The ATV Safety Institute will provide free rider training for the second straight year during ATV Safety Week this spring. The ASI is again working with partners across America who will be volunteering to provide free ATV RiderCourses and other safety education June 6–14.

“The first step toward safe ATV riding is taking the ASI RiderCourse, and we’re making it available to adults, kids and families all over the country early in the riding season,” says Cam Arnold, ASI’s vice president of rider training. “ATV Safety Week is about promoting the eight Golden Rules for safe riding, and we can think of no better way than to offer our class at no charge to participants. We invite everyone with an ATV to meet our Instructors, have some fun, and learn how to ride ATVs safely.”

The first time we ran into Colten Moore was back in 2009 at Dumont Dunes in California, where he and the rest of his crew of quad freestyle riders were filming for what would be the final installment of the popular Huevos video series. Fast forward a couple of years and we ran into him again at the Oregon dunes, fresh off the Nuclear Cowboyz tour and after having won not one but two medals at the 2012 Winter X Games.

Since that time he’s spanned the globe flipping both an ATV and a snowmobile while riding with the likes of Travis Pastrana and the rest of the world’s greatest action sports athletes. We caught up with the Krum, Texas native at the final round of the Mystik Lubricants Terracross Championship to find out what he’s been up to and to get a sneak peak of what the future holds for him.

Prior to what had turned out to be a golden opportunity to spend three days riding and receiving firearm instruction with Yamaha’s ATV and UTV marketing team at the Gunsite Academy near Prescott, Ariz., I have to admit that I had no idea just how focused the company’s Yamaha Outdoor branding really was.

Learning that Yamaha has forged alliances with outdoor and hunting groups such as Buckmasters and Ducks Unlimited, firearm organizations such as the National Rifle Association and Gunsite, and veterans’ groups such as Honored American Veterans Afield, really opened my eyes to how Yamaha has positioned itself differently and more actively than its competition. It’s just one guy’s opinion, but I think it’s a good fit, and Yamaha should be proud of these efforts.

Earlier this week we introduced you to our three-part series on our adventure with Yamaha at the Gunsite Academy near Prescott, Arizona ( you can read about that here). We had an eventful day one on the shooting ranges, but there was a whole lot more in store for us on days two and three. For me, day two included getting the chance to get behind the wheel of Yamaha’s all-new 2014 Viking 700 SE Tactical Black UTV, and the time spent traversing Gunsite’s 200-acre range gave me a chance to once again reflect on the core values that Yamaha and Gunsite espouse.

Triads and Pentagonals

Regardless of whether you take one of Gunsite’s pistol courses or rifles courses, Gunsite’s curriculum is distilled into three core values, called the combat triad, which were created by Gunsite founder, Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper. Picturing the three sides of a triangle, Gunsite’s core values include gun handling, marksmanship and mindset. Serious shooters will drill and drill and drill on these core values in an attempt to master them, increasing their chances of survival in a combat situation.

What products do we review?

The products we review are not chosen by our advertisers, nor do the brands making the products have any input on the reviews we give the products. We hunt for the best products out there. We look for and pick products that we like, that have amazing user reviews, or ones that are bestsellers, and we dig to the bottom of why people like them so much and share any pitfalls.

How do we review?

We research the products that go into every product review story, and only pick products we think are worth your time and money. Our editors are experts in their fields and make personalized recommendations based on a number of factors: reviews, ratings, brand recognition, features, pricing, value and more.

Why do we review and do we earn commissions?

We want to make sure you’re getting the best products out there, but we know you don’t have time to scour the internet. Our goal is to help you narrow down your search and make smart buying choices.

We also earn a small percentage of the money you spend when a reader clicks through to a product buying page via an affiliate link and completes a purchase. This revenue helps pay for our team of experts, and helps us create more high-quality content, continue to tell the stories we love and share our expert advice with you.

Tell me more about affiliate commissions.

ATV.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other similar affiliate advertising programs, which are designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to such affiliates’ websites such as Amazon.com. We earn a small percentage of the money you spend when you click through to a product buying page and complete a purchase. If you choose to click, the URL will contain a small code that identifies links from our website, and lets the affiliate partner or retailer know to send us a referral fee. This does not mean we are bound to Amazon or any other retailer or affiliate partner, nor does it lead us to favor some products or companies over others. We earn the referral fee on any item a reader buys, and do not have a bias for you to choose one product over the other. Our product reviews are prepared independently by our editors and freelancers, without direction from our affiliate partners or retailers. Our editorial team is not responsible for monetizing the content and does not work directly with any advertisers.

