| Back to Back Issues Page |
 |
|
ATV-411 Newsletter, #03, Major Honda Recall, RTP Update, AMA Exhaust Noise Levels May 24, 2005 |
GreetingsMajor Honda ATV Recall-200,00 atvs, RTP Funding Update, Exhaust Noise Levels
Safety Recalls and IssuesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release #05-157 Honda Recall Hotline: (866) 784-1870 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 CPSC, American Honda Motor Co. Announce Recall of ATVs WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Honda 2004-2005 FourTrax All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) Units: About 200,000 Manufacturer: American Honda Motor Co. Inc., of Torrance, Calif. Hazard: The steering rods can separate, causing the driver to lose steering control. This could cause the ATV to crash and pose a risk of serious injury or death. Incidents/Injuries: Honda has received 27 reports of steering rod separation. No injuries have been reported. Description: The recall includes 2004-2005 FourTrax Honda ATVs. The ATVs are red, olive, yellow or blue and have "Honda" written on the fuel tank. The following models are included in recall: 2004 TRX350TE-Rancher ES... 478TE244*44300003 through *44310382 TRX350TM-Rancher... 478TE240*44300006 through *44310445 TRX350FE-Rancher 4x4 ES... 478TE254*44300010 through *44323289 TRX350FM-Rancher 4X4... 478TE250*44300005 through *44315544 TRX400FA-Rancher AT... 478TE290*44000055 through *44019249 TRX400FGA-Rancher AT GPS... 478TE294*44000016 through *44008055 2005 TRX250TE-Recon ES... 1HFTE214*54500014 through *54510334 TRX250TM-Recon... 1HFTE210*54500010 through *54509249 TRX350TE-Rancher ES... 1HFTE244*54400001 through *54412240 TRX350TM-Rancher... 1HFTE240*54400001 through *54410980 TRX350FE-Rancher 4x4 ES... 1HFTE254*54400001 through *54415180 TRX350FM-Rancher 4x4... 1HFTE250*54400001 through *54416860 TRX400FA-Rancher AT... 1HFTE290*54100005 through *54115657 TRX400FGA-Rancher AT GPS.. 1HFTE294*54100004 through *54103423 TRX500TM-Foreman... 1HFTE314*54000012 through *54002112 TRX500FM-Foreman 4x4... 1HFTE310*54000015 through *54002715 TRX500FE-Foreman 4x4 ES.. 1HFTE317*54000026 through *54003486 TRX500FA-Foreman Rubicon.. 1HFTE260*54400010 through *54402169 TRX500FGA-Foreman Rubicon GPS..1HFTE264*54400012 through *54400555 TRX650FA-Rincon 4x4... 1HFTE280*54000009 through *54011239 TRX650FGA-Rincon 4x4 GPS.. 1HFTE284*54000002 through *54002521 The model numbers can be found on the identification label located on the left side of the frame down tube. The VIN number is stamped on the front side of the frame. Sold at: Honda motorcycle dealers nationwide from August 2003 through February 2005 for between $3,600 and $8,000. Manufactured in: United States. Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled ATVs immediately. Registered owners of the vehicles will be notified directly by American Honda about the recall. All recalled vehicles will be repaired free of charge. Consumer Contact: For more information, consumers should call Honda toll-free at (866) 784-1870 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit their Web site at Honda Powersports To view this recall online, please go to Consumer Products Safety Commission website at: Go to the CPSC site to read more about this Honda recall Since safety is always the most important part of ATV Riding, we'll always start with the safety recalls that we know about. If your ATV is involved in a safety recall, please let us know. This way we can make sure that as many ATV riders as possible, are in the loop about it, and can get their ATVs fixed. Polaris Oil Line update... Well, just in case you didn't get last months issue, Polaris has been heavily fined due to allegations that the oil lines used on some models disconnect themselves. This causes the hot oil to burn riders, melt plastic, and in a few instances, start a fire. There has been no recall yet, and it does not appear that there will be at this time. If you own one of the affected Polaris ATVs, be a little more diligent on your oil line inspections. And if someone has come across a good supply source for replacement lines, please let us know you can contact us by clicking here... Contact Us at ATV-411.com Legislative Actions, New Bills and Pending Legislation
