NEATV MX promo

Courtesy 201Films.

Congressional hearing may impact lead ban

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A U.S. House hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 29, will address the Consumer Product Safety Enhancement Act (CPSEA) of 2010. The CPSEA would modify earlier legislation that effectively banned the sale of youth-model dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles due to onerous lead-content standards.

The CPSEA hearing -- which will be held by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee under the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection -- follows persistent pressure by American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) members and others to address the unintended consequences of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008.

Read the full report at RacerX.

Maxxis helps Borich win 4th GNCC

Defending champ Chris Borich racked up another victory in the 2010 GNCC ATV series, with a win at Loretta Lynn’s. The contest was held April 24 in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee .

The Razr rear and Razr 2 front combination came through in the muddy conditions for Borich. “My bike actually didn’t fire up right away, but the tires hooked up so good they got me to the first turn in front,” he said. “From there, I never got stuck. Even on the nasty hill climbs, the tires kept hooking up.”

After taking an early lead, Borich fought a tight battle with three other riders for most of the race. A pass on the final lap gave him the victory.

Borich was joined on the podium by Donald Ockerman, who took third place. Also riding Razrs to the XC1 Pro top ten were Taylor Kiser in fourth and Brandon Sommers in seventh.

Maxxis took the top two spots in XC2 Pro Am, with a victory for Gabe Phillips and a second place finish for Eric Hoyland. Walker Fowler took fourth in the Pro Am class, and Traci Cecco took her second win in the Women’s class, which gives her the lead in points.

Maxxis congratulates Chris Borich on his fourth win of the season and thanks all of its riders for their fine performances.

TPR youth WORCS race report

Adelanto CA- 4/25/10: After a tough luck round 3,  Tarantula Performance Racing sponsored Buddy Williams was looking to find his place back atop the WORCS podium, but the youth rider's misfortunes continued. Despite mechanical issues, Williams' left the fourth round of the WORCS series with three second-place finishes.

Buddy’s main sponsor Fox Racing Shox, made the trip down to help dial his suspension in, which was a key to his triple podium success.

Saturday mornings 70cc Prod class looked as if it might be a repeat of Buddy’s round 3 misfortunes. He led most of the race, until the last lap when the upper a arm mounts ripped from the frame, causing catastrophic damage. He was able to limp in for a 2nd place finish and retain his points lead.

Saturday afternoon 8-15 Sport class is the toughest challenge for Buddy. He ran 2nd for the first 30 minutes, and made a hard charge to catch the leader with 10 to go. Unfortunately for Buddy, a Women’s Class 450 rider refused to be passed by a 10 year old, and did everything in her power to block him throughout the 4 mile loop. Buddy frustratingly settled for another 2nd place podium.

Saturday night Buddy’s father, with the help of several friends, had to remove his motor from the wrecked quad and swap it into his other chassis for Sunday's 70 Open race. The motor swap was done just minutes prior to the green flag. A first turn wreck took out most of the field. Buddys bike was thrown upside down, and he quickly got it upright and fired up. Unfortunately he was in 7th place. Buddy charged hard and in 30 minutes managed to catch and pass the entire field, but he just ran out of time before catching the leader. All in all it was a long hard weekend that ended positive with three 2nd place podiums.

ATV-24/7 Teaser Video

The reality of pro ATV motocross racing is coming to a television near you!

The first episode of "ATV 24/7," a reality TV show that will follow defending MX champion Dustin Wimmer along with Can-Am's John Natalie, Jr., will air its first show May 15.

Long Haul Productions released this teaser video Tuesday. Check it out below!


ATV-24/7 teaser from ATV-24/7 on Vimeo.



“ATV-24/7” can be viewed on Direct TV on channel 344 (ICTV). On Dish Network, “ATV-24/7” can be viewed on channels 230 (ICTV) and MAVtv. The program will also air on America One Networks, AMGTV Family Networks, Tuff TV Networks, Untamed Sports Networks and other regional sport networks to be determined.

Follow this link for a complete listing and air dates.

Outta Control Customs

Outta Control Customs has launched a new Web site to showcase all their crazy custom quads.