If riding your ATV involves all four seasons, you’ll surely want to invest in some of the best ATV snow accessories available.

While no single vehicle can do everything for everybody, there are a handful of machines that are up to many a task. Perhaps our favorite off-road Swiss Army knife is the Kawasaki Teryx.

Whether you need some help moving people and towing cargo around the property or are in the mood to push the throttle to the floor and rip up your local trails, the Kawasaki Teryx has your back. Thanks to its powerful V-Twin engine and rugged build quality the Teryx really feels like it has hit the sweet spot between Sport and Utility.

In The Beginning

Unless you’ve been living off the grid and away from your fellow man for the past six years or so, you have surely noticed the rapid growth of the UTV (Side-by-Side) market. While this era was primarily ushered in with sporty two-seat models, it didn’t take manufacturers long to realize that multi-passenger units would be attractive to families looking for ways to enjoy the great outdoors together.

While you can argue about which manufacturer introduced the first machine capable of carrying a driver and at least two passengers, we can all agree that the technology has come so far and diversified so much that consumers have benefited greatly from better and more useful machines.

Anybody who’s been following the ATV and UTV industry over the last six years or so can see that Polaris is unafraid to take big risks. Is the company that brought us the first ever Sport UTV working on a single-seat version? If documents filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office are any indication, then the answer is a resounding yes. Time for some rampant speculation about a new Polaris RZR!

Before we dig in, we should point out that just because a company has issued a patent doesn’t mean anything will ever reach production. However, we will assume it’s a project that is being (or has been) seriously considered.

Kawasaki Motor Corp., USA recently invited a select group of off-road publications to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the opportunity to attend the premiere of Disney’s blockbuster summer film The Lone Ranger and then sample its capable Teryx4 UTV over a few miles of arid Southwestern desert terrain not far from where some parts of the movie had been filmed. Although I’m normally a two-wheeled guy, when ATV.com drafted me for this gig, I gladly accepted. Visit picturesque Santa Fe, attend a movie and drive some kick-ass UTVs? Count me in.

On my way to Santa Fe I couldn’t help but wonder about Kawasaki’s stake in The Lone Ranger. I’d seen the trailers for the film, and I had also perused Kawasaki’s static “Live The Legend” Teryx4 promotional tie-in ads, but I still didn’t get the connection. I hoped it would all make more sense before the trip was over.

Less than two years ago Polaris sat basically unchallenged as the king of the Sport Side-by-Side class. While it still controls the majority of the market share in this lucrative segment, Polaris now has to look over its shoulder at two challengers – including one hungry cat in its own backyard.

Like Polaris, Arctic Cat calls Minnesota home. Also like Polaris, Arctic Cat now has multiple vehicles to choose from in the Sport SXS class – with more on the way soon. Arctic Cat took a little longer to capitalize on sport-specific UTVs, but it has jumped in with both feet with five models in the works. Is there something in the water in Minnesota? Or maybe it’s just a northern thing? After all, the only other manufacturer to dabble in this segment is BRP/Can-Am, which calls Quebec, Canada home. Seeing as these machines are most at home kicking up sand in the desert, this seems a little odd.

I don’t want to have to deal with a zombie apocalypse, but I feel a little more prepared now if it ever comes up – thanks to Kawasaki.

Not every manufacturer has the foresight to keep off-road editors trained in the art of fighting off the undead, but how else will anybody read about the latest products from Kawasaki when the going gets tough. Keeping the messengers safe seems like smart thinking to me, but I may be biased.

To train us media types in the art of combat, Kawasaki enlisted the help of Hoyt Archery, Delta McKenzie Targets and Realtree and flew the lot of us to West Virginia where the Hatfield-McCoy Trails would host our one-day boot camp. Look for a full story on this awesome trail system in the coming weeks.

