[volkman10]

Polaris Sportsman 500 legally on the road, being homologated. More ATV's from its range to follow.


Good news surrounfing ATV's in india. Polaris Sportsman 500 could be the first on road. Honda and Nebula could follow.

Polaris ATV's are currently priced at Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 21 lakh. Could come down on localization.

One, is that the RTO is considering allowing ATVs to be legally registered and ridden on roads, instead of only off-road. And the second bit is that the price of ATVs is likely to come down as the government is also allowing ATVs to be manufactured locally.

Polaris is likely to be the first ATV manufacturer to get its products on to

the road. According to a company source, Polaris has sent its Sportsman 500 ATV to the ARAI for homologation – a process every vehicle that can legally be registered in India needs to go through, to gauge its road-worthiness for Indian conditions. Once this process is complete, you could walk into a Polaris showroom and buy the Sportsman 500 and ride it home

The government is coming up with a new category in the vehicle registration rules – allowing these vehicles to be registered as ATVs, and which can be privately owned. This is unlike the rules that have been drafted for quadricycles, where such four-wheeled modes of transport can only be registered for commercial use and have to comply with a set of norms. ATVs such as the Sportsman 500 are like four-wheeled motorcycles in a sense, and would require the rider to wear protective gear such as helmets (wherever the helmet rule is in force in India).

http://www.cartoq.com/exclusive-soon...g-homologated/

[BurningHeart]

While the roads in Bangalore require everyone to buy/ride a UV or fly an aerial vehicle, this is not solving anything.

The vehicular density is rising alarmingly and road quality deteriorating in most cities, barring NCR. And this is not a thing which should be allowed into Indian roads. We already have vehicles capable of different speeds and with different shapes/sizes on the roads.

I just read up a blog on Iowa ATV Bill. And here is what I see:

The ATV bill, House File 619, has overwhelmingly passed the Iowa House, and was approved last week by the Iowa Senate Transportation Committee. But Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said Wednesday he is concerned the legislation would result in additional deaths and serious injuries from ATV crashes.

As a result, Bolkcom has declined to schedule the bill for a committee hearing, which means the proposal is probably dead this year as the Iowa Legislature tries to wrap up most of its work for the session.The move will disappoint some ATV enthusiasts, who had looked forward to legally riding on county roads and attracting out-of-state visitors for ATV tourism in rural Iowa.

“We are still looking at the bill, but chances are slim that it will move forward,” Bolkcom said Wednesday. “I think we have heard from safety advocates and industry people about ATVs and there are substantial concerns. ATVs are not designed for use on roads and highways. So the bill needs some more work. It has some challenges.”

Iowa now averages about eight to 10 ATV fatalities annually, and an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 emergency room visits each year due to ATV injuries. Under current law, only farmers can operate ATVs statewide on county roads. But about seven or eight counties also allow other ATV enthusiasts to ride on their road systems, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Read about it here

Just because some greedy politician (or a group of them) wants to make a quick buck, introducing another vehicle type, which is in all likelihood is going to driven rashly by a group of youngsters on the Indian roads can be and should be avoided.

This is my personal opinion. Nobody cares a hoot about what fellow citizens' problems anyways. But this is crazy. ATVs should stay away from main streets and high ways.

[ashwin489]

Originally Posted by BurningHeart

introducing another vehicle type, which is in all likelihood is going to driven rashly by a group of youngsters on the Indian roads can be and should be avoided.

While I understand your concerns, is an ATV any more dangerous than a liter-class sportsbike (which I assume is totally legal on Indian roads)?

I for one cannot wait for ATVs to be available here.

[GrammarNazi]

When superbikes can be registered in Karnataka, then hows it that these quadbikes suddenly became so very dangerous? Infact they're safer than bikes and somewhat provide more freedom for the driver.

Moreover, since the elite in Bangalore would buy them, the road tax would provide more revenue for our roads to be repaired. Even if the money is getting siphoned due to corruption, its the rich (they don't feel the pinch) who're being targeted - so why bother?

Tax Away!

A new vehicle for TATA to use the engine from Nano!

[BurningHeart]

Well, everything can be argued either way and make it look good. It is not that I couldn't write what you just wrote. You're free to have your opinion just like I pointed out mine. But I think, with non-existent infrastructure, we could avoid bringing another vehicle type into the road.

As for the cost, what if someone plonks a cheap engine and start selling ATVs for the cost of a bike?

Originally Posted by ashwin489

While I understand your concerns, is an ATV any more dangerous than a liter-class sportsbike (which I assume is totally legal on Indian roads)?

