Minnesota we got up close and personal with the new offering to carry this moniker and, although Redline has an historical snowmobiling past, it was clear that the new ownership has distanced itself from this brief moment in history.

The single-passenger Redline Revolt STV (Sport Terrain Vehicle) is powered by an EFI 749cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke built by Weber in Germany with a CVT transmission. The Revolt is capable of speeds up to 60mph and features shaft drive to the rear wheels.

It boasts double A-arm front suspension and a trailing arm rear with an incredible 17 inches of travel out front and 16.5 out back.

This thing can soak up the bumps, has awesome ground clearance and handles hard impacts from catching air. At only 700 lbs, dry, you’ll be surprised if it doesn’t sprout wings during lift off.

We’ll be anxiously awaiting our turn on the Revolt. Stay tuned…

Visit RedlineSnowmobiles.com for more information.

Honda Goes Independent

Honda has loaded its guns and hit the ATV market with an all-new model that signals the company’s determination to take back the turf it has been defending in the Sport category. The new TRX700EX features a powerful 686cc single overhead cam mill, plus (and this is a complete departure for Honda), independent rear suspension.

Although Honda isn’t first into the market with an IRS Pure Sport ATV (Polaris has been offering the Outlaw for nearly three years), the addition of this very desirable feature to the Sport ATV market puts Honda on the cutting edge.

The double A-arm design at the front delivers 9.3 inches of travel using hydraulic shocks and the independent rear wishbones stroke a full 10.6-inches. These kind of travel numbers open up all kinds of trail riding opportunities and the best part is the excellent ground clearance (9.9 inches) riders will gain, especially at the rear. Our experience with IRS Sport ATVs is you can go nearly anywhere without getting hung up on rocks and stumps the way you do on a straight axle ATV.

The engine is all-new and features a 4-valve design and Keihin throttle body style EFI (44mm throttle body). This mill should rock hard when you squeeze the flipper plus deliver the kind of smooth throttle tip-in, flawless fuel delivery and quick starting trail riders need. The whole package weighs in at a claimed 508 pounds dry, including reverse, electric start and a 5-speed manual tranny.

Obviously, Honda is looking to rock the 700 Raptor’s world with this exciting and innovative entry – and we wouldn’t bet a dime against it happening.

Honda Big Red UTV

Although not available until next summer, Honda has surprised the press with the intro of a new side X side called Big Red. The company is dead serious about this entry and has added the kinds of features UTV riders want most.

It sports fully independent double wishbone suspension at both the front and rear and a fuel-injected 675cc overhead valve single for motivation. Obviously this power package is borrowed from the Rincon, and that’s a very good thing.

We’re unsure of details but it looks like the Rincon’s torque converter style 3-speed automatic tranny is put into service here, as well. One feature we really like is the adjustability of the driver and passenger seats.

No more stretching to reach the pedals or just to get comfortable. The high volume, tilting cargo box provides a good excuse to your spouse for buying one of these.

With selectable 4×4 and plenty of ground clearance, you can expect Big Red to go just about anywhere. The 680 power package is a really good move, getting the attention of UTV owners with a power package that can deliver tons of torque for fun riding and decent power to do chores, too.