ATV Television's Blog

Some “Why’s?” for Polaris

2011-12-11T20:34:00.002-07:00

This is a subject that comes up every so often. No, actually it comes up way too often – that’s why I’m writing this!

In fact one of the more telling “why’s?” is that I have enough “why’s?” that I’m not sure where to start.

Yes I do. Let me start with the most recent “why?” This one came while filming the details on the new RZR 570 we are testing. One of our past complaints was that the grab bar rattled. While it bothered me to have to wrap a bit of electrical tape around the grab bar (that slid into the mount), it was an easy fix. But Polaris fixed that. They put a square plastic sleeve inside the round tube to accept a square inner tube of the ‘new’ grab bar. As my friend calls it, ‘Kindergarten 101 stuff.’ (BTW: I have several old ‘dune buggies’ that I built that use the same grab bar technology and none of them ‘rattle’). The problem is it still rattles every bit as much as it did before. The second problem is that it’s now way harder to tape to get it to stop rattling because you have to tape the square tube that goes through the sleeve and then re-enters the ‘big round tube.’ Polaris’ answer? Don’t push it in so far…

And that brings me to another ‘Polaris answer.’ At a recent new model intro, we complained that while crossing the creeks and streams that the floorboard to body on one side of the Sportsman worked well at keeping the water from coming up and soaking your boot, yet the other side seemed to work almost perfectly at funneling the water up and on your boot. The ‘Polaris answer?’ “Wear taller boots.” (Remember that answer as you may find it in the future).

Then there’s the Polaris work-arounds. One of the most amazing to me is the heel pocket in the floorboard of the RZR. The very first RZR’s had a smooth plastic floorboard that proved to be very slick. In addition, the throttle pedal had a very quick ratio. Between the quick throttle action and your foot unable to stay in place, maintaining throttle accuracy was difficult. While I would have thought about putting in a ‘less slick’ floor covering and maybe redesigning the throttle linkage for a better ratio, Polaris ‘solved’ the problem by putting a ‘pocket’ in the floorboard to keep your foot in place. While that proved an interesting solution, it didn’t entirely fix the problem. They then changed the ratio on the throttle to have a much longer throw in the first part of throttle application, and a much quicker increase in the remainder. It still proved to be less than desired.

Now, even on the new RZR XP900 and 570 with a revised throttle system, the pocket remains. When I mentioned to Polaris that it seemed awkward to use as ‘my’ foot doesn’t sit in it they looked at me bewildered. They even wanted to see my foot’s placement in the RZR. It went completely unnoticed when I mentioned that I have driven a great many vehicles in my life and not one had a ‘pocket’ in the floorboard. Now I simply fill the pocket in with rubber and put a BedRug floor covering in the RZR to fix the problem.

But incredibly (to me at least!) there are even bigger “Why’s?” to ponder. Like why should you have to push a button on a Sportsman to make the 4WD system work in reverse? Or why do you have to flip a switch to make the engine braking go to all four wheels when in 4WD? And when you do, why do you have to be going less than 15MPH and under 3100RPM, and with no throttle application for all this to work? And when you do all this, and it is all working, then why does it not work under these conditions if you apply the brakes?

Am I the only one here, or does all this seem way harder than it needs to be?

All of those “why’s?” can be explained away as being a result of Polaris-specific AWD system. This means that I’m left to ask why they use the type of all-wheel-drive system that requires so many work-arounds rather than the tried-and-true system that everyone else uses – with the option of having 2WD, 4WD with a limited slip differential, and/or 4WD with a lockable front differential?

The Polaris answer? “Our system is the easiest to use! You just ride the ATV and when the ATV senses any slip in the rear wheels (even one lug?) it applies ‘True 4 Wheel Drive!” I see - easy as in push this button for that and that one for this but make sure you are doing this and that but be sure you aren’t doing this here or that there.

I’ve decided that it’s only ‘easy’ if you don’t care. Like the old bumper sticker says, “Sit down, shut up and hang on.” And in the fine print: ‘and don’t worry about any of this and everything will be easier.’

Now for the disclaimer (ie. THE SMALL PRINT):

I really don’t hate Polaris. Really! Actually far from it. I really respect Polaris for so many things they’ve done. For one; Even though the 50” RZR is the best selling UTV (or SxS if you’d rather call it that) no other company has had the guts to make such a machine. And specking of the RZR, no one has made a machine as light. Or that handles so well. And no one has made as many variations! And I could go on. Crew Ranger 500s, EV’s, not to mention little details like adjustable seats and nice wheels.

So for me, Polaris is like the redhead in my youth. She is (and does) so many incredibly wonderful things that you can’t help but love her, but every once in a while she leaves you standing alone at the drive-in as she leaves with another guy. And to make it worse, he doesn’t even drive a 4-wheel-drive?

Disclaimer part 2:

There never was a redhead or even a drive-in. What the heck is a drive-in anyway?

Disclaimer part 3:

If there was a drive-in I was so cool in my youth that no redhead would even think of leaving me standing alone at the drive-in.

Disclaimer part 4:

I didn’t wear those ridiculous plaid polyester pants back then either…

Yet Another Compelling Reason For A Racing Simulator!

2011-11-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson's Commercial for Forza Motorsport 4

Something to Learn About Something to Learn

2011-11-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

I’ve been doing some investigating into racing simulators recently and it has given me a whole new perspective on what it feels like to know almost nothing (okay absolutely nothing) about a new interest. I’m finding out that trying to gather enough pertinent information is a struggle. Even any information is a struggle.

Basically, for simulator racing you need to find out about several different components, such as cockpit seats, steering wheel and pedals sets, the different gaming platforms, and finally which games are worth the money. A daunting task for several reasons.

You see, I learned a long time ago that all reviews are not created equal. Here’s a great example of this from my first editor at ATV Television. He had realized that now that he was involved in the ATV industry that he needed to pay more attention to ATVs. After buying a few magazines (there were no other TV shows, and only one internet site back then), he mentioned to me how amazed he was that we attended the same new model introduction as those magazine guys, we rode the same machines, and we sat around having drinks and talking after all the riding was done. But yet, when the reviews came out, their reviews were considerably different than ours. Until that revelation, he said he had treated all the articles and reviews that he read in the video and hunting magazines as gospel – always 100% correct. Now all of a sudden he didn’t know what to believe and what not too.

It’s almost as if there needs to be a review of the reviewers in order to find out which are the good ones!

And now, I find myself in that same position. After being in the off-road review business for almost 20 years I’ve grown accustomed to being able to screen the reviews to know which are valid, which are off base, and which are pure hyperbole.

But now I’m investigating an area where I know nothing – not of the product, nor of the reviewers of the products. So now I’m left with first, trying to find the product reviews I need, and second, trying to figure out how valid they are for me.

So what? Well, I can now better empathize with those of you struggling to find out more about what I take so for granted. So I promise to try to be more helpful in my information for those of you newest to our sport.

And I will try not to get involved in another industry simply because there’s a need ;-)

Perception

2011-11-05T10:02:00.001-06:00

Perception

per·cep·tion noun

the act or faculty of apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind.

We all have opinions. And yeah, I know the rest of that….

But the part of opinions that I want to discuss lies in how our opinions are formed - what are they based on, and what goes into the opinion that we oftentimes stand behind so vehemently? You know, the whole my better is better than your better thing.

The three attributes formulate our opinions; experience, perception, and bias/justification.

Experience is the easy part of the equation. No matter how you look at it experience is pretty cut and dried – how much do you have, how many did you do, how often did you do it, and how long have you done it. Let’s use one of my favorite subjects as an example, tires. You say that the Denmore All Terrain bias-radials are the best tire there is. And that statement may very well be true if put in this context – it is the best tire you’ve ever used. Of course it’s also one of only three tires you’ve used, and all of them were used on a single ATV. So basically you’ve based your opinion of what is the best tire on your experience with only three tires. That’s kind of like basing your opinion on what is the best food after having only three meals!

Perception is a much harder thing to describe simply because it’s not based on any solid, quantifiable evidence like experience. Perception is based only on, ah, well, perception. Hmmmm. It’s kinda of like asking someone one what they think but ask them to leave out what they know.

