There are a few debates that seem to go on forever. Corvette or Mustang, Cannon or Nikon, PC or Mac.

Another great debate that is carried out by gear-heads around the world is that of 2 stroke engines or 4 stroke engines.

The differences in the two are basic and simple, and just like the person who's driven both Corvettes AND Mustangs will tell you, you really can't compare the two in a general sense because they're in two different classes, much like Choppers are in a different class than Sport Bikes.

And the differences probably aren't what you'd think. Read the article then come back and give your own opinions.

Pala Raceway has officially, albeit quietly opened a brand new offroad racetrack for ATVs and MX bikes and they're having a Launch Party today.

The Pala Indian Tribe planned this racetrack from the ground up to be a world class off-road racing facility. It's located in North San Diego, near the Pala Casino Resort and Spa off the Interstate 15.

Pala Raceway is using specialized watering system to keep the track nice, and keep the dust down. It will have a rider's clubhouse, a food course and a lodge.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, so when I saw the headline for a FREE 92 Jeep Wrangler over at KSL.com's classifieds, being the skeptic I am I did a little research into this claim and after several seconds of looking and pondering found this little stipulation...

...with proposal and wedding ring.

That's right, you have to propose and provide a wedding ring. Ok, so that's still not so bad I suppose.

Is Cracker-Jack still putting rings in their boxes? If so, I think this might be doable.

But wait, there seems to be another catch... Seems you not only have to provide the ring, but you actually have to get married! And STAY married for 5 years! Dang. Talk about bait and switch.

There's more, though. If you're willing to go the whole "'til death do you part" thing, they'll throw in a 400EX ATV. Wow. What a deal.

Not only do you get the Jeep, but you get me. And boys, I don t come stock. I am FULLY LOADED! My add-ons include: a great sense of humor, an affection for garage nights that means working on stuff in the garage , an amazing work ethic, temple-worthiness, an appreciation for sports, the ability to live well within my means, logical reasoning skills, a work hard so you can play hard mentality, and I m great with kids, too!

Those aren't the typical add-ons I'd be shopping for, but different strokes right?

Happy shopping fellas.

Image wedding.jeep@hotmail.com

Congressman Bob Filner recently restored trash collection services for the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA).

On the surface that may seem like a good idea, but one has to question whether or not the funds used for trash collection in the dunes by the BLM wouldn't be better spent on things like EMT service, road maintenance, or some other service that normal users can't supply? Or at the very least sub it out to the private sector. It'll be cheaper AND create jobs.

Seriously, when you consider the shape of the economy and all, don't you think it's time for the government to tighten their belts, too? You know this is going to get paid for with increased fees. Would it be worth it to you to take your trash home with you so those funds could be used for more important things?

The Imperial Valley Press reports that the El Centro CoC wants to eliminate personal responsibility for people to clean up their mess...

Cathy Kennerson, chief executive officer of the El Centro Chamber of Commerce, said that while working on its budget for this year, the bureau said it recognized the need to continue providing trash service.

“You can’t expect the 1.4 million people who visit the dunes to all clean up every bit of trash,” Kennerson said.

Wait, what?

Packing your trash out with you is one of the first rules to ANY outdoor recreation, including riding ATVs in the dunes!

People need to be more responsible and try to take care of themselves instead of relying on others to do it for them. We already pay enough for access to "public land" (that in my opinion should be free to access after we pay for our green or red stickers), and we don't need to add the cost of trash service to our bill, because we are the ones paying for it all in the end anyway.

Image Matt Finley

Every once in a while you find someone doing something that makes you stop and think to yourself, "That's cool!"

Jon Gunnar Benjaminsson is a person who's doing just that. He's paralyzed and loves outdoor recreation. He plans to take a highly specialized ATV and go across Iceland on a 5 day trip.

Jon Gunnar Benjaminsson is confined to a wheel chair but is determined to show his fellow countrymen that he's not about to let that stop him from enjoying outdoor recreation. And what better way to show other handicapped people how much an ATV can change their lives?

Jon Gunnar Benjaminsson wants to raise money to create more access to the area for handicapped people. He also wants to see how accessible the area is.