Quinn Michael, the driving force of Outta Control Customs, has been the man behind the curtain on these insane quads for 10 years. You might recognize his most recent build, the Spyder Quad, which he built in partnership with TPR. The quad debuted at the 2008 Indy Dealer Expo and appeared in the March 2009 issue of Dirtwheels.

Check out Outta Control Customs new Web site. Who knows, it just might give you some ideas for your next quad project.

GNCC Round 5 - ATVs

Borich dominating GNCC series; takes fourth win at Loretta Lynn's

Chris Borich very well may be unstoppable. Yoshimura/Suzuki's flagship rider has won four races in five rounds of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series. Yamaha's Taylor Kiser, who is 22 points behind Borich in the chase and has the series' only other win, is doing well this year but may not be able to challenge the defending champ as the season wears on.

It's starting to look as if the torch has finally been passed from Bill Ballance to Borich, who chased the rear grab bar of Yamaha's nine-time champion for years. Borich's fourth win of the year at Loretta Lynn's this past weekend solidifies his prowess in the ranks of ATV cross country racing and moves him further down the trail towards his second championship.

Click on the link to read Shan Moore's full race report from Saturday's race in Tennessee.

Sponsor news - Maxxis ATV motocross

Maxxis 1-2 at Ballance MX

Maxxis took the top two spots on the podium at Round 2 of the ATV Motocross Championship series. A decisive victory in the second moto gave Josh Creamer the win, while Dustin Wimmer took second place. The Ballance ATV MX was held April 17-18 in Bowling Green , Kentucky .

Creamer turned in a strong performance at Moto 1, posting the fastest lap time and crossing the finish line less than one second behind the lead rider. He took the Moto 2 holeshot and then lost the lead for a few laps, but ended up in the front position for good halfway through the race.

Wimmer took third place in the first moto and fourth in the second, earning second place for the weekend. He holds a lead in the overall standings, with Creamer in second place.

Walsh Race Craft’s Jeremy Lawson scored a place in the top ten at Round 2, finishing seventh. Lawson is eighth in the overall standings.

The top of the Pro Am podium also belonged to Maxxis at the Ballance ATV MX, with a victory for Joel Hetrick. Hetrick set the fastest lap time on the amateur track Saturday, and came back and set the third fastest lap time on the Pro track the following day. “Setting the third fastest lap time was a big deal to me. However, I’m always looking to improve my game, so I hope to get the fastest lap time in Round 3,” he said.

Maxxis congratulates Josh Creamer and Joel Hetrick and thanks all of its riders for their fine performances.

ATV MX Round 2 - Ballance Moto X

Creamer Takes Win at Round Two

Yoshimura Suzuki rider Josh Creamer has adapted quickly to his new ride this year by winning his first overall on his LTR450 at just the second round of the ITP Tires/Moose Racing AMA ATV MX Championship, presented by Parts Unlimited.

"I got great holeshots, and the Rockstar Makita Suzuki was working fantastic," Creamer said.

Creamer is now just four points behind his teammate and defending champion Dustin Wimmer in the points battle.

Click here to read the full race report.

TPR parts for DRR youth quads

Children are our future. No statement could be truer, especially when it comes to the sport of ATV racing.

At Tarantula Performance Racing, the design engineers have created several performance products designed to improve the safety of your child's youth ATV.

Race Safer Youth Nerf Bars

Don't look to speed first. Nerf bars are the absolute first necessity for kids racing and riding ATVs. TPR has designed the safest set of nerfs on the market available for DRR youth ATV models.

The Race Safer Youth Nerf Bars from TPR incorporate a pro-peg style mount with heel guard and an aluminum floor board panel. The nerfs are available with netting instead of paneling. The key safety feature of the Race Safer Youth Nerf Bars is the Pocket Bar Bend. The Pocket Bar Bend features an outer bar that angles upward toward the rear of the ATV for extra safety to keep out a competitor's wheels and keep your child's feet firmly planted on the foot pegs.

The aluminum panel nerfs are available with a cut-out to accomodate TPR's DRR Brake Kit.

DRR Brake Kit

The rear brake pedal and master cylinder on the stock DRR youth model ATVs is a common failure point. TPR designed their DRR Brake Kit to improve performance and durability.

The kit works in conjunction with most aftermarket rear master cylinders available for the DRR models. The image below shows the brake kit installed with the TPR Race Safer Youth Nerf Bars before the brake cut-out panel has been removed.

