KAWASAKI INTRODUCES POWER STEERING ON 2008 MULES
Kawasaki was the first UTV with their MULE. Last year Kawasaki was the first to introduce a crewcab UTV with their TransCab version of the MULE. Now for 2008 Kawasaki offers the first UTV with power steering. The electric power steering (EPS) not only reduces the steering effort but uses a speed and torque sensor to determine the correct amount of power needed. It also operates as a steering damper, reducing kickback. The power steering adds one more feature to an already great "work" vehicle.

We've used a diesel MULE TransCab for a year around our ranch and have fallen in love with the diesel's torque, the TransCab's the ability to quickly and easily convert from a 2-passenger vehicle into a 4-passenger vehicle, and the unwaivering reliability. We've hauled crew's out to filming locations for commercial shoots, used it for our own filming, used it for taking groups out scouting, and of course, most often for real work. Now if we could just get a little more lift to clear those big Terra Cross's we like to run !?!

2008 UTV Rally in Moab, Utah May 15 through 17
Be sure and mark your calendars for May 15th through May 17th. This is the second annual UTV Rally in Moab and it will definitively be one for the record books. This year the Rally will be held right in the town of Moab and UTVs will be allowed to access the nearby trailheads via the public roads.

I know this is early notice, but this will be an event you won't want to miss! If you've ever been to or even just read about the incredible Jeep Safari you'll know this is a "MUST NOT MISS" event!

Check back as we're working on some links with video and pictures real soon.     

POLARIS IS LOOKING FOR RACERS!
Polaris is looking for Amature and Pro Am riders to race in the WPSA, GNCC, WORCS, and AMA series in the 50cc, 90cc, 450cc, and Open Classes.
Interested riders can fill out a questionaire at www.polarisindustries.com and send that questionaire along with their resume to:
Polaris
Attn: ATV Racing
2100 Hwy 55
Medina, MN
55341

Or e-mail to: atvracing@polarisind.com

You have until December 15th of this year!    

BESTOP ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH POLARIS INDUSTRIES TO MAKE TOPS FOR RANGER'S
Bestop, Inc. announced a collaboration with Polaris Industries to create exclusive soft-top cab systems for the RANGER side by side vehicles. Through this partnership, Bestop will bring their integral technology in tops and storage systems for Jeeps, trucks and SUVs to the PowerSports industry. “Bestop looks forward to not only adding to the RANGER accessory offering but also being the only OE approved premium soft-top cab system supplier in the ATV/side by side industry,” said Tim Alary, director of OEM Sales of Bestop. “Through this partnership, Bestop and Polaris will be able to exceed customer expectations and bring a new world of product technology to the PowerSports customer.”

The RANGER’s design, popular with ranchers, hunters and off-road enthusiasts, will provide a solid base for a jointly-designed and developed premium soft-top cab system, the Bestop Premium Soft-Top Cab System. The system will be sold exclusively through PURE Polaris starting in December 2007. “Cab systems are one of the most highly sought-after products for Polaris RANGER owners,” said Chris Witte, product line developer for PURE Polaris. “Partnering with Bestop will ensure a high-quality soft-top cab system that will enhance our PURE Polaris RANGER accessory offering.”    

Arctic Cat Prowler XT wins the inaugural WPSA UTV Championship
Thief River Falls, MN (10/2/2007) - The 2007 World Powersports Association National UTV season is now in the books, and Team Arctic placed 2 Prowler teams in the top 4 spots. Kyle Fiebelkorn led the crew to bring home the first-ever Arctic Cat UTV championship aboard his Prowler XT.
Kyle remarked about his results, “I had a lot of fun in the Pro Supersport series. The Arctic Cat Prowler is a stout machine that really takes a pounding. Some of these jumps are monstrous, but with a little bit of tuning our Prowlers ran really strong and outpaced our competitors.”
Kyle’s SPI Racing teammate, Daryl Rath took fourth place honors and commented, “Our team worked really hard on these Prowlers, I look forward to racing them in the future.”

In the Quad Terrain Challenge, Jesse West won the Championship aboard his Arctic Cat 650H1, while his brother Josh took Pro Rookie of the Year honors.
“I couldn’t be much happier with how our season went,” said Arctic Cat Race Manager Ted Bettin. “The Team Arctic/Jack Links/SPI Racing Prowlers were quite fun to watch and pretty entertaining for the crowd. The SpeedWerx crew did a great job race tuning our 650H1 motor. The Prowler proved there’s a new performance player in town.”
So what’s next for Arctic Cat? Bettin says, “We learned a lot from the Pro SuperSport racing series. This is a rapidly growing market and Arctic Cat plans to expand its boundaries!”

