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Reader Feedback: Customer Dissatisfaction

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In all your ratings I’ve yet to see a survey on overall customer satisfaction over a period of several years especially after the warranty runs out.

I know you have to stay neutral, but to us readers it would be a big plus in deciding which machine to buy and some dealerships are much better to do business with than others.

Maybe you could do an article on this in the future. I’m sure all us readers would love it

Sincerely,

James Dalton

P.S. I love your magazine

Response:

James:

Sounds like a good idea, but could be a really difficult story to put together. Reason is, it’s super hard to acquire balanced info from dealers and especially from manufacturers on the satisfaction level of customers.

All we can rely on are the customers who write to us who have had problems and they’re usually so ticked off they can’t be objective.

In my experience I’ve learned two things: number one, dealers want every customer to be happy and second, manufacturers want to keep warranty costs under control. Somewhere in between there’s a balance. Unfortunately, every once in a while someone gets a lemon.

Kent Lester

New Elka Motocross & Off-Road Service Department

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Press Release –

Elka Suspension welcomes Mr. Lee Tinkler to its team of suspension specialists to handle our new Motocross & Off-Road Service Department.

A leading manufacturer of high-performance custom-built suspension systems for racing and recreational motorsports applications, Elka Suspension offers personalized service, quality products and fast delivery time.

Starting in November 2006, Elka Suspension will get back to its roots and will also offer custom suspension modification for motocross and off-road. Former owner of Pro-Tech Suspension, Mr. Lee Tinkler will bring over 25 years of expertise in both road racing and off-road suspension tuning to Elka Suspension’s new motocross and off-road Service Department.

Mr. Tinkler has spent the last 10 years working on the suspension of most Champions in multiple disciplines such as motocross (J.S. Roy, Marco Dubé and Michael Willard), Supercross (J.S. Roy, Marco Dubé), Off-Road (Guy Giroux), Supermoto (Doug and Steve Beattie) and Road Racing (Steve Crevier and Francis Martin).

The combination of Elka’s structure and capabilities with Mr. Tinkler experience will enable the company to offer the best possible suspension to its customers. Through its scientific approach, such data acquisition systems and field testing, Elka Suspension will go way beyond the simple revalve and oil change.

Expect revolutionary new products and technologies to be introduced. The motocross and off-road Service Department will be able to do extensive testing with some of the best pro racers such as Guy Giroux, multi-time Canadian Off Road Champion and one of Canada’s greatest all-time motorcycle racers, and Patrick Beaulé, Canadian National Enduro Champion.

For more information, call 1-800-557-0552 and ask for the Moto Service Department or visit our website at: ElkaSuspension.com/moto

Justin Waters Crowned Champion…TWICE!

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Press Release –

The sands of Pismo Beach, CA hosted the ninth and final round of the 2006 World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS).

Kenda sponsored rider Justin Waters, Joseph, OR entered in to the ATV Pro Am class with a slim nine point lead over second place series point holder Dax Snow. His Yamaha YFZ450 was able to cut through the sand with little resistance using the K298 Dune Runner front and the special tread, of the K533 Klaw rear, provide perfect hook-up and performance.

Justin completed the race with a third place podium finish and secured the ATV Pro Am class championship. Championship ‘number two’ would come in the form of consistency, with seven podium finishes out of nine events.

The reliability of the Kenda Klaw was something Justin and his team could believe in at every event, all season long. With ease of mind in his tire choice, Justin would win the Open A championship.

At sixteen years old, Justin has already achieved some of his goals, but to say that he is satisfied would be an understatement. He is focused, driven and aiming high for 2007. Justin wants to be the first rider to win the Pro Am, Open A & Production A championships all in the same year and Kenda tires will be there to help support him all the way!

CONGRATULATIONS JUSTIN!

