The Vento Avalanche is an off-road machine from Vento, the American brand whose products also included motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles. Vento Motorcycles, Inc. assembled its vehicles in Laredo, Texas, and sold them in Mexico, the United States, Russia and other markets.
Vento Avalanche at a glance
| Model | Vento Avalanche |
|---|---|
| Brand | Vento |
| Company | Vento Motorcycles, Inc., United States |
| Model type | ATV / off-road vehicle |
| Other products of the brand | motorcycles, scooters, off-road vehicles |
| Assembly plant | Laredo, Texas, opened in 1998 |
| Corporate office by 2006 | San Diego, California |
| Dealer network | over 175 dealers in more than 30 US states |
| Outlets worldwide | over 300 |
| Sales, FY2003, USA | 17,840 units |
| Model page | no dedicated Wikipedia article; facts from the brand page |
based on one source: there is no dedicated Wikipedia page for the Avalanche, so the article draws on the Vento manufacturer article.
History of the Vento Avalanche
More than two wheels
Vento is usually associated with scooters and small motorcycles, but its catalogue also covered ATVs and off-road vehicles. The Avalanche comes from that part of the range. Vento submitted vehicle identification number decoding information to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for several vehicle types, including motorcycles, scooters and ATVs, and some of its models received California Air Resources Board emissions certification for particular model years.
Assembly at Laredo
The Laredo plant opened in 1998 and handled assembly and quality control, with components brought in from outside. By 2006 the company’s headquarters were in San Diego, California, with assembly and quality control still in Laredo and a marketing, product development and dealer support centre in Melbourne, Florida.
Sold across the Americas
Vento reached more than 300 outlets worldwide and more than 175 dealers in more than 30 American states. In 2003 it sold 17,840 units in the United States, while 77,600 of its motorcycles were sold in Chile, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Russia combined, a total that included highway motorcycles, scooters, utility vehicles and ATVs.
Design and features
- Off-road focus: part of Vento’s ATV and off-road line rather than its scooter range.
- Built up in Texas: assembled and quality-checked in Laredo.
- Regulated for the US market: the brand supplied VIN decoding data to the NHTSA and obtained CARB certification for some models.
- International distribution: sold in the Americas, the Caribbean and Russia.
Vento Avalanche versions
- Avalanche: the off-road model described here.
- Other Vento off-road machines: the brand’s ATV range is represented in the collection (link below).
Vento’s on-road products are covered by the Vento Phantom and the Vento Triton; the whole brand is in the Vento collection.
Video: Vento Avalanche
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Vento (motorcycle manufacturer), English Wikipedia: product range, certification, assembly, sales