YAMAHA INTRODUCES 2008 RHINO
The 2008 Yamaha Rhino is filled with improvements. First, and most noticeable is that it's now outfitted with the new Fuel Injected, 700cc engine from the Grizzly. The fuel injection improves throttle response over the entire powerband, improves fuel mileage, and most importantly (to us anyway) adjusts for the changes in altitude! Another huge plus with the fuel injection is the lack of a manual choke needed for those cold-morning starts. The CVT drive system has been strengthened with a larger centrifugal clutch with a six shoe design, a stronger belt, and a lower gear ratio. In addition, the Rhino's driveline features larger axles and larger CV joints. The braking has been improved including the change to a pair of rear discs replacing the single unit from before.

The '08 Rhino also has a new gauge package that monitors the battery condition and an hour meter that only measures time while the engine is running (not just when the key is on). There is a new parking brake lever that is now a real lever, a new steering wheel, and most importantly, the addition of cupholders. There are also hand restraints for the passenger to hold on to for a better riding experience as well as added safety. New also is that the Rhino comes standard with half-doors to keep the driver and passenger cleaner and safer. There is also a new noise and dust shield behind the seats that will hopefully help keep the dust out when a windshield is installed!

Here's more information - Yamaha Rhino Website

POLARIS RANGER RZR WINS BOSWELL WPSA UTV RACE:

To add to its racing accolades, the RANGER RZR, piloted by Dana Creech, won the WPSA UTV class in Boswell Pa. Dana and his RZR beat a class of four completely modified Rhinos and one modified Arctic Cat. The RZR was mostly in stock form, except for the required safety features and a Dana Creech signature dual exhaust.

HONDA ANNOUNCES "BIG RED" ITS FIRST UTV IN THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE SIDE BY SIDE MARKET
Honda finally released information regarding its long-awaited, and much anticipated UTV / Side by Side, the Big Red MUV (for Multi Use Vehicle). It features a 675cc liquid-cooled, fuel injected, single-cylinder engine, an automatic transmission with three selectable drive modes plus reverse. Among it's many exciting features, it even has adjustable seat backs! For those of you expecting a 4-wheel drive, 2-seat version of the Pilot, Honda's Press Manager John Row commented, that "With the introduction of Big Red, it will soon be clear to our customers that Honda understands their needs better than any other manufacturer in the side-by-side market." Uh, okay!

It seems the entire Honda Big Red SxS experience is best summed up by dealers and potentials buyers alike when they say, "Hey, how about that Big Red? Them Honda guys must not have heard about the RZR, ya think?"

BTW: We didn't plan to include a picture in an effort to show compassion, but you know what they say, a picture's worth 1000 words.

POLARIS INTRODUCES 2008 SIX-PASSENGER RANGER CREW CAB

Polaris just introduced the addition of the Ranger Crew to their 2008 line-up of Ranger vehicles. This true 6 passenger utility vehicle is big, with a wheelbase of 108 inches, an overall length of 145 inches and weighing in at 1441 pounds dry. But it can carry a whopping 1000 pounds in its 54"x36.5"x11.5" bed and it can tow an incredible 2000 pounds!

The fuel injected 700cc engine gives the big Ranger Crew a top speed of 44mph, and the 9-gallon fuel tank give it a long range capability. The CVT transmission has high and low ranges. The suspension is strut up front with 8 inches of travel and a heavy duty indepedent in the rear with 9 inches of travel. It's available in red and green and starts at $11,299.00

Here's more information - Polaris Ranger website

KAWASAKI ANNOUNCES TERYX SIDE BY SIDE COMING IN 2008

Although Kawasaki has yet to release a date for when the new Teryx 750 will be available at the dealerships, they have released some preliminary pictures and specifications on what we can expect from them as they prepare their entry into the ultra-competitive SxS marketplace. Looking surprisingly like a Rhino, the Kawasaki is powered by the potent 750 V-Twin from the Brute Force that appears to be mounted a little lower and more rearward giving the Teryx not only an abundant amount of power but perhaps more stable handling as well. We're sure the sound will be awesome!

Here's more information - ATVTV-Teryx Page

Polaris Sportsman X2 Helps Fight Fires Abroad

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.