25 Going 4 Wheeling Articles

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ATV History and The Best ATV Trails: One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

The ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) we know today had very humble beginnings in the mountainous farming regions of Japan. The muddy mountain roads became difficult for farmers to travel during spring thaws and were almost impossible to drive over with conventional vehicles or big machinery. The Japanese, always a culture to modify and improve, created the three-wheeled ATV. This vehicle was a significant help to local farmers and was less expensive than larger farm vehicles. It quickly proved to be an excellent little workhorse.

But the Japanese didn’t stop there. ATV manufacturers realized they could market these ATVs to Americans. America had nothing like the ATV, and the first one arrived on our shores in the early 1970s. Honda, a forerunner in the market, had a proven track record with motorcycle sales in America, having introduced the Honda Cub to millions of Americans only a decade before. The successful marketing slogan "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" came at a time when bikers had a bad reputation and proved to people that the average Joe could enjoy motor sports as well. By the 1970s, Honda had a reputation for building reliable, state-of-the-art machines, and their ATV was no different. This time, the marketing focus was to show people how thrilling recreational ATV riding could be.