Decoding the digits. Dear ATVC: Polaris 96-53884 & EC38PLE05 Any information? There was a time when ATVs hadn’t yet adopted the standard VIN number system used today. Your numbers seem to point back to the 1996 Polaris Scrambler 400, the second of which is the crank shaft identification code. The Polaris Scrambler 400 boasted a […] More »

Over 20,000 units affected. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that John Deere is recalling 19,730 Gator XUV835 utility vehicles. In addition, about 840 were sold in Canada. The plastic sheathing on the throttle cable can melt due to improper routing, causing the throttle to stick. This could result in the operator not being […] More »

Massive recall issued due to crash hazard. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on December 21, 2017, that John Deere has issued a recall of 68,300 Crossover Gator UTVs due to a crash hazard. The steering shaft can separate from the steering rack assembly and result in a loss of vehicle steering control, posing […] More »

Coming in a little low. 2017’s First Quarter (Q1) sales states for the US of A are in the books- 40,757 all-terrain vehicles were sold to customers in the United States between January and March 2017. Keep in mind that this number does not include Side-by-Sides, amphibious ATVs (AATVs) or UTVs from companies like John […] More »

A look at the sales stats side of things. Prior to the mid-2000s, ATV sales were in the neighborhood of 1-million units sold annually. The market came to a crashing halt in 2008 when the nation slipped into a recession brought about by the housing crisis. One of the first areas consumers begin to cut […] More »

Dear ATVC: Concerning the difference between front and rear suspension travel numbers, does it matter if the rear travels more than the front, or vice versa? Would too great a difference create an imbalance? FindTheBest Interesting question and the short answer is absolutely. When we head to our local dealership sales-floors or browse the product […] More »