ATV DIGEST

SUZUKI RECALLS VINSON AND KING QUAD
American Suzuki Motor Corp., Brea, Calif., is recalling 2004-2005 model year Vinson and 2005 KingQuad ATVs. The recall includes approximately 30,000 units.
Suzuki says water can enter the throttle lever case and freeze, causing the throttle lever to become stuck and fail to automatically return to the idle position when the rider releases the throttle. If the throttle lever does not automatically return to the idle position when the rider releases the throttle, the ATV will not slow down as the rider expects. The rider could lose control of the ATV and an accident resulting in injury or death could occur.
Suzuki has received two reported incidents of the throttle sticking. One minor injury was reported.
Suzuki dealers sold the ATVs – the LT-A500F Vinson, LT-F500F Vinson and LT-A700X KingQuad — nationwide between July 2003 and February 2005. The manufacturer asks that consumers stop using the quads and contact a dealer to schedule an appointment for repair service.
For more information, call American Suzuki Customer Service, 800/444-5077, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday.

MORE LAND CLOSURES IN THE WEST
A federal judge ordered the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to close off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to more than half a million acres of California desert that is home to a desert tortoise protected under the Endangered Species Act. The ban covers large portions of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts in eastern San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial counties east of the Salton Sea and Joshua Tree National Park, including a number of washes popular with off-roaders. The ban does not affect the Algodones Dunes in Imperial County, where off-roaders and conservationists reached a separate, interim settlement banning access to about 80,000 acres and allowing off-road use of another 80,000 acres. The ban took effect immediately and will remain in effect until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rewrites habitat protection plans for the area.
The BLM also issued a draft plan to close more than 90,000 acres to off-road-vehicle users in central Oregon, including a section called the Badlands that is subject to wilderness designation. The closure would prohibit all motorized vehicles on the last 10 miles of routes currently still open within the 32,000 acre Badlands. Another 40 miles of roads and trails are already closed. The off-highway-vehicle ban is part of the Upper Deschutes Resource Management Plan, which will guide the long-term management of 400,000 acres of public land in central Oregon.

KYMCO SPONSORS TWO RACING SERIES
KYMCO USA, North American distributor of KYMCO brand scooters and ATVs, has renewed its sponsorship of two of the most popular ATV racing circuits in the U.S. The company will officially sponsor both the ATVA Nationals MX Series and the Kentucky State East & West MX Series. “We at KYMCO USA are very pleased to be a leading sponsor of the fast-developing sport of ATV racing,” said Bruce Ramsey, Vice President Sales/Marketing. “The two groups we’ve signed on to support are definitely out in the forefront of the national scene.”
With 12 venues, the KYMCO-sponsored ATVA Nationals MX Series is king of the motocross circuits. This year it will travel west of the Rockies, to San Bernardino, California, at Glen Helen Raceway. Then the series travels to another new venue in Gainesville, Florida, then on to the usual stops in the eastern states including Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee and Maryland.
In Kentucky, promoter Jerry Hebel has split his KYMX series into East and West Divisions, an indication of the growing popularity of ATV racing in the Bluegrass State. Each circuit will race ten rounds. At the end of the season, a shootout will crown state champions in the 35 classes offered. “Interest in ATV racing just continues to grow every day,” said ATVA Director Doug Morris.