I for one cannot wait for ATVs to be available here.

As far as I know, these things will start hogging road space (in the right most lane like most bikes on Indian roads) and then with their bulk combined with slower speeds, there can be more accidents. I personally think, with everything else being equal, it is harder to avoid an accident with an ATV vs. a similarly driven bike. I do not compare the presence of ATVs with those of Super Bikes. Speed is not the only issue here.

[GrammarNazi]

Originally Posted by BurningHeart

...But I think, with non-existent infrastructure, we could avoid bringing another vehicle type into the road.

As for the cost, what if someone plonks a cheap engine and start selling ATVs for the cost of a bike?...

Exactly, with the current non-existent infrastructure, we in Bangalore need All Terrain Vehicles to travel in this city. Why avoid it? When people who choose to travel to office alone in an MUV, find a trendy alternative in the ATV, it'll infact free up road space.

Speed? They'll probably offer better traction and better braking too. IMO they'd be safer than bikes any day. Looking at the way bikers rush in between vehicles, if some auto-maker offers an ATV at the cost of a bike, then its even better - atleast they won't simply try to squeeze in. Maybe they could offer a detachable roof too so as to help when its too sunny or when it rains! Even airbags can be added! Various amazing possibilities!

Still, to each his own. You could have your opinion, I could have mine. - Cheerio!

[Chetan_Rao]

ATV's will never become mainstream like 2-wheelers, cheap or not. Bikes give you a certain go-anywhere flexibility that anything on 4-wheels simply can't match, price notwithstanding.

As for the irresponsible driving angle, it's unfair to blame ATVs. On our roads where everyone from a TVS 50 rider to a Volvo Bus driver act like they're the only ones on the road, an ATV is no more or less dangerous in the hands of the maniacs than anything else already street-legal.

It's the maniac rider/driver who needs banning, not his steed.

[zenren]

Before they make it legal, they'll need to revisit all the rules written so far, since it is a 4 wheeler technically and hence it might not 'comply' with all the current rules which are made for a 4 wheeler.

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by zenren

Before they make it legal, they'll need to revisit all the rules written so far, since it is a 4 wheeler technically and hence it might not 'comply' with all the current rules which are made for a 4 wheeler.

Quite true.
I was going to ask: Does it come with seat belts? Would that be mandatory?
what about helmet?

How would the RTO distinguish between an LMV and and ATV?

[zenren]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Quite true.
I was going to ask: Does it come with seat belts? Would that be mandatory?
what about helmet?

Which brings up another interesting question.

Why is it that we don't have any rule for an autorickshaw driver? He doesn't need to wear seat belts or helmet. Is the government trying to say that autos are safer than cars? Or is it that their lives are not important to the law making bodies?

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by zenren

Which brings up another interesting question.

Why is it that we don't have any rule for an autorickshaw driver? He doesn't need to wear seat belts or helmet. Is the government trying to say that autos are safer than cars? Or is it that their lives are not important to the law making bodies?

Hahaha, marvelous.
I think this deserves a PIL in Supreme Court.

[Powersteer]

Pardon my ignorance, but do ATV's serve any practical purpose for a civilian to make use of, other than recreation?

[GTO]

If mopeds powered by puny electric motors, rickety auto-rickshaws and jugaad 3-wheelers are allowed to ply on public roads, I don't see why ATVs should be prohibited. Plus, the ATVs available today are built to tough, international standards.

Originally Posted by Powersteer

Pardon my ignorance, but do ATV's serve any practical purpose for a civilian to make use of, other than recreation?

ATVs are built for rough & inexistent roads. Thus, they're ideal for agricultural areas, farmhouses, construction sites, mining, forests etc.

Trouble is, if an ATV owner wants to use the same on his farm (as an example), he has to transport the ATV there in another vehicle. This isn't really feasible; how many people own pickup trucks in India?

[StrangeWizard]

Yes the Government is going to pass an approval which allows local production of ATVs. Right now we get only Polaris ATVs officially in India and they are priced from 7-30 or even more lakhs because they are CBUs.

Its just that ATVs give out higher emissions than normal cars so the ministry is trying to come up with new norms that these vehicles will need to comply with.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by StrangeWizard

Its just that ATVs give out higher emissions than normal cars so the ministry is trying to come up with new norms that these vehicles will need to comply with.

Emission is certainly a serious issue that the government should enforce. ATVs should meet the emission norms of at least the two wheelers if they are to be allowed on Indian roads. If not, then it should be restricted to agricultural lands or private properties where the air pollution is not going to be a big issue due to low to nil density of vehicles.