IRVINE, Calif. – Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) has announced a continuation of its relationship with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) as it enters the 2014 season.  KMC will be in its third year as the Official Side x Side and ATV sponsor of the fast-growing sport that has captured the interests of both live and television audiences.

KMC has developed promotional tie-ins with top bull riders, including J.B. Mauney, the reigning world champion, and Shane Proctor.  The company, well-known as a marketer of motorcycles and Jet Ski® personal watercraft, focuses on its four-wheel product in conjunction with PBR activities.  The Teryx4™ LE side x side is highlighted at all of the stops on the tour which visits 18 cities in 15 states during the opening half of the season.  The Kawasaki unit, which will attract attention from many of the 1.5 million seasonal event attendees, features a powerful V-twin engine, high performance Fox Podium shocks, best-in-class comfort and bright LED headlights. The Teryx4 LE is perfectly suited to the strength and endurance exhibited by PBR tour riders and fans alike.

The first half of the series, which gets underway January 3-5 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, will see Mauney, Proctor and scores of other bull riders trying to outmatch the toughest 1,500-pounds-plus bulls ever corralled in an urban setting.  Like the riders, bulls are ranked throughout the season and the top ones have names like Bushwacker, Asteroid, and Smackdown.

Among the cities on the first half of the tour are Chicago, Anaheim, St. Louis, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs. Las Vegas will host the close to the opening half of the season with an event scheduled May 9-10.

“Our involvement with the PBR and its Built Ford Tough Series has let us see first-hand why this sport has grown so dramatically, and why fans associate so easily with the riders,” said Kawasaki’s Chris Brull, director of marketing.

“The top riders are very approachable and the bulls exemplify unbelievable strength, and that combination of talent and raw power fits perfectly with the way Kawasaki positions the Teryx side x side,” said Brull.

Brull sees the company’s four-wheel line-up, which also includes the MULE™ side x side and Brute Force® ATV as the most logical extension of the brand’s industrial strength heritage.  Kawasaki has provided heavy industrial support for more than 100 years, building everything from ships and bullet trains to airplane components, large transport helicopters, and huge gas turbine powerplants.