After struggling with mechanical issues at the final round of the 2006 World Off-Road Championship Series in Pismo Beach, CA, Kenda sponsored rider Paul Wilkerson, Ravensdale, WA closed the door on the podium box by taking third in the Pro-Am class for the series. Awesome sand roost…courtesy of the Kenda Knarly!

Kenda Congratulates Champions Worldwide

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Press Release –

2006 European Quad Cup Champion, Jurgen Mohr scores a victory at the final round of the 2006 German Enduro Quad Cup and finishes the season second in the standings.

Throughout the season, the Kenda sponsored rider mounted his quad with the Kenda Klaw , pushing himself and his competitor Uwe Beese (2006 German Enduro Quad Cup Champion) to such high levels of racing, that they were often named the favorites within the Enduro Quad sport scene.

Mike Sigety, Bloomingdale, NJ is the 2006 Vet 30+A Champion in the FMF Racing National Enduro Series. Competing in nine of the eleven events and winning four, Mike beat second place by a mere three points.

Whether he was riding his Yamaha or KTM, he knew there was only one choice in tires, Kenda!

Fred Hoess, Glen Garner, NJ won the final round of the FMF National Enduro Series that was held in Delaware City, DE.

Using the Kenda Washougal front and Millville rear, throughout the season was a sure fire way to help earn a third place overall for the series.

Chilly White, Escondido, CA wrapped up the District 37 Senior Enduro Championship by finishing fourth overall at the TWMC Enduro held in Red Mountain, CA.

Two days of rain in the desert made for perfect conditions. “Heaven’s carpet” is what Chilly called it, and riding his KTM 450 using the Kenda Carlsbad tire combination “worked perfect”.

Andrew Delong, Morgantown, PA got the hole shot in the 200A class at a recent District 6 event in Pine Grove, PA.

He battled with competitors for three laps before taking over the lead using the Kenda Millville combination. Andrew crossed the finish line in first place and won the 200A District 6 championship.

INCREDIBLE ATV JOURNEY

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Couple Plans Ten Month ATV Adventure across North America

Marc Joinville and France Labonté, an average couple from Québec Canada have enjoyed ATVing for the past 15 years and are about to embark on an exciting adventure that will see them travel by quad from Canada to Mexico.

While vacationing in Utah in 2000, the couple rented ATVs and took a guided ride through the canyons and forest surrounding the Bryce Canyon. Part of the ride included a section of The Great Western Trail that would one day become a cross-USA multi-use trail.

Although roughly 50% of the trail was completed at the time, the idea of riding cross-country stayed fresh in their minds until 2003 when they began taking measures to have a full year off work to complete this journey together.

In July 2007 the couple plans to unload in Roosville B.C. and start their journey through the Rockies of Montana, the canyons of Utah and the deserts of Arizona to reach the beaches of Baja California, Mexico.

All along the way they’ll camp trail-side as their path will lead them on trails only accessible to ATVs.

Marc and France have constructed a customized trailer featuring independent suspension and a rooftop tent for trail-side comfort and protection. The trailer also features the same size tires as their ATV so they don’t need to carry another type of spare – smart thinking.

Modifications have also been made to the ATVs to make them street legal in some of the States they’ll be traveling through, thus allowing access to back roads for trail connections.

Considerable attention has also been paid by the couple to learn rules and regulations of ATVs in all the States they’ll pass through (5 in the US and 2 in Mexico).

As you can imagine, expenses will mount as this trip goes on, so they’re asking for your help in providing monetary and material support. All interested parties are invited to contact the couple at quadtrek@hotmail.com .

Visit their website at www.quadtrek.net and stay tuned to this website as they provide regular updates throughout this adventure!

Become A Powersports Expert

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The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)is the best way to acquire hands-on training and experience that can lead directly to employment in the powersport industry.

NAIT’s nine campuses located throughout Northern Alberta offer fully accredited courses in all aspects of powersport mechanics and is Canada’s number one Motorcycle Technical Training Centre.