Race Safer Youth front bumper

TPR's Race Safer Youth front bumper, available for the DRR, features rounded edges and a removeable center plate that can be customized to include a rider's number, name and sponsor logos. Mounts on the TPR DRR front bumper are stronger than most other aftermarket youth front bumpers.

DRR rear grab bar

The rear grab bar available from TPR for the DRR models complies with AMA requirements that the rear grab bar extend beyond the exhaust end cap.

All of TPR's youth products comply with the lead-law requirements recently enacted by Congress.

For pricing and availability, contact Tarantula Performance Racing today at 330-273-3456 or via e-mail at tpr_inc@yahoo.com

ATVision - Motosode 2

Jason Weigandt, Krista Watson and the crew at ATVision take a look at some of the changes in the pro class this year. Scroll down the page or click on the link to read more about the 2010 ATV pro motocross class changes.

Video - Cody Gibson

RipItUpFilms posted another great video of Cody Gibson on YouTube this week. I'm not sure if this is before or after he broke his collar bone. My guess is before, as it looks like another Florida track. Enjoy!



As always, follow RipItUpFilms on their YouTube channel to get some great quad racing action.

Rear View - Changes in the pro class

New Year, New Look for ATV MX Pro Class

In January, we took a look at some of the ATV MX pros who would be jumping ship to a different team or a different quad for the 2010 season.

Now that we're two rounds deep, I thought it was time to take a look back at our initial story and shake down the changes in the pro class by rider and team ... and to see how we scored with our predictions on the team changes, some of which weren't yet finalized when our story published.

Chad Wienen

Number 44 won his first pro race in Montreal on Can-Am's DS450 with about a week's worth of seat time on his new quad. The perennial ATV MX title contender made the switch after Kawasaki folded up its awning at the motocross nationals for the last time in 2009.

In joining the Ironman, John Natalie, Team Motoworks/Can-Am is putting forth one of the strongest efforts in ATV racing this year. The crowd-friendly duo has already shown their prowess. Wienen finished second overall at round one in Alabama, and Natalie took home a fourth place overall finish.

We had this switch correct, but then again everyone in the ATV motocross world knew Chad would be leaving Kawasaki before it officially became "news."


Josh Creamer

Josh Creamer was Kawasaki's longest supported pro racer. He carried the green flag well and put in some dominating finishes aboard the KFX450, including winning back-to-back pro motos at Steel City in 2009. But the sales of Kawasaki's performance 450 quad just weren't high enough to justify the motocross team.

So during the off season, Suzuki wisely snapped up this young, fast rider. Creamer showed how quickly he has adapted to the new quad by taking home a third place overall finish from round one in Alabama. If the Yoshimura/Suzuki team can build quads for Creamer like they did Doug Gust, which were virtually DNF-free, then Creamer has a real shot at the title. That is, if his teammate Dustin Wimmer decides to quit racing in order to focus on writing a best-selling memoir.

We got this switch correct as well, but then again everyone knew Creamer would go somewhere when Kawasaki folded. Plus, Kory Ellis and the guys at Yosh were smart enough to actually send a press release announcing to the ATV media Creamer was no longer wondering if he would have a factory ride in 2010.

Pat Brown

It's still an odd sight seeing the no. 99 plate on anything other than a blue Yamaha. This year, Pat Brown was forced to tackle the pro class basically as a privateer. Pat has been on a Yamaha longer than I can remember, but last year it became clear which "Brown" boy could give the new YFZ450R the best results in the pro class.

Pat still has support from some longtime sponsors like Lonestar, and this year he added some new sponsors to the list with Yoshimura and Fox Racing Shox. And Pat actually put in a pretty solid finish at the first round with a ninth overall. I don't think too many people were expecting a top ten finish out of him so early, but it's good to see Pat hasn't lost his drive completely despite losing Yamaha's factory backing and having to go back to a Honda.

In our original story, we didn't know what quad Pat would be competing on but we knew he was parting ways with Yamaha. So we'll say we got that one half right.

