if they made atvs street legal there would not be all this dumb hippies xcomplaing about how atvs are bad and maryjane isint

 

I think it is easily said that the politicians of the world will find something they dont like no matter what kind of changes are made. They think it is their job to cause problems when in all actuality all of us are just having fun in the "<U>Great Outdoors</U>". Yes we should respect the land but here in New Mexico the entire state is nothing but forest, desert, etc. and we can ride mostly on all of it. It is a great state to live in if you like to ATV (which I do [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]) but our re-elected Senator, Pete Domenici, does not like us ATV'ers so hopefully they never get around to passing legislation that would take up off our public lands...ride on [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

IT'S FREAKIN DIRT, BROWN,GRITTY,SOMETIMES MUDDY(when mixed with water), PLAIN OLD THE EARTH IS FULL OF IT DIRT. I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD THE WORD DIRT USED IN NEGATIVE TERMS.(he's a piece dirt, his word is dirt,rub his face in the dirt,you dirty little scoundrel, dirty piece of crap,gets the dirt out,your pants are dirty, your underwear are dirty,he plays dirty,etc...). NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE CAN'T RIDE ON THE DIRT ANYMORE. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT AFTER ANYTHING BUT THE elimination OF THE HUMAN RACE. IN THEIR EYES HUMANS ARE THE WORST ANIMAL ON THE PLANET. I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO RIDE ON ANY existing TRAIL THAT WE FIND. DO NOT LET THE Wako's STOP YOU. RIDE ON AND KEEP SMILING. I RODE YESTERDAY ON HIKING ONLY TRAILS WITH MY KIDS. WE RAN INTO ONE HIKER I STOPPED TO CHAT WITH HIM AND GAVE HIM THE opportunity TO EXPLAIN HOW I WAS HURTING THE DIRT. HE WAS friendly AND DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE A MEMBER OF THE DIRTY DIRT PROTECTORS ASSOC. OF AMERIKA. GOD BLESS, THANKS FOR LISTENING.

 

Just shut up and ride! Vote Republican so you can ride and hunt!

 

I think it comes down to being jealous. Some people don't like seeing other people have fun. When people see or hear other groups of people riding ATV's, Bikes or whatever, they automatically start complaining about anything and everything and suspect the worst. At least that's the impression I get.

 

No! This isnt about being jealous! This isn’t between Republicans or Democrats or politicians of any flavor. This is about ATV's tearing the hell out of forests and parks and trails. This is about damaging both public and private property by simply passing through – most often with no intent to do anything wrong or cause any damage. The machines we buy today are inherently predisposed by design to “dig in” and powered to kick-butt on "all terrains". This is about fighting a unwinable battle. Given the current trends, we will all end up riding on only 10 acres plots previously known as the city dump or refuse recycling area - depending on your local designation. Don't beleive me? Visit Waterloo Iowa.

One way to disarm the politicians and environmentalist and their argument against ATV's is to take away the value of their argument. If the ATV's didn’t leave a rutted out mess behind them, there wouldn’t be any evidence to point at. The peripheral complaints about noise and smell don't hold much value because they are difficult to measure or demonstrate. Defoliated hillsides, ditches along otherwise scenic highways that are turned into mud pits, and baseball and football fields torn to shreds give substantial value to their complaint and are very easy to communicate because they are tangible evidence of abuse and destruction.

The Gilbert ATV convention and OHV park ride was a perfect example. In 3 days the trails and ditches between the campground, park and convention center looked as if a convoy of bulldozers had gone through. It wasn’t pretty. The mud in the roads at the trail crossing was enough to create a traffic hazard, not to mention an ugly mess. I question how long even a economically suffocating economy like the Gilbert area will tolerate the mess and damage before they too choose to pass on welcoming us back. And this doesn't even begin to address the moronic behavior that runs rampant in this sport. The cookies in the baseball field just about got us all thrown out of the city and nobody was impressed with the idiots using the sanitary dump station to wash their quads - leaving a plugged up mess and a half a ton of mud and grass for someone else to clean up - as an example.

