All-terrain vehicle

It was directly influenced by earlier 6-wheeled AATVs of the sixties, and utilized balloon tires for both a low environmental impact and to compensate for a lack of mechanical suspension.

While Kawasaki and Yamaha both produced utility ATCs, famously making the KLT 250 Police and Yamahauler respectively, Suzuki turned their attention to building Sport Quads.

Honda's response to the Tecate and Tri-Z, the liquid cooled 1985 and 1986 ATC250R, remains one of the most desirable ATCs of the era, and aftermarket support still follows the machine.

Main articles: Tiger ATV LTD and Polaris Scrambler 250R/es American-based manufacturers also produced ATCs in this period, albeit in small numbers.

[6] Though later studies showed that three-wheelers were not considered more unstable than four-wheelers (although accidents are equally severe in both classes),[7] manufacturers agreed to a 10-year moratorium on production, and to collectively financing a +US$100 million ATV safety campaign.

[8] These safety issues with three-wheel ATCs caused a shift in the buying public, as the sales of later four-wheel ATV models grew rapidly.

Heavier and more difficult to ride in the dirt than the 250s, the Banshee became a popular machine with sand dune riders thanks to its unique power delivery.

Sport models are generally small, light, two-wheel-drive vehicles that accelerate quickly, have a manual transmission, and run at speeds up to approximately 80 mph (130 km/h).

[15] Based on analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank, ATVs are more dangerous than dirt bikes, possibly due to crush injuries and failure to wear safety gear such as helmets.

[22] Focus has shifted to machine size balanced with the usage of ATVs categorized by age ranges and engine displacements—in line with the consent decrees.

In response to calls for further regulation, the CPSC's director of compliance, John Gibson Mullan, said that because the statistics were not rising, existing measures were working.

The New York Times reported an accusation from a staff member that Mullan, who had previously worked as a lawyer for the ATV industry, had distorted the statistics and prevented further debate.

[28] The cost of attending the training is minimal[clarification needed] and is free for purchasers of new machines that fall within the correct age and size guidelines.

Successful completion of a safety training class is, in many states, a minimum requirement for minors to be granted permission to ride on public land.

The electric microcar was given a Euro NCAP specification test, and the results showed that the vehicle's occupants would suffer "serious or life-threatening" injuries in a 64 km/h (40 mph) crash.

After consultation with stakeholders including farmers and quad cycle manufacturers, Australia's Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) in 2011 released a strategy intended to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries associated with quad-bike use.

When the report was released the only model of anti-crush protection on the market was the Australian-made "Quadbar", which was vigorously opposed by the industry through media activity and a poster campaign at regional events for farmers which are often used to showcase new products.

[37] The industry argued that the device had not been properly tested and that past studies of tractor-style ROPS such as a full-frame 'cage' around the operator were not only ineffective, but could add to the risk to injury or death.

Some provinces, like Nova Scotia, recently moved to allow ATVs limited road shoulder usage for the purpose of travelling from one trailhead to another.

On the other hand, ATVs can be registered "as agricultural and silvicultural" (LoF/Land- oder Forstwirtschaftlich) giving the owner some benefits: The quad can be driven with power outputs more than 20 hp and tax is much cheaper, being calculated by empty weight.

However, there are some restrictions and requirements for registering ATVS as an agricultural vehicle: Custom builds and engine replacements are possible to get street legal, by undergoing a single-acceptance procedure from the MOT(TÜV).

In 2013 the class AM licence was introduced, allowing 16-year-olds to drive microcars that do not exceed a speed of 50 km/h (such as the infamous Ellenator); this permits the use of an ATV limited to 50 cc with a top speed not exceeding 45 km/h As quad bikes were treated as automobiles, wearing a helmet was not required until January 2006, when helmets became required for ATVs, three-wheelers, trikes, etc.

As a point of comparison, the nonroad SI < 19 kW (~25 hp) category (small spark ignition engines such as lawnmowers) comprised 20% of HC and 23% of CO total emissions.

Subsequently, environmentalists criticize ATV riding as a sport for excessive use in areas which biologists consider to be sensitive, especially wetlands and sand dunes and in much of inland Australia.

[44] This is in contrast to its previously allowed, unregulated cross-country travel across all national forest lands, except for specifically designated wilderness areas.

To be successful at fast trail riding, an ATV must have light weight, high power, good suspension and a low center of gravity.

GNCC racing features many types of obstacles such as, hill climbing, creek and log crossings, dirt roads and wooded trails.

Providing standardized rules created the need for a governing body that both racers and event promoters could turn to and CMR was born.

The ultimate goal of The CMR is "to see the growth of ATV Mud Racing as a competitive sport and give competitors a pedestal upon which they can receive the recognition from national media and industry sponsors that they have long deserved.

Each year in June, the world's biggest three-wheeler gathering is held at Haspin Acres, in Laurel, Indiana, for the Trikefest event.