Perception is merely what you think is so based on nothing other than your feelings. ‘I think that my Mangusta EG 150 is the best quad made!’ Any facts to support this claim? No. Any comparisons with other machines? Nope. Any studies, tests, evaluations, or anything subjective on which to base this claim? Nada, nothing, no way, sorry!

And yet perception is oftentimes the first thing that forms our opinions – even more so than even limited experience. So our opinion is formed based on our perception and our experience, be they what they may be – limited, subjective, or erroneous.

But wait, there’s more! The other influence on our opinion is our bias. Bias enters the equation on two fronts; first as something we’re used to, something we’ve always had. And secondly as a justification for our ownership. Think about that one for a minute. If you didn’t think that what you purchased was the best there is, then you’d be left with admitting you didn’t get ‘the best’, and why would you do that? In reality there are a lot of reasons. Considering that there really is no single best anything that’s right for everyone is the primary reason. Cost is another as typically the best of something is the most expensive.

So our opinion of a product is made up of our experience with that product and like products, our bias toward that product based on our ownership, and our perception, that somehow magical feeling inside you that says, “I like it!”

Obviously we all have opinions - and we’re all entitled to our opinions, even if they’re based solely on our perceptions, bias, and limited experience. But it’s important that we realize that sometimes other opinions that are based on more extensive experience (and education), and less on personal perception or bias may be more subjective, and therefore more valid than those based simply on personal perception, justification, and a limited personal experience.

That is why some opinions are far more credible – and valuable than others. And that’s why the opinion of people that test products for a living oftentimes have credence over an owner’s opinion.

To quote Dave Barry, “We’re all entitled to our opinions, even if they’re wrong!” So if yours is based only on perception, bias, and limited experience, you run the risk that it just may be ;-)

I Have Such Great Friends!

2011-10-01T20:10:00.001-06:00

Got an email the other day;

Doug,

I took your advice and went with the stock wheels, which was tough because I really like the ITP wheels. I went with 25" terra cross tires. I had an opportunity to weigh each wheel as I was getting the terra cross tires mounted. The stock aluminum brute force wheels weigh 6.7 pounds each for the rear and 6.2 pounds each for the fronts. For comparison the 14" ITP wheels were around 14 pounds.

I must say that the terra cross tires have completely transformed my machine. I saw somewhere on your website that you ran about 5.5 psi in yours and I did the same and wow what a difference. I have regained all my power, my steering is fantastic (almost feels like power steering) and the handling is awesome. The 25" terra cross tires actually measure 24-1/4 inches and thus bringing the brute force closer to the ground like I want. Now I have an awesome machine that feels stable, handles great, and is predictable. Doesn't have all the flash, but definitely is capable!

Wow! Stephen was smart enough to ask for advice. Smart enough to take it. And then smart enough to investigate it further. He took my advice and immensely improved his ATV and his riding experience. In the process of checking this all out, Stephen did something I hadn’t done – measure the weight difference between good, stock aluminum wheels and those ‘nice-looking’ 14” wheels from ITP.

Stephen’s just one example of the type of person that follows ATVTV, and whom I consider a friend. He’s someone I’ve never met but yet I know that if I ever do, that we’d get along just fine – talking about our families, our riding experiences, and those more important things we no doubt share.

That’s what I like most about what I do….. I get to meet so many of you. Sometimes in nothing more than an email. But sometimes it’s the Walmart checkout line where we visit as though we’ve been friends for years. Sometimes it’s in a restaurant where we are surprised to be sharing the same experience. Or sometimes out on the trails where we chat about the riding adventures we share.

And sometimes I’ve found that our lives actually intersect and we become friends for more than just one passing moment. But whether our paths cross in an email, or for 30 seconds in meeting, we have a bond. We like the same things. But maybe more important, we see life through the same set of values. And ‘that’ is what bonds us together and yet sets us apart from the rest.

We care about the same things – tires that work as well as the ads say they should, wheels that don’t weight so much that they control the ATV, zippers on bags that actually zip when packed with dust and dirt, exploring trails rather than destroying them, and other, more important things.

I’m fortunate in that I’m constantly reminded what a great bunch of people I’m able to call friends.

Thanks. It means a lot.

The Trouble With Filming Things for A Living

2011-09-24T19:35:00.001-06:00

Everyone thinks that doing what I do for a living is the greatest job in the world. But I’m here to tell you while it does have some incredible benefits, it also has some pretty disturbing drawbacks.

Right now I’m getting things ready for the coming cold weather. For those of you that live any place other than the southwest, you know the routine. Put the mowers and weed-eaters away and pull out the snow blower and wood-splitter. Put the convertible in the back corner of the shop and pull out the old ‘beater’ 4wd. And pull the weed sprayer from the back of the ATV and bolt on the snow plow.

That is what brings me to the trouble with filming things for a living. Before I put the plow on I want to change the winch cable to a nice new synthetic rope. You know, one season of using the cable on the plow and I wouldn’t want to touch it with two pair of gloves. Snow plows require a 90-degree movement of the cable – over and over again using only about 4 inches of the cable. So unless you happen to have a Montana Jack’s winch rotator, the only long-term solution is the installation of a synthetic rope.

I try to run rope on all my winches, but the one that needed it the most is the one that doesn’t have it. So, you’d think I’d just go out to the shop and put it on. I mean I have a great shop and all the right tools – including a wrench, drill, and radio that gets Rush Limbaugh – most of the time ;-)

Well, here’s why it’s not done yet. I want to film the installation for a video. That means the lights have to be set up. The background has to be right. I mean you don’t really want to film a winch cable install with a Miata in the background. Or an FJ80 sitting on jack stands either. I have to have the right clothes on. You know, something other than my ‘real’ work pants and sweaty hair that has had a cap on it all day. Of course I also have to have a plan so that when we film it, it doesn’t have to take all day to film and another day to edit it to make it look like we knew what we were doing ;-)

Perhaps that sounds like a lot of whining, but you really can’t make something look good if you just film the installation as you would normally do it in your garage. In the evening. After a few beers. Otherwise it would look just like you doing it in your garage after a few beers. No offense.

But that’s not even the worst part of filming. When we film adventures it takes all of the fun out of riding. We stop too much. We do things too many times. We even back down the trail over and over again so we can film with different something-or-anothers. One person that went with us said he’d never backed up so much in his life. Another, who went with us on one day’s ride, suddenly had septic lines to work on the next day. Now that’s pretty bad when we lose out to septic lines….

And you know, I should have known. I remember many years ago (could it actually have been 1988!) when I was asked to use my recently rebuilt Meyers Tow’d in a movie! Wow! What a great thing. I asked my daughter, who at the time was about 8 (or so I think) if she wanted to go along to watch a movie being filmed. She only thought about it for a second before she answered, “Naw, it’s Friday and they’re having ice cream at school that day.”

She was the only one that knew not to be involved with anything video without having to be a part of it even once!

It took me a little longer…

Treading Lightly

2011-09-17T12:49:00.001-06:00

"We ride to have a great time, not to make great time." (An adaptation of a comment from Sally, in the movie Cars!)

When it comes to the promotion of trail systems there seems to be endless amounts of energy and resources spent getting people to come see it and ride it and far less thought given to who exactly is being invited to experience that particular paradise. It seems more than short-sighted, perhaps even irresponsible to promote a riding area without giving due thought to the impact that promotion has on the environment.

Whoa! Wait a minute! What's this(?), an off roader that's worried about the environment? Yeah, right, sure. Sounds like an oxymoron! Well, it shouldn't be. Us so-called 'off-roaders' should be very concerned about the environment that we enjoy. We need to be increasingly careful in our use of the great back country that we love to explore so that we can continue to enjoy well it into the future - the future where our kids and grandkids will be able to enjoy it as well! The key word to remember here is 'sustainability!' Write it down. Commit it to memory. Tell a friend!

It seems rather obvious that some trail users are considerably more harmful on the trails, to the trails, to the surrounding areas, and therefore most specifically to our desire to keep our wonderful trail systems open! Who you ask are these harmful users? It seems so obvious it shouldn't need to be said.

