Off-road vehicle fans may get hit in pocketbook; proposal would hike fees

Four-wheeling and off-road driving could get more expensive in Michigan under a proposal that would more than double the vehicle license fees.

Gov. Rick Snyder recommended increasing the off-road vehicle license fee from $16.25 per year to $35 starting in fiscal 2013, and then up to $45 the following year.

Most of the funds go toward maintaining and improving some 3,200 miles of trails – work that Bill Gilbert said is greatly needed.

But Gilbert, director of the Michigan ORV Safety Association in Burton, said he’s concerned about the fee hike.

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How to Winterize an ATV

Outdoor enthusiasts who live in Northern regions often store ATVs during the wintertime. Ice can damage the engine. Road salt is corrosive and can erode the undercarriage. Winter storage is a good way to extend the life of your ATV. You can learn how to winterize an ATV quickly and simply yourself, and never pay expensive shop charges to winterize again.

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2012 Polaris ATV and Ranger Lineup Preview

We recently had a chance to take a sneak peak at the 2012 Polaris ATV and Ranger Lineup at a press event north of the border in Ontario, Canada. While at the event it seemed like it was a quiet year from the Minnesota-based manufacturer with only one new machine to speak of. However, even when things seem relatively quiet the engineers at Polaris are still hard at work tweaking the existing lineup. We counted 19 machines with at least modest changes for 2012. Only Polaris can make that seem understated!

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