The CVT world is under attack...WHY? Your thoughts...

[Logan #34's Dad]

The following classified add it and example of why the sport is dying or dead... I believe this is on the extreme level BUT give a call to one of the custom quad builders and get a price on a new one... Can you imagine a new family wanting to get into quad racing and they come across a classified add like this?
http://www.atvriders.com/vbb/showthr...b-mod-for-sale
There is a place for CVT's.... It is the best platform to get started into racing. Most of us buy a DRR/Apex/Polaris/Eton/ and our kid rides around the yard, then we say, hey lets go check out this racing thing...and before we know it, we are sucked in this vortex of atv racing. We show up to a local race, see a built DRR and get smoked and our own competitive juices kick in and we start building lil Johnny's quad - SOME of us one part at a time. Once we get it up to racing standards and lil Johnny wins a few local races we venture to the closest National race. Lil Johnny - ON HIS CVT - does pretty good at the National race and then that family becomes one of the circus members following the National schedule. This family should not be mandated into buying one of the high dollar modified quads to keep coming. Let them choose when and IF they want to make that commitment.
And for those people that say a 15/16 year old that stays on a CVT is at a disadvantage or will never make it on a shifter....Check out Cory Powers 450 results... A couple National Championships later....
I say if the system was not broke / DON'T FIX IT!
Again, I believe our biggest problem and why the overall numbers are down is because quads are being outlawed at more and more local race tracks and organizations. And until the AMA/ATVA start addressing that issue...we will die.

[jay-r]

$16k. I am sure it costs more to build it than that. This is the problem. If you want to compete at the top level, you will have to line up against machines like this. $16k will buy you 4 to 6 new 85cc dirt bikes. A good rider can take a bone stock bike and win anywhere. When you decide to sell the bike, there are many more people that would consider a used $2500 bike. With a top level race quad like this, there are only 4 or 5 riders in the country that would consider buying it. We had fun racing quads. It just doesn't make sense anymore.

[JAG Motosports]

Its the $$$$$ and quads demand way to much of it. Since switching to bikes my life has gotten alot easier and cheaper.

[stevo7706]

You can buy a brand new 85cc dirtbike engine for around $1500 at your local dealership. If youth quads had classes similar to dirtbikes,that may be the only engine you would need between 7-15 yrs of age. ONLY PROBLEM is it comes with that PESKY clutch attached to it. What were they thinking!

[thequadfather+2]

"I honestly don't know the answer but as a parent I would want my kid off of a quad platform they can't grow up with and carry on into adult hood. To me that makes no sense."

I dont want to offend anyone either....with that being said I want to point out that we are not going to grow up on a quad, we're not going to ride a quad as an adult. Infact we are not going to ride beyond the CVT age limit. Our plan has never included a shifter, we don't have the desire to shift anything. We have been on CVT's since 2009 and will be on them until we are done. we have a dirt bike, they shift it just fine.

Actually, we enjoy riding CVT's. I didn't complain about any weather and we made ALL laps at Aonia and drove the quad back to our pit...I did see a bunch of 90 mods being towed off and they all looked like shifters to me. The statement that all the CVT parents complained about the weather is stretching it a little. Actually we made all the laps at Bowling Green and Loretta's too. Now I did complain about washing all the mud off. You guys seem like you think that everyone can't wait to get off CVT's or don't ride a shifter because they can't shift....seriously, it's not rocket science. I could probably teach a monkey to do it. If kids are riding shifters I assume its because they want to, I don't really have anything to say about that because it doesn't concern me since we don't ride them. In the end we ride CVT's because thats what we have always rode and we enjoy it, thats where we will be for a couple more years and then we'll watch from the stands....

[chunky0071]

"I honestly don't know the answer but as a parent I would want my kid off of a quad platform they can't grow up with and carry on into adult hood. To me that makes no sense."

I dont want to offend anyone either....with that being said I want to point out that we are not going to grow up on a quad, we're not going to ride a quad as an adult. Infact we are not going to ride beyond the CVT age limit. Our plan has never included a shifter, we don't have the desire to shift anything. We have been on CVT's since 2009 and will be on them until we are done. we have a dirt bike, they shift it just fine.

Actually, we enjoy riding CVT's. I didn't complain about any weather and we made ALL laps at Aonia and drove the quad back to our pit...I did see a bunch of 90 mods being towed off and they all looked like shifters to me. The statement that all the CVT parents complained about the weather is stretching it a little. Actually we made all the laps at Bowling Green and Loretta's too. Now I did complain about washing all the mud off. You guys seem like you think that everyone can't wait to get off CVT's or don't ride a shifter because they can't shift....seriously, it's not rocket science. I could probably teach a monkey to do it. If kids are riding shifters I assume its because they want to, I don't really have anything to say about that because it doesn't concern me since we don't ride them. In the end we ride CVT's because thats what we have always rode and we enjoy it, thats where we will be for a couple more years and then we'll watch from the stands....