But I will anyway.

First let me say it's not necessarily always a 'who' that's bad for the trails, but perhaps more often a 'what'. And like in so many cases, these are generalities with which I speak. That means that there are exceptions to each. So if you're reading this and you're the 'exception' don't tell me, tell all the others that you are the exception from!

* Speed is bad. Speed of course is a relative term, but there is a point where too much speed is not only extremely dangerous to other trail users but also to the trail itself, as the spinning and sliding tires dig up the trails causing more dust, more ruts, and more erosion. Speed and dust is also known to be a rather unpleasant greeting to other trail users.

I've seen a couple good takes on speed measurement. One friend said that if his cap wanted to blow off his head he was riding too fast to be wearing a cap. Interesting. My brother used to say that he rode to see things so he rides slow enough that he can see them.

* So if speed is bad that certainly must mean that sport quads are bad. Although it's not impossible to enjoy scenic trails on a sport machine, the typical sport ATV rider is usually more concerned with enjoying the thrill of riding than being thrilled, enjoying the ride.

* And so that 'speed thing' must also apply to most motorcycles. They necessarily require more speed to ride and their single rear tire spins most of the time leaving a smaller and more pronounced rut. Someone once mentioned to me that the fewer driven wheels a vehicle has, the more damage it does to the terrain. It may also be said that the fewer driven wheels a vehicle has, the less the operator is looking around enjoying the scenery.

* Aggressive tires are also destructive to the trails. We've tested plenty of different tires and types of tires over the years and the outcome was always that deep-lugged mud and snow tires were not only unnecessary for regular trail riding but not even necessary for mild mud or snow conditions. Of course non-spinning aggressive tires may well do less damage than the mad spinning of more regular treaded tires.

Something I always think about is how you can ride an ATV slowly, without spinning the tires across even the most fragile terrain and they barely leave a mark.

* Noise is probably one of the most irritating invasions an off-roader can impose on others. Loud machines are irritating to everyone from other campers nearby, home and property owners you pass along the way, and of course the wildlife. And let's not forget to mention the interruption to the serenity of anyone stopped along the trail enjoying the scenery.

* Trash. It never ceases to amaze me how selfish or just plain ignorant many people are concerning leaving their trash along the trails. Do they not see it or do they just not care about seeing it. So I'll assume that those not concerned with the beauty of our trails are not concerned with riding beautiful trails. In which case I say you should stay home.

Did I sound mean here? Selfish? If you're offended it is most likely you that I'm talking about here.

Let me just say one more time that the key to being able to continue to ride our trails is sustainability. Keep them clean, keep them environmentally friendly, and keep the other trail users happy.

But of course, I imagine if you are reading this I'm preaching to the choir - so-to-speak.

Happy trails -
or should I say "God Bless our 'happy trails'?"

Wheels & Offset Explained (?)

2011-09-14T14:45:00.001-06:00

It wasn't until I moved from deserts of California to the mountains of Utah (where mud and snow is rather more prevalent in our riding than dry sand ;-) that I realized some of the problems associated with wheels with an increased negative offset (Need help with what 'offset is? See the explanation at the end of this blog). The first thing I noticed was how dirty I was after even a short ride. I compared that to tires that resided properly under the fenders - something I've realized were properly named 'fenders'!

The other thing I found out about wheels with more (negative) offset is their effect on the handling of the machine. The greater the offset of the wheel to the outside of the machine, the more effect it has on the suspension and steering. Add to that the fact that this happens because you've most likely added heavier, aftermarket tires and wheels farther out and you have not only increased the amount of unsprung weight, but you've also increased it's leverage. Because of that, the tires have a far greater effect on the ATV (or UTV) whether it's the wheel and tire's movement downward from dropping down into a rut or reacting upward to a rock or other bump. The greater the mass and the greater the leverage, the greater effect it will have. And that's not a 'good' effect.
An even more noticeable effect of increased negative offset is what it does to the steering. That same leverage we mentioned above, when combined with a tire with more traction will now far more easily overpower the steering leverage you have. First, the steering is far more 'grabby' with increased negative offset than with the same aggressive tread with a more positive offset. Then, the more traction and the added leverage can (and often will) be able to out-wrestle you for control of the handlebars or steering wheel.

Yet another effect of this added offset and added traction is its ability to also overpower a differential. A 'limited slip' front differential will be far less effective and unable to 'lock in' when the amount of leverage and traction is changed.

And it goes without saying that the effects of all this weight and leverage will add tremendously to the wear and even breakage of all the suspension, brake, and drive components.

So, what's my point? Simply this - It's easy to look at a set of very aggressive tires mounted on a set of wheels sticking out past the fenders and go, "Wow, that's cool-looking. It must work awesome" and be overpowered by the appearance of performance. But real performance is not measured by looks, perception, or (imagine this) popularity, but by actual performance. Yes I know, that's a profound statement and you may need some time to let it sink in. What's even more amazing is that this same perception of performance applies to other areas of an ATV as well, but we're not talking about swingaxle's versus IRS systems here ;-)

I've indeed been very fortunate to be able to try an incredible variety of wheel and tire combinations on a huge assortment of machines and most recently in a great many different trail conditions. And I've learned a lot....

Negative offset may look good and add some much-needed stability to some ATVs, but is offset (no pun intended;-) by a detriment in steering precision, handling, and even traction.

Big, giant tread may also look good but may come with the penalty of added weight, lack of steering precision (and control) and even a loss of traction and definitely a loss of power.

The general rule that seems to 'almost' always work is the use of three basic principles; Use the stock aluminum wheel or an aftermarket aluminum wheel with the exact same offset as the stock wheel. Find a moderately aggressive tire and then always choose the one with less over more. And finally watch the weight - it's easy for tires to be incredibly overweight in the name of traction and reliability.

And actually when you apply all three of those principles you'll find the choices are narrowed enough that your decision is easier.

Oh, did I mention that no matter what it needs to be radial construction?

All of this is knowing that no one modification to your ATV will have a bigger effect - good or bad.

OFFSET EXPLAINED -

The offset of a vehicle's wheel is the distance between the centerline of the wheel and the plane of the hub-mounting surface of the wheel. It can thus be either positive or negative. Offset has a significant effect on many elements of a vehicle's suspension, including the suspension geometry, clearance between the tire and suspension elements, the scrub radius of the steering system, and the width of the wheel faces relative to the fender coverage.

Zero Offset - The plane of the hub mounting surface is even with the centerline of the wheel.
Positive Offset - The plane of the hub mounting surface is shifted from the centerline toward the outside of the wheel. Positive offset wheels have most of the wheel toward the inside of the wheel.
Negative Offset - The plane of the hub mounting surface is toward the back or brake side of the wheel's centerline.

EV - Slower and Quieter Can Be Plusses

2011-09-12T17:42:00.000-06:00

If you haven't read the earlier ATV Television Blog entitled, "I've seen the future" please do. That way you'll understand this one much better.

I have sitting outside my office, one of the new Polaris Ranger EVs (Electric Vehicle). Now before I go on I'll give you a little time to clear your senses because if you're anything like me, the thought of an electric off-road vehicle will send electrical shocks through your brain until you are convulsing - with laughter ;-)

Okay, you better? Now guess what? It's quiet! So quiet in fact that I can here my passenger talking to me. And I can hear them clear enough that I can answer back without ending up hoarse. In fact it's so quiet I can here the stream flowing beside me as I drive along. I can also here those dastardly fossil fuel powered wheelers coming long before I can even see them.

I can also here the wind in the trees, the deer running up the bank, and the sound of thunder off in the distance. I hear the birds singing and the rocks from the tires flipping up into the air.

I can also see more clearly all the smiles on the faces of all (okay most) of those that I pass by. I see wildlife startled at not hearing me coming from far away. And I see the future of back country travel where peace and love abound. Okay, whoa, that went a bit far. Let's take a minute here. Let me go slam a brewski, kill an innocent animal and strap back on my redneckhood.

It didn't work. I still see the advantages of an off-road vehicle that disrupts the forrest and the community around the forrest far less than now.