Josh Upperman

I admit, Josh Upperman is one of my favorite riders. He gets great support from Mark at Baldwin Motorsports, who kept Tim Farr on top of the ATV pro motocross and TT classes for what seems like ages. That said, Josh doesn't have some of the support of other pros like Wienen, Creamer, Wimmer, Natalie, or even the Frenchie Jeremie Warnia. If Upperman were on a full-fledged factory team, say with Honda, then I have no doubt he would beat Wimmer this year or come in a very close second to the defending champ.

Josh is also an Ohio rider, which is one of the reasons I like him. I've run into him at local races like Summit Indoor and have ridden at a lot of his old stomping grounds. He's a likeable guy with a positive attitude, and he works very hard.

Josh finished second in the new DWT World ATV Motocross Championship series held out west earlier this year sporting white plastic after Honda announced it would no longer support ATV motocross racers like him, Joe Byrd and Harold Goodman. Ditching the factory colors is common practice for guys riding without any factory support. But then, Josh showed up at round one of the AMA motocross nationals in Alabama sporting red plastic. Is Honda throwing some support his way again? Regardless, Josh deserves it after leaving round one with a fifth overall behind the only four truly factory riders.

I'll admit, I think we've got this one wrong. But we're not sure at this point, considering Goodman and Byrd are still running white plastic.

Jeremy Lawson

Perfect example; Jeremy Lawson lost his ride with Can-Am and switched to an LTR450 with support from Walsh Racecraft. So, not having any true factory backing number 16 is sporting white plastic instead of Suzuki's flagship yellow.

Lawson was doing well on the Can-Am, he just wasn't challenging for podium spots every weekend. He walked away from Alabama with a sixth overall behind Upperman and is looking good early on the Suzuki.

We knew where Lawson was headed after leaving Can-Am, but we had the inside scoop on that one because Tarantula Performance Racing came close to sponsoring him, but things didn't work out. I'm gonna say we had that one correct. Jeremy is a good guy and a good rider and we wish him the best this year.

Joe Byrd

The professor is still on a Honda, but he's running without the kind of factory support he enjoyed from Honda in the past. He does have an impressive new rig in the pits, so it's good to see something is going right for Byrd.

Seeing Byrd on a white Honda with blue accents is another strange sight to get accustomed to this year. We knew Byrd was losing his factory support, but I honestly couldn't believe it. Byrd has been on a Honda since the early Huevos days, yet seeing him on a White Honda is going to take some getting used to.

Not surprisingly, he still put in a solid finish at the first  round to take eighth overall. We definitely got that move correct.

Keith Little

Keith Little lost his ride with Kawasaki along with Creamer, Weinen and a handful of other satellite riders. He has been a strong rider since the early days of the sport and has always had a knack for holeshots.

This year, Little is taking a completely unorthodox approach to racing the nationals. He's teamed up with ATV Rider Magazine for the "MX-Periment," in which Little will tackle the pro class this season aboard identically equipped Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki 450 quads. It's going to be interesting to see which machine he puts in the best results on this year. After the season, he'll break down the quads in several stories featured in ATV Rider Magazine.

We definitely got this one wrong. But who could've guessed that Little would be competing on four different quads from four different manufacturers this year!

Is it over?

That wraps up the major changes in the pro class for 2010, and it's surely been one wild ride for those guys who were biting their nails in January wondering who would support them this year. Of course, one of the biggest moves of all was Doug Gust's retirement, though I don't believe he caught too many people by surprise.

So for those of you following along, we got four moves right, two moves wrong and one half right. Hopefully those will be the last major changes we see in the pro class, unless the next big news is the return of Kawasaki...

ATV MX Round Two - Ballance Moto X preview

Pro quads storm into Kentucky this weekend

The big show returns this weekend after taking Easter off, as pro ATV motocross hits the Blue Grass state for a weekend of fast action at Ballance Moto X raceway in Bowling Green, Ky.

Defending champ Dustin Wimmer dominated the season opener at Millcreek in March by winning both pro motos for the overall. It was just another day at the office, as no other pros had anything for Wimmer in Alabama. "I'm out here to win, what can I say?" Wimmer said after winning round one.