RESEARCH: Read our review of the Kawasaki Teryx4 750 4×4

In the final months of 2012 Yamaha extended an invitation that to me was probably the most exciting off-road event I’d heard of in quite some time. The release of the Tactical Black versions of Yamaha’s Grizzly 700 and Rhino 700 lines would combine not only the vehicles, but also great firearms from Ruger and a facility where we could use them freely and safely – Gunsite.

Gunsite is a very well organized tactical training facility just outside Prescott, Ariz. that teaches everyday civilians, as well as law enforcement and military personnel, to become better trained in the use of combat and personal protection situations where a firearm may be useful. The courses are always packed full of fellow citizens who wish to learn to better safely handle the handgun or rifle of their choosing.

I don’t know about you but where I grew up, ATVs were used for work and recreation. While I had read about all the big racing series and was familiar with all the big names in the sport, racing, and the whole ATV racing environment, was pretty foreign to me. Yeah it looked cool, but all those guys had fancy (and expensive) ATVs and they all raced in far off places like Tennessee and Alabama. How was a kid from a tiny town in Oregon supposed to find a way to get involved in ATV racing?

Well it took me a few years, but by my sophomore year of college, at the urging of my dad, I started digging for a local ATV motocross series so I could give this racing thing a try. At that point I had ridden a couple of small practice tracks so I felt comfortable on table tops and small doubles, but the notion of lining up and doing battle with other racers was very intimidating.

A quick look at the modern ATV landscape reveals quite a different picture than just a few short years ago. Before the economic crisis took a strong hold, seven manufacturers offered ‘race-ready’ 450cc Sport ATVs – most of which were new or recently updated. Since the 2009 model year only two manufacturers have even offered an updated model and several others have seemingly abandoned the class entirely.

While it may appear that the very future of this class is on shaky ground, we’re not quite that pessimistic. But before we look at what the future may hold, it makes sense to look at the recent history of Sport ATVs to see what we can learn.

In The Beginning

About an hour north of Minneapolis, Minn. sits a boxy structure that could be mistaken for a huge redesigned Best Buy or other topical warehouse store of this modern age of marketing. The giveaway that this location, which sits off busy Interstate 94 heading north and west, isn’t a shelter for low priced electronic goods or IKEA-like furniture lies within the green Arctic Cat logo and even larger Arctic Cat lettering emblazoned across the top of the stone grey building.

This building houses Arctic Cat’s engine assembly. From this central Minnesota building flow all Arctic Cat ATV engines over 500cc. The powerful 951cc hemi-headed V-twin comes from here. The smooth 550cc fuel-injected single comes from here. Just off Interstate 94 in central Minnesota.

ATV.com, in partnership with Tractor.com, has been working on a series of articles about how and why ATVs and UTVs can be useful tools for farmers and landowners. In the first article, we looked at what these versatile machines could do to help ease your workload. In the second installment we looked at the pros and cons of choosing between an ATV and UTV. Last week we looked at some of the implements and attachments available to help get the job done around your property. This week, drum roll and all, we’ll discuss specifications and get down to the nitty gritty of helping you chose which four-wheeler is right for your needs.

Weight

Since we’re focusing more on vehicles used for work and less on sport where top speed and all-out performance are desired, the first area to look at is weight. In the case of a sport machine you want the highest horsepower to weight ratio but in the case of a work vehicle where towing and cargo capacity get the job done, light weight isn’t to your benefit. ATVs have the best horsepower to weight ratios where you can see 750 cc or larger engines powering machines with less than 700 lb. curb weights. UTVs can have similar sized powerplants, but curb weights will generally range from 1,000 to over 1,700 lbs.

Size

It may not seem like it at times, but ATVs and UTVs have long been closely associated with farmers and landowners, and for good reason. While modern high-powered, sport-specific machines seem to dominate the headlines of most off-road publications, this industry can thank much of its growth to four wheelers that help get the work done.

Sure, it’s cool to see the Moore Brothers flinging their sport quads 30 feet into the air or a sport-tuned UTV tearing up the dunes, but to ignore the utility of these machines is to miss half the picture.

ATVs and UTVs are versatile machines that can be used for a whole lot more than just doing some work around your property or checking out your local trails. This spring and summer we decided to shed some light on a few of these off-road activities with a 12-article series.

We unofficially dubbed it the ATV.com Outdoor Series and explored fishing, hunting and camping with your favorite off-road toys. We also showed you how to use a GPS device, help maintain off-road trails, find new places to ride, and tow your ATV or UTV safely and securely.