Of course there's some things that just don't work on the EV. For one, it's slow and heavy. I suppose that really should count as two, huh? For another, it doesn't go very far.

But I do see is the advantages of the quiet operation of a UTV. Or maybe (just maybe) what we need to do is ride more responsibly with what we have.

Hmmm.

Slower. Quieter. It's a trail use that's an amazingly wonderful experience - I can assure you. And so is fruit, granola and yogurt. And no animals die. Trust me ;-)

Some Random Thoughts About TIRES!

2011-08-08T14:55:00.001-06:00

Let me say it again – “Tires are the single most important modification that you can make to your ATV or UTV!”

I’ll say this too! “Most ATVs – especially those coming from the Japanese manufacturers come with cheap, round, thin, biased-ply tires that are on the machine to save unsprung weight and save money!”

The proper tires will improve and enhance the performance of your ATV (or UTV) more than most people know simply because most people to not upgrade to the best tires for their machine and their riding. Most people upgrade to a tire they think looks good or their friends and other people say is good.

Have you ever run across a person that said they bought this ATV, or that truck, or in this case, this particular tire and it’s not the best? Let’s just look at tires; If someone upgrades their tires from the stock units, almost anything will mostly work better ;-)

If I may use a good friend as an example – he purchase a brand new Honda Rubicon. When the stock tires wore out at 800 miles, he upgraded to a set of Goodyear Mudrunners. They improved traction incredibly, but they didn’t steer as well or handle as well. He figured that was the trade-off necessary for the better tires. When those wore out he purchased a set of Maxxiss Bighorns. Now these were the best tires made because not only did they have great traction, but they rode better than the Mudrunners. He told all his friends that the Bighorns were the best ATV tire he’d ever ridden.

Then we met. I was incredulous with his choice of tires and perhaps more-so his opinion of them, and made him try a set of Carlisle ACTs. He was amazed at what he didn’t know before. Like so many others he could only make a measurement of a tire’s performance based on the tires that he was familiar with. Once he became more familiar with other tires he became aware of what he didn’t know before.

And that’s a typical case. The only difference is that Kenny was open-minded enough to want to know more, and a talented enough rider to be aware of the differences.

So, what makes a good tire?

Light weight. The lighter the tire, especially in relation to the weight of the machine, the better it will handle. A lighter tire will move up and down with less effect on the rest of the machine than a heavier one. A lighter tire will also start turning, continue turning, and stop with less effort than a heavier tire.

Tire compound. The consistency of the rubber that a tire is made from is called the compound. A harder compound will wear less and last longer. A softer compound will wear faster and therefore wear out faster. But, a softer compound will ‘stick’ or bend around objects like dirt, rocks and sticks and provide better traction whereas a hard compound will simply hit against it and somewhat like a bullet, ricochet off. The perfect combination of compound will make a tire have traction in dirt that is controllable.

Tread design. Here’s what seems to be a no-brainer. More tread is better. Wait, that’s not true. More tread can mean more weight, and more weight is bad. More tread with a soft compound can mean more flex and flex is bad. What then are we left with? The type of tread is important. An angled tread makes the tire clean the mud from it easier, but an angled tread can also make the tire less precise. A lateral tread makes for a smoother ride. Lateral is the tem for the tread being somewhat continuous around the circumference. A cut out tread – or a non solid rubber tread makes for a lighter tread and a tread with a bit more flex for superior traction without too much flex as with a deep tread with a soft compound.

Siping. Siping is the small slits in the tread of a tire. Sipes allow the tread to grip the surface better.

Sidewall structure. While a sidewall needs to flex for added comfort and the ability to give over irregular terrain, it needs to be strong enough to resist punctures. Just as important, the sidewall needs to be firm enough to not roll over while turning. Stock, bias-ply tires roll very easy when under lateral forces and that’s why ATVs and Rhinos can fall over so easy. A radial tire retains a constant contact patch and the sidewall does not flex with the tread so it is much more stable.

And since I said that these were random thoughts, here’s something else to mull over. A good part of traction and performance is based on a tire’s contact patch on the ground. When thinking of contact patch, most people only think wider and not longer. A longer contact patch comes from a taller tire. A longer contact area provides more traction. So you see, a taller tire can have more advantages than just more ground clearance.

So a good tire is as light as possible with as soft of a rubber compound as feasible with the tread designed to ride smooth and be self-cleaning. The tread should be just tall enough to provide forward traction but not so tall as to add too much weight or to bend while cornering. The tread should be somewhat flexible with siping or hollowed edges for better traction. The sidewall should flex slightly but be resistant to punctures.

And there you have it.

A Betty Ford Center For Vehicle Addiction?

2011-07-22T13:49:00.004-06:00

Sometimes it comes to this; you must face up to your problem. For some people it’s drugs of some sort that take over their life. Other’s it’s alcohol that won’t let them go. And for some it’s an unfortunate addiction to things that go – vehicles, cars, boats, ATVs – things with motors, engines, noise and vibration.

The difference is that if you have a problem with drugs or alcohol it’s a much more accepted problem. By that I mean it is seen as a problem and because of that there are means and ways for you to get help. There plenty of clinics available and eager to step in and administer to the poor soul that can’t say no to another drink. Unfortunately there is no one waiting to help you with you problem if you are addicted to vehicles.

So I propose a solution.

Like every other addiction, the first thing we have to do is recognize that there is indeed a problem — a problem that you have no control over. In this case it’s the addiction to vehicles. Here, rather than not being able to say no to another drink, it’s not being able to say no to another thing with wheels and an engine. Or just wheels or just an engine. Or sometime neither – but they once had ;-)

To better identify the problem let’s look at what the government says is normal. To apply for any government aid you are allowed only one vehicle. The normal American family has two vehicles. The more involved and less socially acceptable may actually have a three-car garage filled with yet more items sitting outside in the driveway.

There are the telltale signs of vehicle addiction such as justification of purchase. Not to name names, but my son-in-law recently bought an FJ80 with the ‘justification’ that he needed something to seat 7 people. The new registration hadn’t even shown up in his mailbox before he installed a lift kit and mounted bigger, and (much) more aggressive tires on it and headed out to the mountains to go camping.

There are other signs, like the size of a person’s garage – oftentimes referred to as a ‘shop’ thereby giving it less of a classification as a place to park vehicles as to simply ‘justify’ its size by it’s use as a ‘workplace’.

Or how about the shear number of vehicles a person has owned over the span of their lifetime. I recently read a Peter Egan column where he listed that he had owned something like 97 vehicles in his life! Most likely a disgusting number to most people – even those 60 years of age or more.

Now, like the three main questions you must ask yourself to find out if you’re an alcoholic, I guess we now can ask ourselves three questions to find out is you are addicted to vehicles. (Now I may not be absolutely correct in this but I remember these 3 ‘alcoholic’ questions – Do you crave a drink? Do you drink at the same time every day? Have you repeatedly tried to quit drinking?) Maybe we should add that repeatedly tried to quit to our list of vehicle addition questions as I remember that being the clue that I wasn’t an alcoholic – I never tried to quit ;-)

So, let’s be honest with ourselves and answer those questions (That’s the ones referring to vehicle addition and not the alcohol-related questions as after all, alcoholism is pretty much an accepted decease nowadays;-)

I’ll step up first:

1) Have I ever tried to justify the purpose of a vehicle?

The most recent vehicle purchase was a Mazdaspeed Miata modified by Flyin’ Miata to put out in excess of 240 horsepower.

But, it does get better mileage than any other vehicle I own so that’s not really justification right?

2) Do you have a garage that is referred to as a shop because of its size?

Because I test vehicles and work on building ‘project vehicles’, of course my building where my vehicles sit is referred to as a ‘shop’. And 4000 square feet isn’t that big for a shop anyway. Nor is the fact that there’s another 2000 square foot shop in anther state.

3) Have you owned more vehicles than a normal person could justify?

Do I really need to list them?