Last issue, we informed you that the RTP (Recreational Trails Program) has passed thru the House of Representatives, and was about to be debated in the Senate. The Senate has come up with a "comprimise version", but the funding is quite a bit less than the amount agreed to in the House. Please take a moment out of your busy day to click on the ARRA banner above. This will take you to the Americans for Responsible Recreation Access site. From here you can sign up for their monthly newsletter, and you can send a letter to your Senator, urging him/her to raise the budget to match the House, and help keep the trails open for all, for a fairly long time. ATV-411.com fully supports the ARRA, the ASA, the Blue Ribbon Coalition, and others who make their job to see the trail is open not just for us, but for our kids, and our kids' kids. The time to act is now, please join one of these fine orginizations, and if possible, send in a contribution as well. Once you join you will add your voice to the chorus of countless others, who agree on at least one thing...we all need a place to escape to, from time to time. Even if ATVing isn't exactly your most favorite thing in the world. These areas need to be kept open for the Hikers, Campers, Horse Riders, Kayakers, Hunters, Fisherman, Bird Watchers, and even Buggies, Bikes and ATVs. Please click on one of the logos to visit their site. This is the first step to make sure your voice is heard, please urge your ride buddies to click in as well. Glamis Update! Well, we are still waiting to hear when the closed areas of Glamis will be re-opened. We are anxiously awaiting word that all the I's have been dotted, and all the T's crossed. Official word will probably not happen for a little while longer, So, if you are planning a run to Glamis this season, (better go soon cause it is already hitting 105 on the dunes, in another month it can hit as high as 115) stay out of the closed areas until further notice. Purposely riding through the closed areas is STUPID!! Every set of tracks in the closed areas is another blow to the idea that we as OHVers can police ourselves and follow basic rules. It seriously undermines the ASA and others work. Don't be the "person" who screws this whole thing up. When in Glamis, do as the the Authorities say. Soon we may have our beloved pile of sand to play in again, from one end to the other.
AMA Announces Position on Loud Exhaust Systems Note from Curtis... I know that this is a motorcycle issue, right now anyway, but if the following info is not taken to heart, ATVs will be next! This is true for one reason and one reason only. That being that ATV sales exceed street and dirt bike sales combined. And they have for the last seven years that I'm aware of. If the general public realizes that there are more ATVers than street bikers, whose back will have the big bulls eye on it then, my friend? OK. The soapbox is back under the desk where it belongs, for now. Please consider the consequences of "loud" exhaust systems before you run out and purchase a new system for your quad. The American Motorcyclist Association, established in 1924, has maintained a position of strong opposition to excessive motorcycle noise throughout its history. It has funded information and public relations campaigns in support of quiet motorcycle use and was the first motorsports sanctioning body in the world to regulate and reduce the sound level of racing vehicles. The Association believes that few other factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the motorcycling community than excessively noisy motorcycles. A minority, riding loud motorcycles, may leave the impression that all motorcycles are loud. In fact, a significant percentage of the public does not realize that motorcycles are built to federally mandated noise control standards. Each segment of the motorcycling community -- including the riders, event organizers, retailers and distributors, original equipment and aftermarket manufacturers, law enforcement and the safety community -- must realize that it cannot single- handedly solve this problem. However, each has a role and a responsibility in achieving a solution. Shifting blame and failing to adopt responsible policies on a voluntary basis can only result in greater prejudice and discrimination against motorcycling. The consequences of continuing to ignore this issue will likely result in excessively rigorous state and federal standards, more expensive and less attractive motorcycles, the reduction of choices in aftermarket products, abusive enforcement of current laws and other solutions undesirable to riders and the motorcycle industry. Based on its opposition to excessive motorcycle noise, the American Motorcyclist Association recommends the following: 1. All motorcyclists should be sensitive to community standards and respect the rights of fellow citizens to enjoy a peaceful environment. 