ALL TERRIAN VEHICLES Since 1970’s
Thursday, August 21st, 2008As with many items that have gained strong popularity with the public, the All Terrain Vehicle(ATV) has a very interesting history. What started out as essentially a farming resource has become the machine around which a highly competitive sporting and racing industry has been built.
Long before Honda introduced a vehicle in 1970 which would kick off the “modern era” of the ATV, numerous American companies offered small off-road vehicles which were amphibious in nature and were designed to traverse swamps, streams and ponds as well as dry land. These vehicles were constructed of fiberglass or hard plastic and usually had six wheels, all driven, providing for a strong traction component. They were intended for multiple riders and had steering wheels or control sticks instead of the standard motorcycle type mechanism used with the modern ATV.
In Japan, a similar vehicle was being used in farms that were located in mountainous terrain. In 1970, Honda introduced the US90 and was aided in its marketing effort by the James Bond movie “Diamonds Are Forever”; a motion picture in which the ATV played a significant part. The unique vehicle featured large balloon type tires instead of a mechanical suspension. The ability to go anywhere on country or terrain that most other vehicles could not cross soon made them popular with US and Canadian hunters, as well those just looking for a good trail ride.
In the early 1980’s, ATV’s were introduced that had a much lower tire profile and suspension. It was at this time that the first three-wheeled ATV was developed for public use. During this decade, numerous manufacturers entered the “sporting” ATV market, among them such high profile names such as Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Polaris.
Safety issues arose with the three wheel ATV and it is a little known fact that the fledgling industry was nearly banned from the public by Congress because of these safety issues. Three wheeled production ended in 1987 due to consent decrees between the major manufacturers and the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the four wheeled ATV became the norm.
