My wife and i recently took part in a ATV safety course that is sponsored by Honda, Yamaha,Suzuki and Kawasaki,Honda actually paid us to take it.It was a thurough four hour class that was very well thought out.The instructor told us that Polaris would not participate or sponsor a class of this kind.I do not know about the other mfg's,but this clearly tells me that Polaris really does not care about their customers safety.That is why they build ATV's that weigh so much,look at Honda,they refuse to build one over 600lbs.I think that it takes real engineering to accomplish this and Polaris needs to play catch-up in this department.

 

Polaris has their own safety course and your warranty is invalid unless you take the course.

 

Does anyone know the difference between the ATV Safety Institute Riders' Course and the Polaris Safety Course?

The ATVSI Course is four hours long, I think, taught by certified instructors.

How long is the Polaris course? Are the instructors Polaris employees?

Are the same subjects covered in both courses?

The ATVSI accepts "walk-in" students; people who haven't recently purchased an ATV, on a tuition ($ 35) basis. Does Polaris invite non-Polaris purchasers?

Also, I wonder why Polaris "goes it alone." Could be, for product liability reasons, Polaris wants absolute control of the training.

Anyway, I'd appreciate a response from any knowledgeable Forum reader.

Tree Farmer

 

Tree Farmer,when I purchased my Sportsman,my dealership made a mechanic show me a boring 20 minute tape on saftey.He than put out some road cones in the parking lot and told me to drive a figure 8.I signed some ATV safety training papers,than I was on my way.The safety video was no value to me.Being an experienced ATVer with many years under my belt,the entire episode was a bore.I dont think the type of safety course that Polaris gives is of much value to anybody. And the nerve of Polaris to take your 6 month warrenty from you if you refuse the course.I prefer the 4 hr in class training giving by certified ATV training personal. =====BILL

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Honda not only pays for you to take an atv training course after your new purchase. They also send you a video entitled "Stupid Hurts" and a questionnaire for you to fill out about your dealer's efforts to explain everything about the atv, before you leave with it.
Honda takes the extra time to follow up on "their" owners. Something other manufactures should do as well.

Just another reason why Honda is #1 in my book and will always be. Regardless of what other companies do.

Chris 00' 300EX

 

This is all very intersting, It makes me appreciate the dealer we have here even more after hearing all this. When I purchased my first Polaris in 1994 the Saftey course consisted of something like Bill described ,maybe a little more than that I seem to remember it taking about an hour. In 1998 when I went back and bought my 425 they had built a course with off cambers, hills and an obstical course with barrels on it, They did't make me go through the safty course a second time then because they had my proir certification on file. Well I got my Magnum 500 after the 425 got stolen and things were kind of slow that day for them and the owner of the dealership asked if I wanted to take the safty course again , I said "well it has been a few years and this is a totally different machine to me" (I really wanted to ride the course) He took me through it personally riding the diffrent conditions ,showing how to use body english on the hills they had constructed and just didn't miss a detail. Well about a week later my paperwork shows up at the house and in it is a Certificate that I had completed the Safty course ,really nice looking certificate heck my degrees on the wall don't look much better. Heres the kicker to it all though,on the bottom of the certificate along with the requirement with the warranty is this statement" This course meets the requirements of the ATV Safty Institute". Whether it does or not I don't know but I am beginning to wonder if I do have some type of unique Dealer here near me.

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Kevin Gowdy aka Kagey 1999 Polaris Magnum 500

 

How long does it take to get to take the ATV safety course after you have signed up? I signed up when I purchased my new Honda Rancher over a month ago. Have not been contacted as yet by anyone. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank`s

 

My good friend bought a new Polaris about a month ago. You know what training he received?

A VIDEO TAPE !!!!

I watched the tape, sure it had good pointers in it, but nothing like ATVSI does. I bought a new Suzuki King Quad and took the safety course. It was a very good course, it taught me things I did not know.

I don't know about Polaris, maybe they don't care about thier customer's. I don't know.

I do know that even if Polaris does not give thier customers the option to take the course, you can still sign up to take the course if you call the ATVSI. The only bad thing is you have to pay to take. I got $100.00 to take it.

Well ride safe !!!!!

rjmlakota

When I signed up for the class, it took about a month and a half before I heard anything.

[This message has been edited by rjmlakota (edited 12-16-1999).]

 

Jackj, Call the ATV Safety Institute at 800-887-2887 for the course. The course takes about 4 hours to complete.
The Polaris course does not meet the requirement of the Angelina National Forest according to the park ranger. When I called the dealer he did not know anything about this certified course.

 

My wife was instructed (at a polaris dealer) to sit in a chair and watch the video, then sign the paperwork...some course! I agree with Cstark on the hondas...much more thorough. Another joke is that my son (nine) needs a safety certificate to ride in national forests, but the instructors require quads less than 70cc's to take the safety course...can't win no how! <img src="http://www.fishy.com/ubb/free/reallymad.gif">

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Steve Small,'00 400ex
'00 325 Trail Boss for the wife.
Impuls90 for the boys.
<a href="mailto:scsmall@bellatlantic.net">EXtreme E-mail</a>



[This message has been edited by EXtreme (edited 12-17-1999).]