I agree.
With that said yall are nuts. If a kid can ride and is capable of winning they will learn how to shift easly! Cvt's can't take the weather really you have never seen an XC race then! Our XC quad runs an hour plus no problems, mud, rain, and shine it goes. It's not the cvt it's the parent. Quit blaming cvt's and blame yourselfs. And yes our Malossi is moto capable any day of the week. My son has been on a cvt for 4 years but guess what he rides a 300ex every day but hey shifting was so hard to learn NOT! CVT's are not the problem they are however part of the answer with out them we all need to forget about our kids racing and teach them golf!

[stevo7706]

Oh,we're not NUTS!. I mean what parent would knowingly buy a clutchless, money draining, POS mini quad with nowhere to ride and only a handful of competitors to race against? The parents that migrate/quit to other less expensive, less fustrating, and WAYmore competitive sports like motocross or golf.....those are the NUTS!

[jungleboy213]

Let me throw my 2 cents in...
We rode cvt's for 3 years. In 2012 at Loretta's be bought a shifter. My boy was almost in tears because he couldn't even take off in first gear without killing it. Now, he wouldn't have it any other way. He loves his shifter.
CVT's are in fact a great base quad to start in. When we started, he had no clue about racing. Neither did I. He had to just worry about the gas, brakes and turning. I had to learn on what parts work and what didn't. I told him when I think he's ready to go faster, I'll make his bike faster. More expensive route? You bet. But, he learned that way.
Last winter, we were racing a shifter and a CVT at a local indoor series in 2 classes. As soon as he came off the track to win another championship on his Cvt, he looked at me and said he didn't want to ride this any more. That is when I knew it was time to focus on the shifter.After that, I liked going to the races and enjoyed the races. I wasn't wrenching on a cvt most of the time.
I think the cvt IS a good platform to start on, for the riders and the parents. Kids will learn basics of riding and parents will learn basics of turning a wrench.
Look, I know the chances are slim of my boy being the next John Natalie or Joel Hetrick, but the life lessons that he learns on the track and in the pits are why we do this every weekend. It makes him happy. When he's happy, we're happy.

[edwardsp&b]

Whew......that was a lot to read. A lot of good points all around.......Here is my take.

I have been through it all, and here is what I learned. A CVT is a great platform to start riding/racing on! When we first started all this mess, it was a local series with a good turnout. We had a built stock quad from the MAN Mr. Marc at Hotquads. The CVT enabled my son to learn how to race at an early age. It made him want to understand how to get better holeshots, get through turns faster, and how to go out and compete without worrying about just getting the bike off the gate or making it 5 laps without stalling. Yes we had mud races that we didn't make it through.......Ben has blown motors, busted cases and transmissions, and I cant count how many frames we broke.....Last count was 7, with me having to replace 3 frames. That is what made me realize that it was time to go to a better suspended quad. There has been comments made on here about these motors not made for these quads originally, but its not the motor that is the problem. When your son starts pounding big doubles and triples, a DRR or Apex frame cant take it. That is why we went on up to a mod.

Now, as far as the new rules on CVT's and age limits, I cant say which way the rules should go. I do think that if the sport is going to grow, they need to keep a limited or beginner class for CVT beginner riders up to around 13-14. They had this once a few years ago, but it only lasted one year. That blame goes on the rule makers. They announced the class at the end of December and after Lorrettas that August it was gone again. How does a class grow when it only stays for one year. If a parent wants to keep a kid on a CVT it should be there choice. But I think they should have made 90CVT age limit at 13, then move every 90 CVT or shifter into a 90 open class.

As a parent, I switched my son because he was bombing his CVT out on every jump and it was completely destroying the quads he was riding. I spent a ton of money on a JB mod, knowing that I could get my money back after he was done riding it. I felt better because I knew if he jumped anything it wouldn't break the quad in half when he landed. Was it expensive???? YES!!!! Most of us are in business for ourselves. (You almost have to be to follow the traveling circus) If customers are banging on your door waiting in line to purchase a custom quad you are making, you will jack the price up a little over time. That's supply and demand ladies in gentlemen...... I own the only transport refrigeration repair company within hundreds of miles of where we are. I charge a lot more for the parts I stock, and the repairs I do than a dealer in a big town like Atlanta. Can you blame JB racing, or others that are charging a normal persons yearly salary for a quad when the line is out the door wanting to buy them.....I would too!!!! Business owners ask yourself the same question........

Bryan

[stevo7706]

I share the same sentiments as others here, but let me ask. Since millions of kids ride/race dirtbikes without a CVT, would you think a CVT is the "best platform" or "answer" if ALL classes shifted? Would your race experience as a parent or rider be different if CVTs were not even allowed in quad racing?