2. Motorcyclists should not modify exhaust systems in a way that will increase sound to an offensive level. 3. Organizers of motorcycle events should take steps through advertising, peer pressure and enforcement to make excessively loud motorcycles unwelcome. 4. Motorcycle retailers should discourage the installation and use of excessively loud replacement exhaust systems. 5. The motorcycle industry, including aftermarket suppliers of replacement exhaust systems, should adopt responsible product design and marketing policies aimed at limiting the cumulative impact of excessive motorcycle noise. 6. Manufacturers producing motorcycles to appropriate federal standards should continue to educate their dealers and customers that louder exhaust systems do not necessarily improve the performance of a motorcycle. 7. Law enforcement agencies should fairly and consistently enforce appropriate laws and ordinances against excessive vehicle noise. 8. The motorcycle industry and the safety community should educate customers that excessive noise may be fatiguing to riders, making them less able to enjoy riding and less able to exercise good riding skills. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Q: What is "excessive noise?" A: No one likes excessive or unreasonable noise. Confusion arises because everyone has a different definition of "excessive." Noise considered excessive in one environment may be acceptable in another. It's up to you to determine what is excessive. This determination shouldn't always be based on the rider, but rather the conditions around the rider. Some factors to consider include surroundings, time of day, traffic mix, people present, etc. Q: Why did the AMA suddenly issue this position statement? A: The AMA has fought motorcycle bans in St. Louis, Detroit, Brockton, Massachusetts, and Springfield, Illinois. The foundation for each was tied to excessive noise. More recently we have confronted proposed motorcycle prohibitions in Chicago and New York City. Motorcycle noise, again, was the justification for these proposals. In the past several years, the AMA has spent well over $100,000 defending lawsuits and confronting legislative prohibitions initiated by zealous legislators responding to their belief that motorcycles are too loud. In Europe, where road closures to stifle excessive noise are becoming almost commonplace, anti-tampering legislation and restrictive sound emission requirements are under serious consideration. The position results from the Board's desire to avoid further restrictions on motorcycling. If the excessive noise problem is not addressed voluntarily, and in a timely fashion, these restrictions are inevitable. The Board agrees that failing to raise this warning, despite the potential negative reception by some, would be shirking their responsibility to AMA members and the motorcycling community. Q: If my exhaust is modified or capable of producing "excessive noise," will I be denied access to AMA or other motorcycle events? A: There are no plans to do so. However, all motorcyclists need to become more sensitive to how they affect others. The AMA has encouraged event organizers to use advertising, peer pressure and enforcement of event rules to discourage excessively loud motorcycles. Q: Why should appropriate laws and ordinances against excessive vehicle noise be fairly and consistently enforced? A: The AMA believes that if existing laws and ordinances governing excessive noise from vehicles of all types were fairly and consistently enforced, the problem of noisy vehicles would be effectively eliminated. Q: What good is it to regulate myself if others continue to make excessive noise? A: Excessive noise is not the fault of any one brand, any particular style of bike, or any single segment of the motorcycle industry. It is a community-wide problem and we all need to be part of the solution. Q: Is the AMA telling me to replace my aftermarket exhaust with an original-equipment exhaust? A: No. However, modified exhaust systems should not increase sound to an offensive level. VOLUNTARY SOUND MANAGEMENT Rick Gray, AMA Trustee With many rights come responsibilities. We enjoy the right to free speech in America, but that right does not entitle us to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater. So too, the right to ride a motorcycle does not permit us to infringe on the peaceful enjoyment of life by others. Indeed, many others, including the courts, view motorcycling not as a right but a privilege. This is an important distinction because under our legal system, the government can regulate or