Polaris Industries announced a fleet of new limited-edition ATVs that will be available from your local dealer. Starting with some of the company's most-popular models, the 2005 Limited-Edition (LE) machines feature custom colors and unique combinations of factory-installed accessories. Perhaps most important of all, the limited-edition machines are configured as direct responses to customer feedback.
Here's a breakdown of the LE models:
New Snell Standard Just for KidsLong known for its efforts to standardize helmet testing and ratings, the Snell Memorial Foundation has expanded its certification to include children's helmets for the first time. Established in 1957, the foundation was among the first groups to recommend standards for helmets and protective gear.
Because of the physiological differences between the head and neck of a child and that of an adult, the foundation is basically recommending lighter and appropriately scaled-down helmet-shell shapes that will fit younger riders without burdening them with the bowling-ball weight of full-size adult helmets. The new sizes and weights were determined by working in conjunction with biomechanical researchers and helmet manufacturers.
Snell CM-2005 distinguishes between riders aged 12-16 and those less than 12 by offering different standards for each of the age groups. More information about Snell standards and testing can be found at www.smf.org.
We Must Have Been High!We must have been doing too many high-altitude donuts. We incorrectly stated in our EFI shootout (March '05) that the Polaris Sportsman 700 Twin EFI needed to have its fuel injection adjusted by a dealership in order to run correctly at the lofty altitudes we tackled (almost 14,000 feet!). The electronic fuel injection is self-adjusting and compensates for altitude, temperature and other factors that would require a different air/fuel ratio. The adjustment made to the vehicle at the dealership was to the clutching for the automatic transmission, which Polaris recommends for altitudes higher than 6000 feet. If you have any questions as to whether or not your vehicle would benefit from a clutch adjustment for high-altitude operation, consult your nearest dealer, who can be located by clicking on www.polarisind.com.
All involved staff members have been canned. Our sincerest apologies to Polaris and anyone who found the statement confusing.
Short ShiftsLooking for traction? Then visit the redesigned Detroit Locker web site at www.detroitlocker.com to see the latest Detroit Gearless locker applications ... Amongst the bright lights, smoke-filled bars, shady backroom deals, beer and new products at the Indy dealer show, we also managed to shoot some video of the goings-on. Check out our own site at www.atvrideronline.com for all the latest full-motion hubbub ... Looking to make a difference? The good folks at www.troyleedesigns.com recently auctioned custom-painted Chad Reed and Jeremy McGrath helmets, raising more than $17,000 for Asian tsunami victims. After you check that, you can virtually window-shop the '05 TLD product line ... If you're concerned about land-use issues and want to know how to make a positive impact, click over to www.nohvcc.org to find out the smart way to protect our riding areas
Callalantee ATV and CampgroundMountain City, TNStory and photos by Len NelsonTired of riding the same old trails week in and week out? While not all of us are lucky enough to be surrounded by a choice of riding areas, sometimes all it takes to discover a new location is asking around. Ask your dealer, talk to other riders, stop in your local forest service or BLM office-some hunting clubs even allow ATVers with permission-and of course, there's always the world wide web. The point is: Seek and ye shall find.