Motorcycles: (24)

Suzuki 80

Honda Super 90

Honda Scrambler 160

Honda 160 Street

Honda Trail 90

Honda Trail 110

Yamaha RZ 350

Yamaha 100

Yamaha 125

Rickman Hodaka (incredibly fast)

Bultaco Montero

Bultaco Alpina

Bultaco Pursang

Yamaha DT2 250

Husky 360 8-speed (Malcolm Smith’s)

Husky 250 4-speed

Husky 250 (2)

Husky 400 (2)

Husky 450 (3)

Yamaha TT500

ATVs & UTVs: (16)

Honda 185S

’82 Honda 250R

’83 Honda 250R

Honda 350X

Honda 350X 4-wheeler (first 4-wheeler!)

Honda 250X

Yamaha Tri-Z

Yamaha Warrior (super modified for mag article)

Yamaha Moto 80

Honda Odyssey 350

Kawasaki Prairie 700

Suzuki LTZ 400

Suzuki LT80

1999 Polaris Ranger 6x6

Kawasaki V-Force 700

Suzuki King Quad 700

Suzuki King Quad 750 EPS

Cars and Trucks: (54)

65 Blue Meyers Manx (original from Lion Country Safari)

67 Orange Meyers Manx

Yellow Empi Baja Bug

Digger Single-seat VW sand car

Sand Toy 2 Seater

Sandwinder 2-seat racer (Ex Johnny Rutherford car)

65 VW Convert

62 Green VW

70 Orange VW Convert

72 Porsche 914

79 Honda Accord

74 Ford F250 4x4

43 Ford
Datsun 280ZX 10^thAnniversary Edition

GMC S-15 4x4

Isuzu Trooper 4dr 4x4

Isuzu Extended Cab 4x4

70 Chevy 2500 4x4 (Service Bed)

68 Chevy 327 pickup

75 Chevy 1-ton flatbed 350

73 Chevy 1-ton flatbed 454

72 Chevy 4x4 pickup (Dave Gay modified 396)

85 Chevy CrewCab Dually 4x4

85 Toyota flatbed dually dump

92 Toyota pickup automatic

84 Buick LA Olympic Edition

52 VW (restored)

74 VW Thing

72 VW Thing (import with reduction gears)

Orange VW Thing (for parts)

70 VW w/ Porsche 356 engine and tranny (EMPI GTV)

67 Blue Manx (Dave Parsons)

70 Meyers Towd

70 Honda 600 (original bought from owner of Reno Honda)

Suzuki Sidekick Convert

52 Chevy truck

46 Willys Pickup

68 yellow VW

66 Ford LTD 390

Yellow Glass Buggy

VW Rabbit Diesel pickup

Suzuki Samurai – Rockcrawler

61 VW – Fontana Grey

76 Toyota FJ40

85 Toyota FJ60

1989 Jeep Cherokee (Scofield)

1993 Ford F350 4x4

1999 BMW M3 Convert

2003 Range Rover

2004 GMC 2500HD Diesel 4x4

2006 Toyota Tundra CrewCab TRD 4x4

1990 Mercedes 300 SEL

1994 Mazda MPV 4wd

1993 Toyota FJZ80

2004 MazdaSpeed FM Miata

Boats: (8)

18’ Sol Cat

18 Horizon 460 Ford Jet

16’ Trihull

440 Jet Ski

300 Jet Ski

Yamaha Waverunner (2)

Airplanes: (4)

100cc Yamaha Weight-shift Quicksilver

440 Cuyuna Quicksilver

440 Pterodactyl

440 Pterodactyl 2-seater

Tractors: (2)

Kubota

Cat 247B

We don't have to list tools with engines - mowers, generators, wood-splitters, saws, and weed-wackers do we?

Then that's only 107. A couple more than Pete, but does that really mean anything - really? Keep in mind that I got my first vehicle at age 13 and I’m within months of being 60, so considering that’s 47 years of vehicle ownership - when the total number of vehicles is divided by the number of years of possible ownership is only barely more than the national average of 2 vehicles – per year.

4) Have you repeatedly tried to quit buying and owning vehicles?

Fortunately being an automotive journalist there have been many years where I didn’t need to own a vehicle as I had at my disposal multiple test units. Did that answer that?

I’ve learned a lot in writing this. First, I feel I’m fully qualified to judge whether a person can be classified as a vehicle addict. I’ve come to that conclusion based on my ability to answer the above questions openly and honestly. Although many people may find my answers show all the signs of addiction, I realize that because of the fact that I have not ‘ever’ tried to give up purchasing vehicles that I can not be classified as an addict.

So, with that knowledge I would like to say that I am here for you if you have a problem and would like to get help. It’s a multi-step program. Take the test. Answer the questions. Clear your conscience and clean out your garage.

I can help you with the clean-up process and point you to the nearest Prius dealer.

Make the step. You’ll feel so much better, and so politically correct.

But be prepared as if too many of you face up to your problem I may have to expand my ‘shop’ to hold the spoils – I mean the clean-up process debris.

We’ll walk through the clean-up process in a future blog.

'Till then don't sell a thing -

Too Extreme For Me!

2011-07-05T09:37:00.004-06:00

All my life I’ve lived at the edge of civilization. Living there certainly has had some great advantages for someone whose life revolves around vehicles and the backcountry. I grew up in the southern California desert where I could ride out from my house on my Honda Super 90 and learn how to stay upright on rocky trails and long sand washes.

During my early adult years I lived in several different places in Southern California, and as before, always at the edge of civilization, and as always, able to spend all my extra time out exploring the many trails that lead to only ‘who-knows-where.’ This was at a time when there were so many places to ride and so many areas of sand dunes that you actually had a problem deciding where you wanted to ride!

When my means for earning a living changed from building custom homes to writing about off road vehicles, I continued to live on the edge of the Southern California countryside. While I welcomed the access to the open trails for testing, this was the first time in my life that I witnessed the incredible abuse of the backcountry by off-roaders. I was appalled by their lack of regard for private property and closed trails.

This was the first time in my life that I actually started to question my fellow off roaders ethics, morality, and understanding as to what it is to be part of the human race. I don’t know if those are really the right words or not but I certainly questioned if I wanted to be part of the same group of individuals that showed so little respect for others.

The odd thing here is that these problematic off-roaders were a cross breed of people – some local kids whose parent’s considered an off-road vehicle as the perfect babysitter. The others traveling miles and miles from their homes in the city to the areas they deemed open places to ride.

One time I was actually out working on my tractor doing some irrigation work on my property when a couple of riders (on sport quads with loud exhausts I might add) went around the gate and ‘Private Property’ signs that marked the boundaries between my property and the many, many thousand acres of the Wildland’s Conservancy that my place bordered. They rode around on the hiking and horse trails while I wondered why they thought they had that right. When they returned along the gated trail past my property I stopped them only to be jumped and yelled at, with the much younger, and fully geared rider yelling a great many obscenities that included a few regular words at the tractor operator with something to the effect as to why I would care about this country anyway, as it was nothing worth caring about!

Suddenly I realized that my backyard was nothing to be concerned about if you were an off-road rider. Wow, that’s something I never considered when I was out riding on the trails in my youth. I saw no trespassing signs and personal property as places to stay away from. Hmmm. I was shocked and would be forever changed. Forever changed!

Now I have been well entrenched in the off road industry for many years, and recently moved to the state of Utah, and once again, you guessed it, right at the edge of civilization. This time my place sits at one of the busiest entrances to the incredible Paiute Trail system. My reasoning was that there would be no better place to test ATVs and related products than where I could easily access thousands of miles of ATV trails.

All that proved true. But what I failed to consider was that once again I would be at a place where I would have a front row seat to see the absolute lack of consideration and outright in-your-face abuse of our backcountry by off roaders. And their total lack of respect for others. I was amazed. Actually I’m amazed that I was actually amazed now that I think about it.

Every time I’ve lived where I’ve had a front row seat to the backcountry I’ve witnessed the absolute disregard that many off roaders have to the people around them.

So here I am, sitting out on the patio trying to enjoy a wonderful weekend BBQ only to witness once again the irresponsibility and disrespect that off road users have for the people around them. The next-door-neighbor, visiting for the holiday weekend is enjoying riding back and forth out to the end of their 100 yard driveway with one of his two young sons, one riding a small motorcycle and the other a small ATV. Off in the distance I can so clearly hear and only barely see a loud sport ATV climbing a hill. This hill not only borders thousands of miles of open trails, but has been posted ‘closed’ due to its proximity to town, houses, and people, as well as being, what-do-you-call-it(?), oh yeah, ‘private property’!