Wimmer's former teammate, Can-Am/Motoworks rider Chad Wienen, left Alabama with a second overall and sits 12 points behind the defending champ after one round. Just one point behind Wienen, third in the points chase, is Baldwin Motorsports rider Josh Upperman. Yoshimura/Suzuki's newest recruit, Josh Creamer, put in a solid finish on his new ride at round one and took third overall. Creamer is tied in points with Upperman for third. Rounding out the top five is the Ironman, Can-Am/Motoworks' John Natalie.

Creamer, Wimmer and Wienen celebrate on the pro podium at Millcreek. Rachel Fluharty photo

Check out ATVMotocross.com this weekend for live scoring and race results.

ATV Rider MX-Periment

Keith Little chases motocross national points on four different brands

Long-time pro ATV racer Keith Little is competing in the 2010 ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross nationals from the seat of four different 450 quads that will be prepped with identical aftermarket components.

The "experiment" is a part of Little's partnership with ATV Rider magazine.

Little turned in less than stellar results aboard a Honda at round one by finishing 15th and 18th in both pro motos to leave Millcreek with a ninth overall. On his web site, Little attributed the results partially to a mechanical issue. Nevertheless, the likeable Alabama native is excited about the "MX-Periment."

"This is a great opportunity for me," Little said. "I've done things the traditional way for so long now that I'm really excited about doing something different."

Check out all the details, including the sponsors who are helping Keith and ATV Rider this year, by reading the full story at ATV Rider online.

New ATV reality TV show

Dustin Wimmer, John Natalie and Jordan Digby will star in a new cable TV reality series called "ATV-24/7" premiering in May.

The show apparently will follow the riders in real-time as they prepare for and race in the 2010 ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Championship.

To read more, and see air dates and broadcast channels, check out this full report at ATVScene.com.

Sponsor news - Maxxis

Maxxis 1-2 at GNCC Big Buck, 2nd at QuadCross

Maxxis riders took a major victory and spots on the podium at two ATV racing series this past weekend. In Union , South Carolina , Chris Borich notched his third win at Round 4 of the GNCC, the Big Buck, with Taylor Kiser in second place. Across the country in Buckeye, Arizona , Beau Baron grabbed the second place spot at Round 2 of the QuadCross Championship series. The races were held April 10-11.

Borich and Kiser fought a tight race for the lead in the last two laps of the Big Buck, with Borich gaining the front spot close to the end. “The conditions were real dry and slick,” Borich said. “And it seemed like whenever I wanted to hook up, the tires grabbed and went. I had a lot of control in the dry, slick corners.”

On Razrs like his fellow Maxxis riders, Don Ockerman took a place in the Big Buck top ten with an eighth place finish. Walker Fowler won the XC2 race, and Traci Cecco took third place in the Women’s contest. 4x4 Open racer Daryl Rath took second place for the day.

Borich and Kiser also hold first and second place in the series’ overall standings, while Bill Ballance is sixth and Donald Ockerman is eighth. Because of a recent injury, Ballance did not compete in the Big Buck, and is expected to be sidelined for some time. Cecco is third in the Women’s class standings, and Daryl Rath holds first in 4x4 Open.

With second and fourth place finishes in the event’s two motos, Beau Baron claimed second place in the Pro 450 Production class at the QuadCross Championship series.

Maxxis congratulates Chris Borich on his victory and thanks all of its riders for their outstanding performances.

Raptor 350 2010 model

The 2010 Raptor 350 features a torquey, stylish, powerful and super-durable air-cooled SOHC four-stroke engine, and a smooth-shifting wide ratio six speed transmission with reverse. Plus a 375-pound dry weight for superior overall Sport ATV parts and performance.

GNCC Round 4 - ATVs

Borich continues hot streak

Yoshimura Suzuki rider Chris Borich continues his domination of the pro class in the Can-Am GNCC series after winning Saturday at the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC in Union, S.C.

Borich passed Ballance Racing Yamaha's Taylor Kiser with less than a lap to go to take the win.

"I worked hard for this one," Borich said. "I saw the white flag and I decided it was time to go, but there was not much room for passing out there and Taylor was going really well."

After four rounds, the defending champ maintains a slim 10 point lead over Kiser. Click on the link to read the full race report.

ATVision Motosode 1 - Millcreek

Hello, again!

It was definitely heartwarming to hear Jason Weigandt utter my three favorite words today: "This is ATVision!" As the announcer for the only consistantly awesome video coverage of the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross nationals, it was definitely good to hear his voice after a long off season. Check out the video coverage of the pro motos from round one at Millcreek below.