In case you missed any of these great articles put together by contributor Rick Sosebee, you can check them all out here.

Hunting and Fishing

Trout Fishing with Kawasaki and Richard Childress

Getting a call to do anything outdoors with an outdoor-focused company like Kawasaki usually ends up in a fascinating trip to a place I would normally only dream of visiting. A couple of years ago I had the chance to visit with Kawasaki on a beautiful Montana Ranch owned by NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. As a true fan of the race series I was excited to be invited along and rumors had spread that we would be able to do some trout fishing on the Yellowstone River.

After a two-hour ride from the airport we finally arrived at the Childress home. As we pulled into the covered entry we were met by Richard and his ranch caretaker, Jack. Without hesitation we were loading back into the truck and heading down to the local store to purchase our trout stamps and permits to fish the Yellowstone. Richard has had a longstanding relationship with Kawasaki and his ranch vehicle is a Kawasaki Teryx NRA Edition. Although we would take the trucks down to the river the plan was to roll out later for an adventure on the Childress ranch aboard the Teryx.

Over the last few weeks we have been looking at things you must do leading up to a great hunt experience. Now that you’ve got your Hunter Safety Course Certification and have purchased all your gear, it’s time for the great turkey hunt! After some time on the phone with the guys at Yamaha a date was set and before I knew it I was pulling into the camp house getting ready to go out and prepare for the hunt.

When you go to a different state to hunt the first thing you want to do is get an out of state license. This allows you to hunt in that state and it is no different than your own state permit except it could cost just a little more because you are not a resident. For visitors to Nebraska, the hunting license costs $20. The next item you will need is the tag for the game you will be hunting. Getting a turkey in the great state of Nebraska seems expensive ($91 per tag) and you are only allowed three tags per season for Turkey, which means you can only take three turkeys. Hunting the big bird is usually very difficult so getting three would be a great season.

Your ATV or UTV can be used for a lot more than just enjoying the trails or doing some work around your property. These machines can also be very useful on a hunting excursion. However, before you clean your gun and gas up your off-road hunting rig you’ve got to get certified.

It’s hardly the first thing that comes to mind before you go on that first hunt, but it’s required that every hunter complete a safety course. This course keeps the hunting nation full of safe, knowledgeable hunters. As a teen in school I remember the course being offered and made plans several times to attend the two day/night classroom study. As luck would have it I never attended the course and when I got invited to go on my first turkey hunt a little while back I knew it was time to hit the books. The only drawback was that the turkey hunt was only a month away and all the classes in my area had already been filled up! Fortunately, this is the age in the Internet so I was able to take an online course at http://www.hunter-ed.com/.

As consumers get more get more connected and technically savvy, manufacturers and retailers are turning to unconventional means to promote their products and communicate with the buying public. BRP, makers of Can-Am ATVs and UTVs, has taken a giant leap into the modern age with its use of social media in recent months.

BRP recently held a sweepstakes to give away two brand new 2012 Can-Am ATVs. This in itself is nothing new, as we’ve seen many manufacturers give away plenty of machines over the years. What sets BRP apart is that its contest, dubbed the Can-Am 4x4x4x4 Sweepstakes, was held entirely on Facebook. That’s a fairly bold step into an unfamiliar world, considering more than $25,000 worth of product was to be given away. To facilitate more interaction, BRP set up the sweepstakes so that in encouraged people to stay active and involved by rewarding them with more chances to win. It turned into quite the social experiment.

Editor’s Note: Since originally publishing this feature on the Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000i, we’ve had a chance to spend a day riding it. You can check out our full review and video by clicking here.

Rolling halfway into the year 2011 there is yet another two-passenger off-road ride to choose from that seems to speak to an almost exact demographic – the Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000. The designers at Arctic Cat obviously had an “all out desert racing” mindset for engineering a plan to get in the game of massive displacement and industry-leading suspension travel.

When looking at the Wildcat 1000 what stands out the most are the crazy trophy truck or desert racing type suspension components that hang from the seemingly thin and nimble looking passenger compartment. As well, the 951cc liquid cooled V-Twin will deliver power for the thrashing and with fuel injection this should be a responsive trail feline.

