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Argo Steers in the Right Direction

Ontario Drive and Gear, makers of the innovative Argo amphibious all terrain vehicle, has announced a major breakthrough in the operation of the venerable, worldwide distributed Argo.

For years all Argos have been steered by pulling on and releasing two levers (one for braking the right side wheels and one for braking the left side wheels). The levers operate a skid steering system to provide effective, accurate directional changes or, if the operator chooses, complete pivoting within the Argo’s wheelbase and width.

Most 2005 Argo models, including the Argo Avenger, 6×6 Conquest, BigFoot and Vanguard 2 as well as the 8×8 Conquest and Response will feature a new, one piece handlebar steering system.

The handlebar system will be more familiar to new Argo owners and incorporates a motorcycle throttle on the left handlebar end and new parking brake system.

Initial response to the new controls is overwhelmingly positive. Look for a full report on this and other Argo improvements in an upcoming issue of All-Terrain Vehicle.

In the meantime, go to www.odg.com or call (519) 662-4000.

Ballance Tops Again in GNCC ATV

The Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) ATV season is going Bill Ballance’s way. On Saturday, June 11, he earned his fourth win in eight rounds at Summersville, West Virginia and now holds a sizable 18-point lead over key rival Chris Borich in the championship.

Ballance actually led all five laps of “The Mountaineer” event, but victory wasn’t as easy as the statistics suggest. After Ballance opened up a comfortable 33-second margin by the end of Lap 1, Borich made up 32 of those seconds on Lap 2, and the pair fought hard for the duration of the event, never deviating by more than a few seconds at the end of each lap.

The suspense went right down to the last lap, when Ballance pulled out a five-second gap over Borich to finally seal the win, with Chris Jenks finishing another two minutes behind in third.

“My YFZ450 ran awesome. We pulled another holeshot and led just about all the race,” said Ballance, the defending AMA National GNCC Champion, afterwards. “I had a pretty good battle with Chris Borich on the third and fourth laps, but I’ve been training hard and I am pretty confident. Everything went our way this weekend and I feel like I got the best of him.”

Clic Duals Help ATV Riders Break New Ground

Press Release

ATV enthusiasts can now go places and do things they never dared before. Clic ATV dual wheels from Dual Concepts, Inc. give ATV riders the freedom to quickly transform a standard 4-wheel ATV into a high-performance 6- or 8-wheel vehicle with improved stability, flotation, traction and safety.

Engineered to fit most ATV and utility vehicle models, Clic duals are ideal for ATV off-road riders who want better traction stability and safety, hunters requiring improved traction in hilly or soft, wet conditions or farmers and ranchers looking to reduce yield-robbing field compaction. The wheels can be outfitted with numerous tire-tread styles to accommodate a variety of uses – from rough, off-road courses to marshlands to golf-courses and turf fields.

Clic ATV duals feature a patented Quick-Clic universal mounting base that allows the driver to quickly and easily install the duals in the field without tools. A simple “click” sound indicates the wheel is correctly mounted and ready to go. A turn of the release handles dismounts the Clic wheel from the base, converting it back to standard 4-wheel mode. An optional Clic storage bracket mounts to the back of the ATV and allows the driver to store up to 2 duals on the ATV, so drivers can easily switch between standard and dual setup as conditions demand.

Visit www.dual-concepts.com for more details.

Talon FX 150 2R

Attention dealers!! Looking to sell a kart for hunters? Canadian Motorsports, Canadian distributor for Carter Brothers Manufacturing, offers the 150cc, four stroke Talon FX!

Available in dark green with a camo top, this kart blends into the landscape keeping hidden those who don`t want to be seen.

The Talon FX also features a large utility rack that comes standard on the back for bringing something back home from the hunt.

Want to get noticed? Pick up the FX in vibrant yellow! Definitely an eye catcher that will have the crowds swarming.

Visit CanadianMotorsports.ca for Carter’s complete lineup.

Polaris ATV Turns 20

Polaris is celebrating 20 years in the ATV biz this year. The company has come a long way from the days of the first Trail Boss 250 and Scrambler three-wheeler.