eliminate a privilege much easier than it can restrict or cancel a right. When we examine lessons from history, it's predictable that when a minority abuses a right or privilege the majority will react. The reaction usually takes the form of some repressive measure. Often the phrase, "I hate motorcycles" is immediately followed with "they're too loud." Reactions of this nature regularly result in bike bans and proposals to limit the modifications we can make to our motorcycles. Activist motorcyclists throughout the world have defended themselves against such reactions, and here in the United States the AMA has spent more than $100,000 fighting bike ban lawsuits in recent years. All too often, the measures being fought by the AMA originated in part or total because a minority of motorcyclists have not acted responsibly when it comes to noise. Much of this predicament is not an equipment or engineering problem, but rather a behavioral problem. Some motorcycles, when operated under certain conditions, are virtually guaranteed to offend others by interfering with their right to a peaceful environment. Irresponsibly making excessive noise with motorcycle exhaust systems is tantamount to yelling "Fire," yet some do it daily. Rather than abuse our right to ride, shouldn't we view that right as a resource to be conserved, nurtured and developed? Can we realize that "noise" has become a political problem? Shouldn't we engage in voluntary sound management through reasonable self-regulation in order to avoid the imposition of repressive regulations? With responsible voluntary sound management, we can "soundly manage" our precious resource of motorcycling. Without it, we invite further government regulation or worse. The choice is ours. I couldn't have put any better myself, even if I was standing on that soapbox of mine. Thanks for the info and insight, Rick. Website Updates... If you haven't logged in to the site recently, there have been some changes. The first is the site design, new graphics, and colors! The graphics and color changes apply to all the pages. We have repaired several bad links, and all of the ATV repair Manuals pages have been re-done, in attempt to make finding your manual as quick and easy as possible. The ATV Tires and ATV Rims page is in the process of being overhauled and organized better, too. We will be adding some more info about even more rims and tires options...Stay tuned. And the ATV Vendors/Parts will be next. We have been busy with a lot of behind the scenes work...research, crawling search engines, checking catalogs, product availability, pricing, company performance, and a lot of emails. How many emails? Just to give you an idea of the traffic at ATV-411.com, and to give you an idea of just how many emails, here is the list of countries that visitors have logged on from. Yes, ATVing is growing by leaps and bounds. Well here is that list....this is the top 30 of 40 countries... 1. US commercial 2. Network 3. Unknown 4. Canada 5. United States 6. US Military 7. US Educational 8. Non Profit Organization 9. US Government 10. Belgium 11. Germany 12. Australia 13. United Kingdom 14. Finland 15. Netherlands 16. Greece 17. New Zealand 18. Mexico 19. Seychelles 20. Portugal 21. Argentina 22. Cocos (Keeling) Islands 23. Iceland 24. Denmark 25. France 26. Italy 27. Turkey 28. Norway 29. Thailand 30. Switzerland Yes, ATVing is growing by leaps and bounds...Is it any wonder? We here at ATV-411.com would like to throw a shout out to the fine folks in our Armed Services. Whether you agree with the politics involved these days or not, they are giving up time with family and friends to go and do a job that most of us wouldn't want to do under any conditions. They are taking risks every day that we cannot even comprehend. I include myself in this, I wouldn't want to be the one 10,000 miles away from home, in a strange land, with a strange language to have to deal with. Wondering every minute of the day, is he a good guy or a bad one? I am scared for you, and I'm nowhere near that part of the world. Our military rocks. To all the folks in the military who visit our site everyday, and to all of you who can't wait to just get home to family and friends, and throw a leg over and twist the throttle, WE SALUTE YOU! We cannot wait until you are all home safely, where you belong, once again. To us, you are all Heroes, and Heroes are remembered forever... Well, that's about all for now my friends, stay tuned and stay in touch, until we meet on the trail... Ride Safe. Ride Legal. Ride Again...Curtis |
| Back to Back Issues Page |