If you're not following ATVision on YouTube, become a follower NOW! We need to support these guys and show them they have a strong, dedicated viewership. This is the best coverage currently of the sport of ATV motocross.

GNCC - Back to the woods this weekend

Borich and Kiser on Top Going into Round Four of Can-Am GNCC Series

Union, S.C. (April 8, 2010) - The battle is brewing between Defending GNCC Champion Chris Borich and Yamaha's Taylor Kiser, as the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series makes its way to the Pirelli Big Buck GNCC, held this weekend in Union, South Carolina.

The two rivals have traded first and second since the start of the season, and they sit far ahead most of the XC1 field. In North Carolina, at the Steele Creek race, Kiser and his mentor and teammate, Nine-time Champion Bill Ballance worked together to try to take Borich out of the lead, and both landed on the podium. But on Monday, the story broke that Ballance had been injured during practice near his home, and it is unclear when the Yamaha rider will be back in competition, leaving Kiser to take on the champ without his teammate, and a question on how the rider will perform without Ballance. But Kiser has proven to be a talented and hardworking rider after jumping to second overall in the 2009 standings, just behind Borich.


To read the complete preview, click here.

The 2010 Kymco Maxxer 375

All new 2010 KYMCO Maxxer 375 a Sport Style ATV equipped with an 366.9cc, Air / Oil Cooled, Single-Cylinder, DOHC, 4-Stroke Engine and a Continuously Variable (CVT) Transmission. It has a Selectable 4X2 / 4X4 driveline. The Maxxer 375 IRS 4x4 has a Independent Double A-Arm Front Suspension with 7 inches of travel while the Independent Double A-Arm Rear Suspension has 7 inches of travel. The Maxxer 375 IRS 4x4 has Front Dual Hydraulic Disc Brakes and Rear Hydraulic Disc Brakes. The Maxxer 375 IRS 4x4 was introduced in 2010 and is New for 2010

FourTrax Rancher 4x4 ES with Electric Power Steering

The all new 2010 FourTrax Rancher 4x4 ES brings to riders Honda's remarkable Electric Shift Program (ESP) that makes gear shifts as easy as touching a button, selectable 4WD/2WD TraxLok, a torque-sensitive front differential and fuel injection. To top it off, the Rancher 4x4 ES is also available with the riding ease delivered by Honda's Electric Power Steering (EPS). For 2010, both the 4x4 ES and 4x4 ES with EPS feature pre-load adjustable front and rear suspension that can be altered to suit specific riding conditions and terrain. Additional upgrades for 2010 include a new seat with added foam padding for increased comfort and a new rack design that facilitates easier cargo lashing.

Video - Nick DeNoble

201Films posted a sick new video this week of pro ATV motocross racer Nick DeNoble at Waldo Motosports in Waldo, Fla. DeNoble had some bad luck with an injury last year in his rookie season as a pro, but he managed to steal a few holeshots, including the opener at Glen Helen, before bowing out. Will we some some flashes of greatness from the young Honda rider this year? Time will tell.



201 Films has a solid reputation for putting together great quad videos. Check out their YouTube channel for more great quad action.

2010 SUZUKI QuadRacer R450

The all new 2010 SUZUKI QuadRacer R450 Limited Edition, Having recently been crowned the AMA/ATVA National MX champion, the QuadRacer R450 is indisputably the hottest four-wheeler on the track. Its Suzuki fuel-injected 450cc powerplant offers astounding top-end performance, with a technically advanced chassis and responsive, long-travel suspension so you can conquer the toughest tracks.

UPDATE - Bill Ballance recovering at home

Yamaha released this announcement regarding 9-time GNCC ATV Champion Bill Ballance's recovery from a crash earlier this month:

Cypress, CA (4/12/2010) - As previously reported, Yamaha sponsored ATV racer Bill Ballance had an ATV crash while practicing near his home in Kentucky last week. Ballance suffered multiple injuries and since has received treatment including surgery on one wrist at the Norton Hospital in Louisville, Ky., to assist with his recovery. Following his surgery, Bill was released from the hospital and is now recovering at home. No additional surgeries are known to be scheduled at this time.