A recent Polaris release is careful to point out the innovations the company has brought to the marketplace. They include CVT automatic transmissions, full floorboards, single lever brakes, true 4×4, EFI and the list goes on.

Although the competition has tightened up considerably since 1985, look for the Minnesota maker to stay on the cutting edge of ATV innovation in the future.

Big, Big Dealer!

Markets all across North America have key powersports dealers who offer big selection for their customers.

Andersons of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan is one of those dealers. If you’re looking for an interesting ATV shop and want to see as many brands as possible in one stop – as well as a huge parts and accessories department – check them out.

Andersons represents Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Arctic Cat, BRP, and Polaris. That’s a ton of ATVs all under one roof. Call (248) 858-2300.

Even Better Access To All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine

All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine is now available at Stater Bros stores across the US starting with Volume 7, issue number 1.

Every issue of All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine is packed with product evaluations, tourism destinations and inside views from a team of the most qualified journalists and riders in the industry.

ATV enthusiast now have greater access to this incredible resource.

KAWASAKI-SUZUKI ALLIANCE ENTERS NEW PHASE

Press Release

The “alliance” announced in August, 2001 between Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., (KHI) and Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) will now focus on potential exchanges of indirect resources, rather than on direct OEM product exchanges. It was originally formed as a mechanism to allow sharing of parts sourcing, platform production of OEM units, and joint development of new products.

Following a successful three year arrangement, both companies have considered factors related to sales volume, profitability, customer reaction, influence on brand image, and competitiveness of each OEM product. The two brands have jointly agreed that more focused, independent development activity will serve to further enhance their respective brand identities with their loyal customer bases.

This modification to the alliance relationship will mean that OEM product sales will be discontinued, and the following models will not be available from Kawasaki, effective with the 2007 model year: KSF400A, KLX125A/B, KSF80A, KSF50A, KDX50A

KHI product development has been accelerated during the initial alliance phase, as more resources were able to be placed against brand-specific product needs. The company will continue to develop new models to replace some of the above.

Achieving significant savings in development resources was a primary goal of the relationship with SMC, and having done that, KHI is in a stronger position for investment spending against future product introductions. The market environment is such that expectations for new technologies and their product applications are ongoing, and KHI is intent on continuing to deliver excellence in these areas.

The alliance with SMC, and its benefits to our dealers, will be reviewed on a regular basis. Joint activity will be determined based on careful review of the effect it will have on both retail profitability and customer loyalty.

ATV Super Challenge

The first Mi-TRALE ATV Super Challenge of the season will be on Saturday, July 2nd, in Bruce Crossing, Michigan. This is the 2nd year that Bruce Crossing will be hosting an ATV Super Challenge. The event will be at the specially constructed ATV Super Challenge track, a mile east of Bruce Crossing on M-28.

The ATV Super Challenge races are for Sport, Trail, and Utility ATV’s. The classes are based upon engine size, and includes both 2 Wheel Drive and 4 Wheel Drive. This concept has caught on in other parts of the country. An ATV Super Challenge track is being built in the state of New York. The Wisconsin ATV Association has 3 ATV Super Challenges scheduled this summer.

The Mi-TRALE ATV Super Challenge Series includes a race at the permanently built ATV Super Challenge tracks in Greenland, Michigan and in Ewen, Michigan. The ATV Super Challenge in Greenland is a part of the Ontonagon County Fair and will take place on July 30th, and the Ewen race is a part of the Ewen “Log Jamboree.” That race will be on Saturday, September 24th.

For more information about the Mi-TRALE ATV Super Challenges, contact Schulz at 906-884-9668.

For more information about the Wisconsin ATV Association Super Challenge races, go to the WATVA website, watva.org.

Special Editions

Polaris is always quick to add Special Edition models to its line-up and to prove the point the Northern Minnesota manufacturer has announced these interesting variants for 2005.

The 800 Sportsman Camo Edition, Sportsman Hunter Editions in 500, 700EFI and 800EFI variants (these include built-in Garmin GPS systems), the Sportsman 700 EFI Dale Earnhardt Jr. Edition and the 2005 Limited Edition Predator 500 and 2005 Trail Boss.

Go to polarisindustries.com for more details.