The route begins at Lake Myvatn today (Wednesday) and ends in the capital of Reykjavik according to the Iceland Review. The trip is being sponsored by 66 Degrees North. You can follow the ATV trip here if you can translate it.

Image geography.about.com

Popular Science staff photographer John Carnett may have gone right off the deep end. Either that or he's been breathing jet fuel for way too long.

Let me explain... If you had a Polaris RZR SxS ATV and a jet engine just laying around the garage, what, in your right mind, would make you go "Hey. I'm gonna put that jet engine into my ATV!"? Nope. It's not every day you see an ATV with a jet engine, and there's probably a very good reason for that.

What would you do with it? Seriously. Maybe take it down to the local 1/4 mile track, throw some wheelie bars on it with a parachute, and let her rip! Lets just hope he has all the right ATV safety gear. And perhaps an ejection seat.

Image John Carnett

As we reach the 4th of July Independence Day celebration, it brings summer into full swing. That means now is the time to be diligent about ATV safety and responsibility.

Keeping a few things in mind will help make your ATV trips safer and more fun.

• Remember to ALWAYS wear a helmet.
• Ride the appropriate sized ATV
• Don't ride double
• Don't ride on pavement
• Don't ride under the influence
• Supervise kids under 16

If you're a new rider, or you have kids that ride, some states require safety certification for either the parent, the child or both. The All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute (ASI) provides extensive rider-training courses and does a great job of getting kids trained about ATV safety and responsibility.

Image ATV Safety Institute

For several years there has been a flood of lawyers exaggerating claims about Yamaha Rhino ATVs being unsafe and unstable. This mis-information has prompted numerous lawsuits against Yamaha by people that drive these high-performance golf carts in a manner that is, at the very least, not intended by the manufacturer.

Yamaha is trying to get their side of the story out. They created a web site to tell the Truth About Rhino's and encourage anyone and everyone who owns or may some day own a Rhino to check it out.

It's not like Yamaha is trying to pretend nothing's wrong. They have volunteered to make modifications to the Rhinos that will make them safer. Note that this is a voluntary repair by Yamaha, not a recall. Those modifications include adding 2 inch spacers to the wheels and removing the anti-sway bar.

The biggest issue with the less than 1% of people that have incidents while operating Rhinos is operator error. Most times it's because of not wearing a helmet and/or seat belt, riding in areas not suited for the vehicle, riding the vehicle beyond it's physical limits, or even riding under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The bottom line is that you have to be responsible for your actions. If you make a choice to ride beyond your ability or not wear the right gear, that's on you, not the manufacturer of the vehicle. What's your take on this?

Rhino logo © Yamaha
Photo of Rhino © Matt Finley

The Ohio Forest Ranger District is using TRAILS Funds to build an ATV safety training course. This portion of a larger project will build a much needed ATV training facility to an already existing network of trails and trail-heads.

The Irontron Ranger District decided to build this training area after several of their patrol personnel get ATV certified as instructors. They also mention trying to get funding for a Polaris Sportsman 500 to help with law enforcement in the area. Work is scheduled for completion by 2010.

So far, Polaris has provided nearly $10 million dollars in the Polaris T.R.A.I.L.S. away since 2006 to help support ATV riders and the trails they ride.

Image © Matt Finley

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In my work with the OHV community over the years I've often found the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to be one of the more un-biased government agencies that deals with public land issues.

Recently some respectable members of the OHV community have expressed their concerns that the recent nomination of Robert V. Abbey to the position of Director of the BLM by President Obama may jeopardize the long standing and mutually respectful relationship shared by Offroaders and the BLM.

For years certain environmental groups have spared no tax-payer's expense in coming up with ways of filing law-suits against OHV groups and other recreational management groups/plans based on circumstances that are not always founded on accurate scientific data.

Robert Abbey joined one of those groups, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), and the OHV community is understandably concerned about it. The BLM has been key in developing and maintaining a positive, successful relationship between OHVers and public lands, and the Center for Biological Diversity is actively opposed to what that relationship stands for.

By most accounts, Robert Abbey has been a good manager for the BLM, and we can only encourage him to make responsible, sound decisions that look at issues from all sides when it comes to land issues and the OHV community.

Image © BLM