ATV Directory - ATV Dealers & Parts
 The
ATV Directory is a new directory
featuring ATV dealers and suppliers of ATV performance parts.
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ATV: A Brief History
The all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known
as three and four-wheelers, was initially
developed in Japan as a farm-to-town vehicle in isolated, mountainous
areas. During spring thaws and rainy seasons steep mountainous
roads were often impassable with conventional vehicles. The three-wheeled
ATV proved to be a much better mode of travel and soon became
a recreational vehicle, providing transportation to areas inaccessible
by other motorized transport. And, it wasn't long before the Japanese
manufacturers realized that the ATV could be sold to the US.
When the ATV first appeared in the United
States in the early 1970's, it was
promoted and sold as a recreational vehicle designed to provide
"thrills" for the rider. This is still its primary use
today. Shortly, however, sportsmen found that the ATV was a useful
machine to move through areas not accessible with pick-up trucks,
four-wheel drives, or other motorized vehicles. The ATV became
popular as a hunting vehicle and was used to reach remote areas
and to transport game back out.
onda's first four-wheel ATV, the TRXª200, debuted in 1984
 The
market responded almost immediately, making 1984 Honda's biggest
sales year for the ATV. The 370,000 units delivered in 1984 remain
the high water mark for Honda ATV sales, making up a full 69 percent
of total ATV sales in the U.S. that year. The upswing in utility
use and the introduction of the four-wheeled TRX200 were also
the beginning of the end for Takeuchi's three-wheel matrix. Four-wheelers
were considered more versatile tools by customers, and tools were
what people wanted most.
ATV's reliability and efficiency to
handle jobs that simply couldn't be done before.
Folks on other parts of the planet were discovering what America
had discovered a decade before, and began putting ATVs to work,
performing all manner of work that was either impossible, impractical
or both. Whereas Honda ATVs were largely a domestic phenomenon
before 1990, they're currently working in more than 35 different
countries worldwide. With companies like Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki,
Kawasaki, Bombardier, producing high quality units, the ATV market
is booming from drag racing to moto-cross to all-terrain utility
vehicles. Search ATV Directory
for Dealers and Parts: A
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