The 536,150-square-foot facility that is Honda of South Carolina (HSC) sits on 625 acres of fertile soil in Timmonsville, SC. Not only does the manufacturing facility employ close to 600 full-time workers, but it also has another 143 with contracts and works with seven suppliers within the state. HSC has become an institution rather than just another plant. In fact, it has been supplying the off-road industry with enjoyment for more than a decade. Since 1998, HSC has manufactured more than 2 million all-terrain vehicles.

As part of the 2012 Honda Foreman 500 4×4 launch (read here), we got a chance to visit HSC, take part in a special “Line Off” ceremony for the revised FourTrax Foreman and explore almost every nook and cranny of the impressive facility. Honda has facilities in 30 countries and 150 facilities worldwide. And HSC is one of 12 major factories Honda has around the United States. However, this one’s special, as it’s designated as an ATV manufacturing plant and has the ability to crank out 266,000 ATVs and 310,000 engines annually.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

This is the place to learn about some of the wildest off-road events, find out who won the latest race, and enjoy some off-road stories and advice from our veteran riders and writers.

2XL ATV Offroad calls itself the “hottest action-packed racing game to hit the iPhone or iPod Touch.” It features 16 ATV Supercross and Outdoor National tracks, two freestyle levels, up to 16 stunts and a “massive” career mode.

The game, which retails for $4.99, allows users to choose between 250cc and 450cc ATVs, as well as hundreds of ATV and rider skin combinations. Multiplayer mode is available, which allows you to race other users. You can check out a trailer of the game after the break.

Unlike basically everything other ATV game we’ve seen, Snow ATV is not racing game or a freestyle game. It’s set up more as an ATV obstacle course.

As it’s completely free (except for the 30 second advertisement at the beginning), there’s really not a lot too Snow ATV. Controls are very simple – everything is controlled with the arrow keys. We found the controls to be pretty touchy, but you’ll get the hang of things in a few minutes.

The game is broken down into levels and each level is basically a straight line – no turns at all. Of course, there are plenty of obstacles in the way. You’ll have to climb over rocks, trees, tires, cars across a slippery snowy landscape.

ATV.com is wrapping up its Year-in-Review series with a look back at the last 12 months to see all the new side-by-sides that have been released. Feel free to check out our previous articles on utility quads and sport quads.

Sure the economy is not where we’d all like it, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the ATV and side-by-side industry in 2008. Polaris came to market with the most advanced and most expensive off-road vehicle any of the major manufacturers have ever released, while also giving the Ranger a new look. Also, Arctic Cat put its powerful 951cc engine in a Prowler, while Kawasaki made significant changes to its almost new Teryx. To top it all off, Honda and Kymco have joined the side-by-side party with vehicles of their own.

Side-by-sides are still a pretty new concept, but the manufacturers have stepped up big time in the last year or so to push the envelope with new technology and features. Just look at what’s come out in the last few months.

2009 Polaris Ranger RZR S

Seeing as we are just entering the new year, ATV.com has decided to take a look back at the last 12 months to see all the new sport ATVs that have been released. We’ve already tackled utility quads and we’ll check out the latest side-by-sides in the near future.

Though the economy is struggling, ATV manufacturers did not shy away from introducing new innovations to the sport quad market in 2008. Yamaha and Suzuki made major renovations to some familiar machines, while KTM and Can-Am introduced some race-specific models. Polaris’ Outlaw family has a new look and shed some weight, while Arctic Cat has gone in a different direction. Even Honda stepped up to the plate with something completely different…sort of.

2009 Yamaha YFZ450R

As we gear up for the new year, ATV.com has decided to look back at all the new utility ATVs that have been released for the 2009 model year. We will also be looking at sport ATVs and side-by-sides in the coming weeks.

Even with a sagging economy, we saw no shortage of updated and completely new ATVs the past 12 months. Nobody did more, in fact, than the two American-based manufacturers – Arctic Cat and Polaris. Both companies made a variety of utility quads, as well as some very interesting and industry-changing side-by-sides.

As for the Japanese builders, Honda gave a major facelift to its popular Rancher, while Yamaha and Suzuki each introduced a brand new 500-class ATV. Korean-based Kymco also made a splash with a solid lightweight quad.

2009 Honda FourTrax Rancher AT