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Yamaha Contributes Toward OHV Access
Yamaha has granted more than $300,000 towards safe, responsible OHV riding and access in the first half of 2009. The Yamaha OHV Access Initiative granted more than $110,000 in cash and equipment to ATV riding clubs, national forests, local land managers, recreational conservancy advocates and other members of the greater OHV community in the second quarter of this year bringing the program total thus far to $958,000 since the program's inception. Yamaha supports the Access Initiative's mission to promote safe, responsible riding and open, sustainable riding areas for the future generations of wheelers to enjoy. Yamaha field staff and dealer partners have been directly involved in various projects such as trail cleanups and planting more than 1,200 seedlings in the San Bernardino National Forest as part of OHV trail and reforestation projects.
Twelve Yamaha GRANTs (Guaranteeing Responsible Access to our Nation's Trails) were awarded to fund projects that directly impact the access, safety and sustainability of OHV riding areas across the country.
For more information, visit: Yamaha Motor Corp, www.yamaha-motor.com
OHV Tour For A Cure
Off-road enthusiast CJ Rena Johnson is on a nationwide crusade to raise cancer awareness. Johnson, along with her pink Polaris Ranger RZR, is visiting private, public, local, state and federal ATV and OHV parks to spread the word and raise money for various charities including American Cancer Society, American Breast Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and St. Jude Children Research Hospital.The program works by having sponsors, groups, businesses, participants and spectators as well as other riders pledge donations to the charity of their choice. Johnson said that she wanted to show that off-road enthusiasts are an active community involved in helping to improve our lives and the lives of those around us, locally, statewide and nationally. "We are going to take the nation by storm conquering every ATV and OHV park in our path to raise money, and have fun while doing it." Johnson said.
Johnson's website has an updated list of places OHV Tour For a Cure will stop so people can get involved and catch a glimpse of Johnson and her pink Polaris Ranger RZR, wheeling its way through local trails for a good cause.
For more information, visit: CJ Rena Johnson, www.cjrenajohnson.com, or Polaris Industries, www.polarisindustries.com
aFe Releases New Cummins Exhaust Manifold for 5.9L
Advanced Flow Engineering has released its new BladeRunner exhaust manifold for the popular 2003-to-'07 Dodge Ram Cummins with L6-5.9L. AFe's new BladeRunner exhaust manifold is made out of 0.25-inch-thick wall, cast 304 stainless steel for maximum durability under high heat conditions as compared to cast iron units and is also a one-piece unit that was built with reinforced ribs between each exhaust port to increase the strength and eliminate the cracking found in most stock and aftermarket units. The manifold also features two EGT probe ports to provide you with the ability to measure EGT's on both of the banks of the exhaust manifold. The EGT ports are positioned inline with the air stream for an unrestricted exhaust flow.For more information, visit: aFe, www.aFepower.com
Reducing Stopping Distance for Big Rigs
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently issued new stricter braking standards that they believe will save lives by improving large truck stopping distances by 30 percent. According to the NHTSA, the new braking regulations will save 227 lives annually, and will also prevent 300 serious injuries. The law would only apply to truck tractors, and not single-unit trucks, trailers and buses.
The NHTSA says that the new regulation will reduce property damage costs by over $169 million a year. The new standard, which will be phased in over four years, beginning with 2012 models, will require that a tractor-trailer traveling at 60 mph come to a complete stop within 250 feet. The new standard requires big rigs to stop completely in a distance that is at least 105 feet shorter then the old standard which required a complete stop within 355 feet. The new regulation is expected to speed up the introduction of the latest brake technology into America's freight hauling fleets as well as help truck drivers avoid collisions with other vehicles.
For more information, visit: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.gov