Don’t sit around and dream about working in the Powersport industry. Find out more today.

Click the NAIT banner on the left of this page to visit the website!

Midwest JS 400: Basic & Built to Last

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One very rugged and practical offering imported by Midwest Motorsports out of Three Hills, Alberta is the JS400.

This full sized 4-wheel drive ATV is targeted at the utility market and fills the bill very nicely for buyers looking for a low priced 4-wheeler that can handle work duties around the farm or ranch or haul a trailer loaded down with cargo out of the hunt camp.

If you’ve been around the sport a while, you can’t help but notice the JS400 looks a lot like a knock-off of the original Yamaha Big Bear. In fact, when the plastic is peeled away the layout of the engine, transmission and differentials, even the brakes and suspension, is very similar. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – the Big Bear has proven to be as rugged as an anvil and thousands are still in use across North America performing workhorse duties on pipelines and work sites.

An air and oil cooled single cylinder, upright 386cc overhead cam 4-stroke drives into a 5-speed semi-automatic transmission and then transfers power via shafts to the front and rear wheels. The front diff is a limited slip unit.

A mechanical lever on the left side of the tank allows the rider to select either 2WD or 4×4. Although there’s no low range sub-tranny, the JS400’s high range gear ratios use an ultra-low first gear and then space the upper four more closely together to deliver decent acceleration.

Actually, the combination of low end grunt and more aggressive gearing allows for quick throttle response and a feeling of good vibes as you shift up through the gears.

To put the JS400 in perspective, it isn’t fair to compare it to premium equipped 4-wheel drive rides like the Outlander, Sportsman or Kodiak 400 and 450s. In fact, Midwest isn’t targeting the JS at any of these.

Its market niche is aimed squarely at the rider who uses an ATV for mostly work and occasionally for pleasure. When price enters the picture, it’s very hard to find anything else offering this much for this little.

Polaris Awarded Another Military Contract

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In a recent release Polaris reported it has been awarded another US Military contract to supply “lightweight all-terrain vehicles for military applications” by USSOCOM.

It’s no secret Polaris was first to design and build a special “MV” 4-wheeler over two years ago.

The MV 700 Sportsman has been a huge success around the world providing immediate, versatile and effective transportation of personnel under a variety of adverse conditions.

Hey, why wouldn’t an ATV make a great military vehicle? Congratulations to Polaris for being on the cutting edge of this market.

POLL RESULTS

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Our last poll asked you if you were considering a pure sport ATV, what factor would be most important to you? Out of 451 votes, the results were as follows:

36.36% – Most Horsepower (164 votes)
24.61% – Brand Name (111 votes)
19.51% – Electronic Fuel Injection (88 votes)
16.85% – Independent Rear Suspension (76 votes)
02.66% – Exotic Shocks (12 votes)

Scroll down the page to cast your vote in our latest poll!

Question:

Which 420-500cc sport-ute deserved to be Best In Class?

Vote now!

KYMCO at EICMA 2006

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Press Release –

KYMCO Canada attended the 64th International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan Italy (EICMA) which took place between November 14 and 19 2006. As in previous years, KYMCO had a strong presence at the show which attracted more than half a million international visitors.

Most impressive in the KYMCO display area this year was the upcoming Xciting 500R. While only a prototype at this point, this model featured larger dual disk front brakes, slightly lowered factory windscreen, upgraded suspension, wider tires, and aerodynamic modifications to make this maxi scooter look sleeker and sportier than most.

The Quannon 125 is also a new addition to the KYMCO line-up as their first entry-level sport bike. This 4-stroke 5 speed motorcycle is equipped with approximately 20 HP and is aggressively styled to target younger riders.

Also worth mentioning is the newly designed Super 8 scooter series. This model is available in 50 and 125cc, both 4-stroke air-cooled machines. The Super 8 retains the sharp lines and vivid colours of the Super 9 but with a more efficient motor, 14” rims and an upgraded look.