So once again I’m left to wonder exactly what it is that I have in common with these people that show so little regard to others.

Perhaps I might understand all this better if I just had a tattoo of a dragon on my arm. Or perhaps had some kind of hair or facial hair design with the sole purpose of drawing attention to me rather than actually making me look more attractive to other people. No, I take that last part back. Let me make that attractive to ‘normal’ people!

Whatever. . . I just don’t understand this stuff anymore. How little we care about our appearance or even how we ‘appear’ to others is one thing - how little we care about how we affect those around us – now that’s a whole ‘nuther thing altogether!

I guess I’m ‘old school – stuck in the 60s or something. Whatever it is I think I’m done being a part of this new group of off roaders that seem to have no concern for the harm they are doing to the rest of us. Their lack of concern not only hurts us in the eyes of the non-ATVing public, but also will be the driving force in closing off more of our trail systems.

I know what you’re going to say now. You’ll say that it’s only a small percent of the riders that I’m talking about here and don’t let that small percent ruin everything. Sorry, it saddens me to say this (to realize this) but I think we are the small percent now.

So we lose. Just liked I watched the sand dunes change from a bunch of families having a good time to a huge party where all the attendees have more money than sense – or even (good) taste for that matter. It’s a dangerous place filled with extreme.

Extreme. Maybe that’s the word that changes everything now that I think about.

Whatever word we use to identify it - we lose.

Now I wonder, where do we go from here?

And how long will we have ‘till it goes EXTREME!

Where Are The Great ATV Writers.

2011-05-29T10:11:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading (yet) another great article by one of my favorite motorsport writers and perhaps one of the greatest motor vehicle writers of all times. Peter Egan writes the most incredible columns for Road & Track magazine and Cycle World. His columns, titled ‘Side Glances’ and ‘Leanings’ are indeed incredible, incredible stuff.

On the day the magazines come in the mail I excitedly make my plans to set aside a ‘special time’ where I can sit comfortably, glass of wine in hand and spend some quality time with an old friend and his musings about his life’s travels, adventures, and sometimes just his thoughts on various subjects. Whatever they are about, they are always entertaining and always amusing.

I enjoy my time with Pete so much that I even buy the past collections of his writings so that I can relive the experiences he describes over and over. And every time I read them I feel like I’m sitting there visiting with an old friend. Make that an interesting old friend, as I know more than a few ‘old’ friends that I wouldn’t enjoy spending this much time with ;-)

And all this to ask the question: where are all the great ATV writers? My first thought (no make that my first wish) is that they are all too busy riding to spend any time writing. A worse thought is that it reflects on who we are as a group. My worst thought is that my worse thought is the right thought. Oh never mind, even I’m getting confused.

Is it possible that ATVing is less interesting to write about than sports cars or sport bikes? That just can’t be. I know because I’ve enjoyed them all and they all have their great adventures that are worth writing about. So we’re back to that worse thought thing – perhaps it’s that ATVers are a class of people that are less interested in reading than those people that are interested in sports cars or sport bikes?

Bummer.

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I doubt it. If I am please let me know where the good ATV writers are doing their writing. I want to find a friend to drink some wine with while reading about his adventures.

Turbo Dog!

2011-05-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

For those of you that read my earlier (Used ATV Post) you may have noticed I mentioned my new Flyin' Miata Turbocharged MazdaSpeed. I have fallen in love with chatter - the sound of the pop-off or blow-off valve.

Well, thanks to Dan we've discovered that if you can find a Turbo Dog you can enjoy this wonderful sound in the comfort of your own home!

Is There a Used ATV In Your Future?

2011-05-11T12:54:00.000-06:00

What To Do If You Can't Afford A New ATV —

Let’s face it, the economy just isn’t very good right now. And, as long as we’re facing it, I don’t think it’s going to improve very much for a while. Then, to make things worse, most knowledgeable types are forecasting that the price of gas is only going to go higher.

It’s all quite depressing news to everyone except folks like my friend, a UPS driver who continues to put in more hours each week than he prefers. More likely than not you are one of the 80% of able-bodied men that still have a job but continually wonder just how secure it is in our current state of affairs.

No matter who you are though, these are good times to keep your spending within the limits of your savings rather than the limits of your credit card. And even then it may be best to limit your spending to just a small percent of your savings.

But you want a (new?) ATV!

So what are we to do? I see three scenarios:

1) You bought a great ATV some time since 2005 or so and wonder if you should buy a new one or just keep this one and ride it.

2) You own an older, perhaps tired or too small ATV and you’d like to upgrade.

3) You don’t own an ATV at all and want one!

So here’s my advice – for what it’s worth!

1) For those of you with your dream machine sitting in your garage, count your blessings! Need some help counting? Check out what a new ATV costs nowadays. And if that’s not enough you might also notice that nothing has really changed all that much, or improved, just gotten more complex and just maybe made more cheaply.

My advice for all of you is to use a portion of your savings to buy a good set of radial tires or a new winch (or just a synthetic rope). Then put the rest in gas and keep riding!

2) Owning an older, smaller, out-dated ATV may be the toughest dilemma of any. Is it something that you can live with? Is it something that a good set of radial tires and maybe a set of better shocks can change? Those are the items that just may make your current ATV ‘good to go’ for a while longer..

If not, here’s my suggestion. Clean it all up. Detail it. Change the oil and filter. Fix anything that’s wrong with it. Then you can sell it with a clean conscience to someone from group three. You will sleep well at night knowing that you have given someone an unregretable entry into our great sport.

3) So you don’t own an ATV or you’ve sold your old ATV and are ready to look for something better!

Here’s my advice. First, and perhaps most important, don’t get in a hurry. Have the amount you want to spend decided upon in advance and set aside. Now start looking. Where? Which ATVs should I look for? What do I look for in the ATV? Whoa! Slow down! Let’s go through this one item at a time.

Where to look? There are lots of good places to look. The local classifieds are the easiest simply because the ATVs to look at will most likely be closest to you. There are internet classifieds as well, but beware that as the distance that the ATV is away increases, the more time and money it will cost to look at it and the greater pressure you’ll be under to make a quick or hasty decision.

Which ATV should I buy? This is a very personal question, and one I’m always saying must fit what you plan to do with your ATV. But I will also say this. I have favorites and they are based on two things – how well they work for the recreational exploring that I love so much, and how well they hold up over the long haul. I like to ride ATVs a lot more than I like to work on ATVs.

The machines I’ve always fallen back on are the Suzuki King Quads. I’ve put many, many miles on them since the day they were introduced. I love how smooth they are. How quiet they are. And I love how reliable they are. I also love the Yamaha Grizzly. It’s a great machine, especially since its redesign in 2007. And the same goes for the Brute Force since it’s redesign in 2008.

Want something smaller? The King Quad 500 has all the features of the 700 and 750. Or look at the 400, which is basically a redesigned Eiger is a rock-solid and simple machine. As long as we’re talking rock-solid and simple, the Honda Rubicon, Foreman, and little Rancher fall into that category. So do the smaller Yamaha’s like the Kodiak and the Big Bear.

Reliability is a big issue as although I love hiking, I don’t like walking back from a ride! And yes, we’ve all heard stories of this and that, but I prefer to rely only on my own eyes. Spending so much time around the Paiute Trail in the busy summer months I get to see a lot of machines being used exactly how I use mine. I see many with lots of miles and I see some broken down along the trails.

The machines listed above are also the very same ones I see used for many years and many miles with little chance of major problems. But as with anything, your experience may vary. The good news is that you can lessen the chances of getting a bad machine by just paying attention.

Here’s what to look for – and how to look:

We’ll assume that you have narrowed your search down to one or two ATVs that fit your desires and purposes and it is now time to go look at the ATVs in person – well, so-to-speak.

