Q and A....top question we hear.

     YPK Motorsports sells "side by sides", UTVs or whatever you like to call them in your neck of the woods.  We sell them, we use them ourselves at home, we LOVE them!  At least once a week we hear this all too familiar question in the store:  "We just bought our first Side-by-Side. What are the guidelines for driving with a passenger?"  A very good and important question.  We thought it would be a great topic for the blog!  Our response is straight from the owner's manual of a Polaris RZR, but applies to all side by side UTV's and riders.      
-Make sure the passenger is at least 12 years old and is tall enough to comfortably and safely sit in the passenger seat with the seat belt secured, put both feet on the floor and grasp the hand holds.
-Make sure the passenger is wearing appropriate riding gear, including an approved helmet and eye protection.
-Make sure the passenger secures the seat belt.
-Make sure all cab nets and side guards are properly secured.
-Vehicle handling may change with a passenger and/or cargo on board. Allow more time and distance for braking.
For further information on driving with a passenger, see the owner's manual for your vehicle.
  

We are all for families enjoying off road riding together, just be sure you are riding safely, especially when kids are involved.  We sell lots of safety gear for you and your UTV, ATV, and off road vehicle in our store.  (You can take a look here at some of our catalogs.)  A properly fitted helmet and protective eye wear are available in youth and adult sizes in our store.  We also encourage you to take a safety class if you still have any concerns.  The machines we sell are powerful...be sure your family knows how to use them properly and everyone will have a great time! 

Young Riders...Gotta Start'em Right!

     Around here, everyone rides.  The old, the young, the women, the farmers and even the kids!  Off road riding is one of the best forms of entertainment around here and it is a wonderful way to spend quality family time.  Young riders can learn self confidence and important skills by learning to ride kid sized ATVs, motorcycles, or even a youth sized UTV. At YPK Motorsports we have many options for the young riders.  We have Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Polaris four wheelers that are great for the new rider.  We also carry motorcycles that are made just for the beginner.  For now, for the side by side riders, there is only one UTV (or side by side) on the market for kids, and that is the Polaris RZR 170.      
      Being outdoors riding brings real adventure to a child and teaches them responsibility and respect for nature as well as for machines.  All youth sized models need to be respected and not treated like toys.  There is an obvious injury risk with the activity if not used properly, so it is important to start them out right.  There is no way to know for sure if your child is ready for the responsibility of riding, but here are some commonly asked questions to ask yourself to help you make that decision.

1. Is the child big enough and strong enough to easily reach all of the controls.  Are they strong enough to use the throttle, hand brakes, etc.  Are their arms long enough to turn the model's handlebars all the way to the left and the right?  When the rider stands on the footrests, is there at least three inches of clearance between the model's seat and the bottom of the rider?  
2. Does your child have good judgement and good coordination?  Riders of all ages need good hand-eye coordination and a good sense of balance.  Riders need to be able to think and react quickly to fast moving situations.  Do they know the difference between right/wrong, left/right, safe/unsafe, their own limits, etc?  Maturity plays a big part in whether a young rider is ready to roll or not.  You are the best judge of this.  Be sure they are ready.   
3. What safety gear and clothing should your child wear?  Do they need special stuff?  THE MOST important piece of safety equipment is a top quality motorcycle helmet (must be approved by the DOT....the Department of Transportation).  Make sure the helmet fits right and that the child learns to wear it EVERY single time they ride.  Other important safety equipment would include goggles, sturdy boots, and riding gloves.  Also be sure the child always rides in long pants and sleeves.  
4. Does the child need special training?  It is always smart to start by reading the manual with your child and going over the parts of the machine to get things started.  A period of hands on training supervised by the parent is essential to learning the basics.  A good rider needs to practice.  ALways be sure the young rider has adult supervision.  We like to always suggest new riders of all ages to train with an official riders training program.
5. Which ATV or Motorcycle size should we pick?  Using common sense it imperative with this decision.  There are guidelines from the government that dealers volunteer to comply with when selling youth models.  The guidelines are that: any ATV with an engine size less than 70cc are recommended for youngsters 6 years old or older.  Engine sizes 70-90cc are for youth ages 12 or older.  And Engine sizes greater than 90cc are recommended for ages 16 and older.  The final choice is always up the the parents, but the guidelines take a lot of the guess work out of it.          

Promos for Everyone!

KAWASAKI SPRING PROMOTION!!

Kawasaki has just released its Spring promotion this morning! We are excited to bring it to you and let you in on a great deal! You can get financing as low as 3.95% for up to 60 months for qualified buyers! AND....get up to $2,000 on select models!

Great news for the rider that has been looking at the incredible New Teryx4 models! We have lots of the Teryx4's in stock and in all of the great colors Kawasaki has offered! Green, red, yellow, camo...too many to choose from and lots of fantastic after market accessories to add to make it yours! Come on in to the showroom and take one of the New Kawasakis for a spin. The New 2012 Ninja is as awesome as they look...check them out here!

Go Big Blue!

In honor of March Madness and our beloved Kentucky Wildcats going to the Sweet Sixteen, we are spotlighting the 2012 Polaris Ranger RZR XP 900 in VooDoo Blue (Wildcat Blue to you and me)! Check it out here!

Spring has sprung in KY

Flowers are blooming and the grass needs mowing, but all you want to do it ride. Does that sound familiar? I know it rings true at our house. Being at the store makes it all the much harder. YPK has all of the latest 2012 models in the showroom. Lots of great new colors of rides and absolutely the best machines we have ever seen (or heard)! If you are in the market for a new (or new to you) toy to ride, stop by or give us a call today! (606-666-5333).

If you are already the proud owner of an ATV, motorcycle, side by side, etc....but you need to get things cleaned up or serviced before you ride this season, then we would be honored to help you with that. Boone Gilliam is our certified mechanic at YPK. Boone is a Five Star Yamaha Certified Service Manager with more than a decade of experience. Boone routinely updates his certifications and stays educated on the latest tricks and techniques from Yamaha, Polaris, and Kawasaki. Boone leads a first-class service team at YPK Motorsports that can get your ride serviced and running smooth. Whether it is a routine tune up, oil change, or a complete overhaul, Boone can handle whatever rolls in the door. Call (or click here for) the store to set up an appointment.

Brackets are set up, get ready for Sunday!

YPK friends...we have set up our YPK Bracket Challenge and it is ready for you join to play. Head on over to the bracket challenge site and be ready for the teams announcement on Sunday, March 11th! Here is the link to the site we are using to host the bracket challenge.
As always, we WILL have great prizes for our winners. We are working on that list now. In the past we have given away store services such as oil changes, riding accessories, and gift cards to our store as well as other places (such as walmart, gas, etc).
Be sure to tell your friends and make it more fun to talk smack! We have a lot of fun with this, so let's get ready! Follow the link and enter the password for our challenge: 2012YPK after you have registered. You can always find the link on our website or Facebook page as well. Game on!

March Madness!

March Madness Bracket time at YPK! We are so excited for this year's season!! Prizes and fun with customers...are you ready?? We are setting the link up and getting ready for a great season of tournaments. If you have missed it in the past, YPK Motorsports give prizes to the winners of the brackets! We have given away free services, free gift cards, and more!
You do NOT want to miss this year's season! Stay tuned for more info....