International ATV Symposium debuts at EICMA CHINA

The first-ever international All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Symposium debuted on Friday, June 11, at EICMA CHINA – The Motorcycle Show. It was hosted by the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) in partnership with the China Italy Motorcycle Exhibition Company (CIME), organizers of EICMA CHINA. Attendees included manufacturers, distributors, importers, and other stakeholders interested in the global ATV industry.

The ATV Symposium’s panel discussion was facilitated by MIC President Tim Buche. Industry and regulatory experts from Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States addressed consumer issues such as safety, vehicle utilization, and market dynamics, as well as industry standards, technical issues and regulatory issues including mandatory standards, customer support, testing and certification.

Expert panel participants included:* Rhys Griffiths, Motorcycle Manager, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) – Australia;* Robert Ramsay, President, Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council (COHV);* Herry Kleyn van Willigen, President, All Terrain Vehicle Industry European Association (ATVEA); and* Paul Vitrano, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA) and Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) – United States.

“The ATV Symposium has been a unique and rewarding educational experience, truly one that has epitomized an international spirit of cooperation, particularly for those of us involved with associations that represent the ATV industry in our respective countries,” says Vitrano. “We benefit, collectively and individually, by sharing ideas and strategies about issues that affect us all. The ultimate goal being that the rider experience is safe, responsible and positive.”

“In the United States, as the ATV industry has evolved, so has the SVIA. In addition to the SVIA’s ten major manufacturer and distributor member companies, we now provide access to services such as safety training for 15 ‘participating companies’ – ATV companies doing business in the U.S. that do not have full supporting member privileges,” Vitrano continued. “The synergy from these discussions at the ATV Symposium about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry at the global level are then leveraged for the benefit of our member companies and participating companies.”

The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America promotes the safe and responsible use of all-terrain vehicles through rider training, public awareness campaigns and state legislation. Additionally, the SVIA works to preserve access to off-road lands and expand riding opportunities. The SVIA is a resource for ATV research, statistics and vehicle standards. Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the SVIA develops standards for the equipment, configuration and performance requirements of ATVs.

Based in Irvine, Calif., the SVIA is a not-for-profit industry association sponsored by Arctic Cat, BRP, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, Polaris, Suzuki, Tomberlin and Yamaha. Visit the SVIA online at http://www.svia.org/. For safety information or to enroll in the ATV RiderCourseSM nearest you, visit http://www.atvsafety.org/ or call (800) 887-2887.