“Bill and his family appreciate all of the well wishes, thoughts and prayers from their many friends and fans,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV Group marketing manager. “Many details are still outstanding, but we remain hopeful that Bill will have a quick and full recovery. So far, the news we’ve received from Bill’s family has been positive. At this time, we hope everyone will continue to respect the family’s privacy and need for some quiet time at home.”

YFZR build tip #3

How-To: Install Yamaha's GYT-R tether kill switch on the YFZ450R

Installing a tether kill switch on an ATV for racing applications is often more complicated than it needs to be. This post will explain how to install a tether kill switch on Yamaha's YFZ450R with two products that make the task quick and fairly painless.

The first, of course, is Yamaha's GYT-R plug-and-play lanyard (tether kill switch). The second is Tarantula Performance Racing's new Tether Kill Switch Mount. The GYT-R tether kit includes a wiring adapter that plugs the kill switch directly into the stock wiring harness. The TPR tether mounting bracket makes room on your handlebars for the tether without shuffling levers.

Step 1: Remove the front plastic and gas tank, and mount the tether to the TPR mounting bracket. Then bolt the bracket in place where the stock parking brake lever bolts on top of the stock clutch lever. (In order to use the TPR bracket, the stock parking brake lever must be removed and the stock clutch lever used.)

Step 2: Next, you'll want to thread the two wires leading from the tether switch down the steering stem, through the frame and up alongside the main frame rail beneath the gas tank and alongside the quad's main wiring harness.

The longer, ground wire should be fed through the frame and along the sub frame and air box to the negative terminal on the battery. Be careful to feed both wires through spots on the chassis where they won't experience excess rub, which can cause wear of the casing and eventual exposure of the wire itself. The "hot" wire should, once you hit the fuel
injection assembly, be fed down behind the cylinder towards the countershaft sprocket.

Step 3: Connect the ground wire to the negative terminal on the battery.

Sounds easier than it actually is. For racers whose quads have some brand of FMI tuner, that module also has a ground wire on the negative battery terminal. Two additional grounds combined with the stock wiring harness ground makes for a crowded terminal post and makes it difficult to thread the bolt through into the fix nut. To solve this problem, we cut a small piece of foam to place beneath the locking nut in the battery terminal, so the lock nut is always within reach of the bolt despite the excess ground spacers on top of the terminal. This allows for easy removal and installation of the battery.

Step 4: Now you can use the wiring adapter included in the GYT-R lanyard kit to plug the "hot" wire from the kill switch into the quad's main harness at the ignition pick-up harness just below the fuel injector. Be sure to use some dialectric grease on these connections to keep water out and insure a strong connection.

After connecting the lead kill wire to the adapter, we crimped the connection and then used electrical tape to further secure the connection. The white plug-in connectors were secured with zip ties. We also made sure to use dialectric grease on these connections.

At left, we used dialectric grease on all the connections. At right, we secure the lead kill switch wire to the adapter harness in the GYT-R kit before finishing the connection.

The adapter harness plugs, at left, connect to the YFZR's main wiring harness via two male and female connectors. The harness connection is shown completed in the photo at the right.

Step 5: Wrap it up. Once all the connections are made, now you go back and secure the wires to each other and the stock wiring harness using electrical tape. Two or three quick wraps in a few spots should do it. Be sure to allow a little slack in between each connection. If the wires are too taut, they could snap or cause a broken connection if one gets caught on something while riding. Make sure the wires don't bind when the handlebars are turned fully to the left and right.

That's it! You should now be ready to ride and race in most sanctioned events that require the use of a tether kill switch. And we just made that installation easier thanks to GYT-R's tether kit and Tarantula Performance Racing's new Tether Kill Switch Mount.

All new 2010 Sportsman 850 Touring EPS

Polaris Sportsman 850 Touring EPS ATV 2010 model is the most comfortable big-bore ATV On The planet. Our most powerful & comfortable touring model is the ideal 2-person ATV for ATV trail riding. Key features are:

-70 HP 850cc SOHC Twin Cylinder EFI Engine

-Adjustable Rear Comfort Ride Seat Suspension(TM)

-Electronic Power Steering (EPS)

-Rolled Independent Rear Suspension (IRS)