The first thing to do is to talk to the owner for a while. Find a little of what’s he like. Ask him why he is selling the ATV. Ask him what he did with the ATV. I like to get a feel for the person that’s selling so I can get a first impression of the type of person they are. This gives me the first (and maybe best) idea of how it was taken care of.

I also like to look around a bit and see what else the seller has and how well he takes care of those things. I like to look around and see if his garage is clean. Is there an old truck being restored or perhaps a clean Miata sitting under a car cover? How’s his daily driver look? Clean? Are there supplies laying around like he would do his own oil changes? Is there a compressor for blowing air filters out?

Okay, now let’s take a closer look at what you came here for:

Take a look at what the ATV looks like externally. Are there any obvious scratches on the fenders like it’s been abused? How does the seat look? Is it faded from sitting outside? Is the seat ripped? Is there obvious rust? What about the handlebars and controls? Are they all clean and straight? Is it pretty obvious that the ATV has not been rolled? Good!

Next, look under the ATV. Are the skid plates beat badly or merely a few scratches? How about the CV joint covers? Are they clean and not ripped or leaking? How are the tires? Are they stock or are they new radials with little wear? Stand at the front of the ATV and look at the front tires. Are they lined up – pointing in the same direction? Are they worn fairly even?

Now let’s look a little closer. What’s the mileage? Hopefully you already knew the answer to this but look anyway. Pull off the seat and take a look at the air filter. Clean? Look at the battery and the cables. Clean? No corrosion hopefully. Pull the oil dipstick and check the oil level and cleanliness. No foam in the oil hopefully. Ask the seller when he last changed the oil and how often he changed it? What oil does he use? Ask him if he uses any additives? And ask if he ran regular or premium fuel as well.

Look closely at each side of the ATV. Are the little plastic fasteners all there? Are they in good shape or do they appear to have been removed and replaced roughly? Look at the bolts you see. Do they look like they’ve been removed? If it has a winch take a close look and see if it’s been used. If it has, the cable will be worn at the end where you should be able to easily notice it even without spooling out the cable. Look again for rust to see if the ATV was run in the mud or snow and not cleaned properly.

Now it’s time to start the ATV. Does it crank right up and idle smoothly? This is rather easy on a machine with EFI and a bit more challenging on an ATV with a carburetor. But a good seller would have previously started the machine so it would already be warm when you went to start it. Put it in gear. Does it shift into gear cleanly? Does it start to move easily or does it seem to take what seems like too many revs to get it going?

While the machine is running pull in the brake handle(s). Does the lever travel too far? Does it fully engage? Do the same with the foot pedal. Check if the parking brake actually holds the ATV at a standstill. Turn on the headlights and see if they work correctly.

Now it’s decision time. I have seen some used ATVs that are so clean you wonder if they were ever used at all, some with less than 1000 miles so the real decision will only be if the price is fair. Remember, you will more often than not get what you pay for. Super clean will cost you more than beat hard and put away wet – almost every time.

Let’s assume that the ATV has been used but not beat. If it’s been beat you should have been able to spot that rather quickly and turn around and drive off without looking back, perhaps not even needing to look the machine over closely to see it’s not what you want.

A machine that’s neither unbelievably clean and yet not beat is the category where the vast majority of used ATVs will fall. This is where you’ll need to use the suggestions above for looking over the machine. This is also where you’ll be weighing the price to the condition. This is where you are on your own. Does the cost of the ATV fit your budget? If there are some small items like worn tires, is your budget enough to fix these items?

My advice is to find as clean of a machine as you can afford. The cleaner and lower the mileage, the more trouble-free use you’ll get out of the ATV. I also always plan to make some repairs on anything I buy. So you may need to replace the tires. You may also need to replace the drive belt. If the ATV has never had the belt replaced it is something I would just plan on doing no matter what. The same with changing the oil and air filter. It’s all just good preventative practice.

So there you have it. Find a clean machine being sold by a nice person that either can’t ride it any more or has simply decided to move on to another hobby and you’ll live happy ever after.

On a side note: I have recently sold several newer, higher dollar vehicles and replaced them with older, simpler, and less expensive, or simply different machines. In every case I felt comfortable with the decision being made – the selling based on my knowledge of the cleanliness of the vehicle being sold, and buying based on both the condition of the machine, and perhaps more importantly, the obvious moral character of the seller.

In one case I was so confident of the seller of the car I purchased (a Flyin’ Miata MazdaSpeed if your interested) that a deal was made sight-unseen. My son-in-law made the comment that it was like buying a car from myself. I’m not sure where the resting place for that compliment was directed, but I think it fell on everyone involved! What a great way to buy (or sell) a vehicle. I wish you the same luck.

Will Polaris Be Our Only Choice?

2011-04-26T18:58:00.000-06:00

If you’ve seen any of our Latest News we’ve posted lately you’ll notice that Polaris has purchased Indian Motorcycles, the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in America. It’s an incredibly gutsy purchase that will save a great heritage. They also announced that they are purchasing GEM – Global Electric Motorcars from the Chrysler Corporation. That will give them a huge leg-up in the on-road urban electric vehicle market. That’s also an incredible marketing move! And if you look a little farther back you’ll see announcements about new machines – market-busting machines, like the new high-performance RZR XP.

More importantly (perhaps), if you look inside our shop you’ll see a number of wonderful Polaris machines sitting there waiting for good enough weather for an old man to ride in.

But it’s what you don’t see that worries me the most. You don’t see any Latest News about new Yamahas, Suzukis, Hondas or Kawasakis. Okay, okay, there’s a new Honda with EFI and a new Kawasaki with EPS. But I probably don’t have to remind you that those two items have been on Yamaha and Suzuki ATVs for more than just a few years.

It’s what I don’t see that scares me more than what I do.

While the folks at Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda are hiding behind closed doors cowering and waiting for the economic wolf at the door to go away, the folks at Polaris aren’t hiding behind closed doors. In fact, you won’t even find them sitting behind their desks! They are outside with their swords drawn, perhaps not just chasing the wolf away from their doors, but knowing all too well that the only place for the wolf to go is outside the doors of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki.

So not only does Polaris continue to dominate the market with new models, but perhaps more importantly, they continue to be aggressive in their marketing, supplying models to testers like us to ride and review. And while other manufacturer’s market shares decline, their share of the now smaller market continues to grow at an incredible pace!

Is there a connection between marketing and market share? I suppose if there wasn’t we’d have neither marketing departments nor measurements of market share. While Polaris continues to market their ATVs and UTVs, the competition pulls the blankets over their heads, loaning only a very few test units to the biggest reviewers to evaluate.

The capitalist in me says that Polaris should be rewarded for their bold and aggressive marketing. The realist in me sees that Polaris’ reward is a well-deserved increase in the share of our market.

Let’s just hope that Polaris will someday offer a V-twin for those of you that liked Kawasaki’s instant power, a balanced, high-geared single that’s smooth enough for all you King Quad fans, a 4wd system as capable as what you love about the Yamaha’s, and a simple, reliable workhorse for the Honda fans. Because the way things are going Polaris will be the only manufacturer standing.

Hurrah for them. Too bad for everyone else. I don’t know what to say about all of us.

What the Heck is a Dry Sump Oil System?

2011-03-21T13:43:00.000-06:00

Most production vehicles, whether they are ATVs, UTVs, cars, or trucks, have what is called a wet sump oil system. In a wet sump system, the oil is stored beneath the crankshaft in an oil pan. In a wet sump system, the oil pump sucks the engine’s oil from the bottom of the oil pan up through a tube, and then pumps it to the rest of the engine.

Four-stroke engines are both lubricated and cooled by oil that is circulated throughout the engine lubricating the bearings and other moving parts. After it’s lubricating trip it drains to the sump at the base of the engine under gravity.

In a dry sump system, the oil is stored in a tank typically located outside the engine rather than in the oil pan. There are at least two oil pumps in a dry sump - one pulls oil from the sump and sends it to the tank, and the other takes oil from the tank and sends it to lubricate the engine. In a dry sump, the oil still falls to the base of the engine, but rather than being allowed to collect in an engine sump, it falls into a much shallower sump where it is removed by a second pump and is pumped into the external reservoir where it is both cooled and (also very importantly!) de-aerated. Oil is then drawn from the remote tank by the pressure pump and circulated back through the engine. The two pumps are often referred to as scavenge pumps and pressure pumps.

