Riders from ages 4 to 50+ battled it out in the blazing heat and near 100% humidity at the 34th Annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Championships in Hurricane Mills, TN. The extreme conditions at Loretta Lynn’s proved to be the perfect crucible to forge the next chapter in ProTaper history. In all, 38 champions were crowned, but some of the biggest news from the Amateur Nationals came from the smallest kids as ProTaper picked a pair of pee wee prospects to premiere their new Micro Bars.
Cobra-mounted Casey Cochran certainly had matters well in hand with his new Micro Bars! The youngster from just up the road in Arlington, TN, went 2-2-1 to totally dominate the 51cc (7-8) Limited Class. In the 51cc (4-6) Limited Class Sam Garroutte, Jr. made the trip from Watsonville, CA, worthwhile. Also on a Cobra, Sam diced with William Canaguier III all three motos. When the dust settled, Sam’s 2-1-2 finishes were good enough for 2nd overall.
“We couldn’t be prouder of Casey and Sam,” says ProTaper Brand Manager Paul Perebijnos. “They put in great rides and proved the concept that smaller grips can result in better control and importantly in the case of Loretta’s this year, less fatigue. Instead of kids riding 50cc bikes with bars and grips designed for full-sized adults, ProTaper’s new Micro handlebar solves that problem.”
The unique abrupt taper design gives the Micro bar a smaller diameter in the grip areas, while retaining a standard 7/8” diameter throughout the critical clamping and control areas. It also means standard triple clamps, kill switches and all other stock hardware can be retained. By utilizing a two-piece design, the Micro Throttle Tube can be fitted to any 2-stroke model off-road bike of 85cc and smaller by using one of the seven optional throttle cams packaged with every set of bars. The grips are a scaled-down version of ProTaper’s popular 1/3 Waffle Grip.
“Compared to the standard 22mm grip for grown-ups, we now have grips that are only 17mm in diameter,” explains Perebijnos. “Small hands can better grasp them… Micro Bars are a game-changer, just like when ProTaper first introduced the 1 1/8” taper wall handlebar back in 1991!”
In addition to hand-selecting Casey and Sam to premiere the Micro bars, Perebijnos provided pit support for all ProTaper riders in the 38 different classes! Despite having his hands full, he managed to sneak out on the track for a couple races in the Vet 30+ Class. Paul was consistent all week, scoring 2-2-1 moto finishes and the Class Championship. “I couldn’t let the little guys down,” says Perebijnos, who was Dean Wilson’s mechanic before becoming ProTaper’s Brand Manager.
Micro Bar Details:
• Made from proprietary 2000-series T6 aluminum alloy
• Crossbar made from cold-forged aluminum
• Crossbar clamps CNC-machined from 6061 aluminum and adhered with aerospace quality polymer
• High tech, stress relieved, shot peened and anodized finish for unmatched durability
• Weighs only 1.55 lbs. (700 Grams) with bar pad
• Throttle tube barrel made using T6 aluminum alloy
• Anodized and knurled barrel to resist corrosion and ensure maximum grip traction
• Seven optional injection molded, high-impact plastic cams