No, I think the days of ignoring the opposition are over. Continuing in denying their facts, pictures and examples is tantamount to the legendary story of the Emperors New Cloths. We can't keep walking down the street naked and assume everyone doesn’t see the problem with our denial. They do see it. And they vote - they make phone calls - they assemble – they contribute money and in just about every way – they out class us with tangible evidence that we ignorantly deny blindly.

If we want to win this battle - we need to engage the enemy. But I don't believe the enemy is the environmentalists or the politicians - the enemy is the mess we leave behind us.. And the enemy is the bone heads that think ripping the snot out of everything is fun - and the enemy are the dangerous riders that cause damage and injury that bring the negative attention and evidence of it to our sport.

Do we need to support laws that impose the self disciplines that are missing? Do we need to impose higher age limits? A requirement for a drivers licenses or motorcycle endorsement? Proof of liability (damage) insurance requirements? What will it take to address the real enemy? When will we realize that we don't have any cloths on?

I can't do much about the bone head adolescent who’s greatest achievement will be their drivers license or the rocket scientist “hell on wheels” boys who will likely not graduate from high school- But I can do something about the tires that by design tear the hell out of the ground. I don't need that kind of "traction". I don't want to be part of that problem. I'd rather be part of the solution. I don't ride on any more or less challenging trails then anyone else. I guess I don’t need “All Terrain” but could get by with “most terrain”. I don’t know about everyone else – but I get stuck and have to winch out even with these dirt-scooping tires. For the most part, I don't need to rip things up and I don't want to rip things up. And I don't think I’m all alone in those thoughts.

How abusive do our tires need to be? At what point is it too much? If just riding over a path makes it unsightly to the next person – is that to bad - or to much?

Maybe the ATV manufactures need to hear from some of us who think that this is a war that we are loosing. Maybe ATV manufactures can offer us tire options so that we can choose to be more friendly to the areas we ride. Maybe we can stop the war – by not giving “them” a reason to fight against us.

I have a poll running in the polls section - please review and pass comment on it.

Thanks.

 

Buy a mountain bike,,,,put slicks on it,,,and drive it on the street.

Sounds like you have a real conflict of interest.

 

The mountain bikes are not perfect either (maybe with slicks on the road). Some ski slopes have banned summer mountain biking because they cause too much damage and erosion with their "big" nobby tires also.

If I could not use my All Terrain Vehicle in all terrain I would look into a different motor sport. I love the challenge of a deep mud hole or steep hill climb. Riding down a hiking or trail or smoothed out atv trail is no fun at all for me. I do not make my own trails only ride the ones that are what I consider all terrain vehicle friendly.

I can almost feel your pain (those of you from Minnesota) but we have nothing to be taken away from us here in NY. Loosing something you don`t have is not as hard as loosing what you already have.

 

I believe WhoDatInDaMud has a valid concern in that there are miscreant riders causing problems for the rest of us. I've ridden some pretty nice designated trails here in MN and am always dismayed to find that, even on what I think is an excellent and well maintained trail, one that's challenging even, you see see places where riders have gone off the trail to forge their own unecessary paths.

I don't think changing the tires will make any difference, though. Attitudes need to change, not equipment. Riders need to learn that they have a responsibility to the enviroment and learn to tread more lightly. By the same token, however, adaquate riding area's need to be designated, and this needs to include some mud and rocks. Part of the thrill of this sport is the "All Terrain" aspect and pushing that limit.

The problem I have with groups like the MRR is their hidden agenda of wanting to eliminate off highway motor vehicles in general, not just restrict them. The problem I have with some ATV riders is their seeming willingness to provide these other groups with the ammunition they need to attack us.

That said, I still plan on buying more agressive tires (that I will use only on designated trails) and hope the riding situations improve in this state.

 

Pechmail, I agree 100% with what you said! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]