ATV Ridding In South Florida

[RAPTOR-ANT]

Im new to this forum, and I apologyze for my ignorance of not having read every post in here prior to writing this....but here it goes.

I have been an ATV ridder for 25 years, hell I used to ride down in Dade county off US-27 in the good old days, before any residential homes were even built.  I rode Virginia Beach in Rickenbauker Casueway, Holiday park, lost lake, and in Broward County prior to I-75 getting build out.....well I think you get the message.

Today's world is much different from back then.  It seems that everywhere you try and ride, it is either build out, closed out, or prohibited by the Florida Wildlife, or the South Florida Water Management, or some type of goverment entity.  What I do not understand is that we are all tax payers, and some of this land is public land, so why can't it be used to ride in?  Why not take some of our tax payers money and hire a couple of security guards or wildlife guards, and have them keep controls of these areas, instead of just closing them down completely.  Think of it as a regular public park, similar to those you go to when you have a picnic, instead these areas/parks can be dedicated for ridding ATV's.  Don't we all have to pay a registration fee for our bikes when we register them or transfer them from one owner to another?  Well why?  What is that money being used for?  If you ask me, it being used to buy new signs that are now posted in areas we can no longer ride in.  When you purchase a car, part of the title transfer, registration fee, etc... goes toward public safety, police officers and roads right?  So where does our money go when we pay the ATV registration fee?

Where is Honda, Yamaha, Zuzuki and all the big manufacturers?  Are they fighting on our behalf?  I mean after all it is a benefit to them since we purchase their products. 

It is quite dissapointing and extremely unfair what they are doing to us riders.  We are treated like we just stole the ATV we are ridding.  When do we have a say in this whole ordeal?  Is there not enough of us to make a difference?

[LostCause]

Well Raptor-Ant
1st welcome to the site.
Next welcome to the world as we know it.  Pay fee after fee after fee and get promised riding areas and then nothing ever happens.
To answer one of your last questions.......
"Is there enough of us to make a difference?"
I would like to think so but at the same time not enough of us are willing to take the time to do what is required.  I even fall into this category.  and so does everyone on this forum.
Let me explain before everyone jumps down my back.

Several years ago there was a ATV Rally that was promoted and scheduled to take place in Lakeland, FL.  This was going to be a big event but when the property owner realised how many were going to be there and that it was also designed to be a political front to get the word out about our riding areas diminishing he backed out at the last min and left us with having to try to find a different area with 3 weeks to promote the new location.  This event was good and brought a lot of people together but not like we were planing.  We were looking at having over 15k people there and turned out that there was only a little over 700.  That leads me to the next point.  We like to complain and let the other guy do all the work on getting the rules and regulations changed.  This is something that ALL need to come together for.  Not just the Quad riders.  ALL OHV PARTICIPANTS.

The economy has caused most all the industries to back out of support.  Not just with ATVs.  Honda is not even producing a 2010 mod.

The funds that you speak of from our fees have been taken from us and use in Cal. from what I hear.  I don't know what for but they are not in FL anymore.

[PWCManiac]

Hey Raptor Ant, I'm pretty much in the same situation you & every rider here is in. I'm new to the forum but I've been riding for years up in River Ranch but I feel restricted there as far as inviting guests. None of my friends want to go as soon as they hear what they have to cough up.
I live in Miami, Fl. We just purchased 2 Suzuki's in the last few days, a 2006 Eiger 400 & today we just came back from Sky Motorsports with a brand new KingQuad 400. My biggest problem is that my father thinks he can just set his ramps & ride on any vacant land. He's in his late 50's yet I feel more mature than he does when it comes to this. Well, because I've been riding for years yet he hasn't. Point is, here we are with 2 new bikes & virtually no place to ride. We plan on going to get our Big Cypress permits next Monday. That will give us ONE riding location (near by) in the bag!