Dry sump systems have several important advantages over wet sumps systems. Because a dry sump does not need to have an oil pan big enough to hold the oil under the engine, the engine can be placed lower in the vehicle. This helps lower the vehicle’s center of gravity. The reservoir can also be relocated to another part of the car to improve weight distribution. There can also be an increased oil capacity by using a larger external reservoir than would be practical in a wet sump system. An increased capacity also allows the oil to cool and release entrained gasses from ring blow by and the action of the crankshaft. Basically, the oil capacity of a dry sump can also be as big as you want.

In a wet sump system, turning, braking, acceleration, and running across side hills can cause the oil to pool on one side of the engine. Dry sump designs are not nearly as susceptible to the oil movement problems that wet sump systems can suffer from due to these forces. If the oil in a wet sump is forced to one side in the oil pan the oil pump pickup tube can be temporarily uncovered leading to a loss of oil pressure. Because the scavenge pumps are typically mounted at the lowest point on the engine the oil flows into the pump suction by gravity rather than having to be lifted up into the suction of the pump like a wet sump does. Also the scavenge pumps can be of a different design that is more tolerant of the entrained gasses than the typical pressure pump which can lose suction if too much air is mixed into the oil. Since the pressure pump is typically lower than the external oil tank it always has a positive pressure on its suction regardless of cornering forces.

From a strictly engineering perspective the dry sump is the superior solution, however with real-life economic considerations, where vehicles have to be built to a cost, it is usually eliminated as being too expensive. Dry sump systems do add cost and complexity, and the extra pumps and lines require more oil, so maintenance costs rise accordingly.

So there you have it, more than you wanted to know about dry sump oil systems.

Polaris RZR XP - The Performance Details

2011-03-17T15:34:00.002-06:00

It doesn’t take much of a look to see the differences between a RZR and the new RZR XP! It’s taller, wider, and longer. That may be simplifying the issue a bit but it’s true. About the only place the XP is the same as the other RZRs is in the cabin. Same seats, same steering wheel, same gauges, same everything.

So let’s take a look at the differences:

Up front is a new tubular subframe designed to hold even longer a-arms. These arms are an additional 2 inches longer than the already extended arms of the RZR S so they can provide 13 ½ inches of wheel travel. That’s a lot of travel, but as Doug Roll always said, long travel doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t work! In this department, Polaris added a set of Fox Podium 2.0 shocks. These shocks have plenty of height-pre-load adjustment as well as adjustment for compression damping.

Although the front suspension is greatly enhanced, it is the rear suspension that is the most visibly changed! Like many off-road racecars, the rear suspension now consists of a 3-point trailing arm system that provides 14 inches of travel.

The advantages of a trailing are system is multifold. First, it provides a more controlled travel and camber gain so that the tire will actually lean in at the top a bit as the travel goes up. That camber allows a longer movement with less scrub. Polaris still designed some camber in the system so that during hard cornering, the tire will lean in and keep from rolling over as much. In addition to better travel, the trailing arm set-up is also a much stronger system for off road use.

And, as on the front, the rear is equipped with long-travel Fox Podium 2.0 shocks with plenty of adjustment for preload and height and adjustment for the compression damping.

Now for the other very big difference in the XP – the new engine! Designed from the ground up for this machine, the ProStar 900 is a work of art, looking more like something that should be in a racecar rather than a UTV. Oh wait, this is a racecar!

The 875cc twin cylinder DOHC engine now sits in a more conventional direction, with the cylinders and crankshaft running side-to-side rather than front to rear like in the other RZRs. And it’s built for performance, with the pair of 46mm throttle body injectors mounted right next to the cylinder with a very short intake manifold. Also helping to get plenty of air into the engine is a new intake system that pulls air in from the left side of the body and directly into an air box that in essence stores a mouthful of air ready for the engine to suck up when the throttle is mashed.

There’s also a new air filter that has 90% more capacity than the old-style canister system. And it’s mounted in a box located under an easy-access panel right under the bed.

Polaris also designed a stainless steel exhaust for a freer-flowing path to extract the used air and fuel. All this helps the ProStar to produce a whopping 88hp from it’s 875cc’s.

But wait, there’s more! The ProStar is designed with a dry sump oil system. This allows the engine to sit lower and the oil to be held in a tank away from the heat of the engine’s block. It can also provide a larger oil capacity for better cooling as well. In this case, 3 ½ quarts are held in a finned plastic tank that located under an access panel on the left side of the bed. And that’s also where you check the oil level.

With an eye toward night duning and late-night racing in the desert, the engine is fitted with a large capacity stator that provides an incredible 500 watts at idle, and 750 watts at revs.

There’s also a new CVT transmission with a zero-clearance set-up and helical cut gears for faster takeoff and stronger, more reliable operation.

All of this sounds good but the prove will be in how it works. We’ll take it out for a test next.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

2011-03-03T13:09:00.002-07:00

My Favorites Off-Roaders -

I’ve made no bones about the fact that I love the King Quad. I loved it from the first ride. It had everything I needed – 2wd, 4wd, and 4wd with a front locker. It had a great gauge package. But best of all it was smooth – the engine was incredibly smooth for a big single. And to help in the smoothness department the KQ had a higher ratio transmission that allowed the engine to turn at a lower rpm – something an old guy that liked to short-shift when cruising really appreciated! Of course it still had its Achilles heel, a far too steep of a front caster that caused some steering and handling problems – especially when fitted with better tires.

That caster and handling problem was all fixed with the addition of power steering – not so much as the EPS itself makes it handle better, but the powered steering made it possible for the Suzuki engineers to add in a proper amount of caster!

As the King Quad competitors improved, another feature of the KQ became more apparent – it didn’t have a parking brake in the transmission, but stuck with a simple parking brake on the handlebars. I like this set-up for a couple of reasons. First, when shifting into reverse you never have to try to keep from hitting park inadvertently. And second, sometimes when working or even stopping along the trail it’s easier to simply leave the machine in drive and set the parking brake to keep it from rolling while you reset the GPS, look at the map, or check a fencepost.

I’ve also had a long love affair with 2-seat ATVs. For years I struggled with which one I liked more, the Can Am Outlander 650 or the Sportsman Touring. Both had some advantages and some disadvantages. But with the introduction of the 2011 XP Touring I was able to make a decision. The new Touring with its ADC now goes down hills without trying to swap ends. It now allows me to quickly remove the second seat and have a stable single seat machine with plenty of rear rack space. And as a tourer, the Touring is without competition in the plush, comfortable department.

It’s so good that I can almost overlook the things I don’t like – a single brake lever, the park position in the transmission, and the 4wd system that keeps me from choosing what I want it to do.

But life is more than about handlebars. Being a guy that got his first car (a Meyers Manx of course) at 14, I’ve always had an affinity for holding a steering wheel. I longed for a side by side for years before they came out, even going so far as to be designing a side by side ‘buggy’ out of a Kawasaki Prairie.

So I was excited when Yamaha brought out the Rhino, but I fell in love when I saw the RZR for the first time. Like a lovesick teenager I can remember that first look even today – a great looking, powerful, and 50” wide machine! And I soon found out it was relatively quiet (as compared to the existing Rhino) and handled incredible!

And yes, I’m constantly driven crazy by some of the glaring problems I find with the RZR. Every machine needs a parking brake, something that used to be called an emergency brake because it was a separate ‘mechanical’ system that could be used to stop a vehicle if the primary braking system failed! It would be a tremendous comfort to have a lever to pull when heading down some fast, twisting trail in case a brake line gets ripped and you no longer have a brake fluid to operate the hydraulic system. I won’t even mention how good a nice lever at the right side of the seat is for helping set of a machine for tight corners ;-)

Then there’s the fact that the RZR still sends all of its engine braking to the rear wheels – something that can be extremely irritating on some of those steep, rocky trails I love to explore. That’s something that could be easily fixed with the addition of the ADC system like’s found on the Touring!

But even with those glaring problems the RZR does what no other side-by-side buggy can do – go on the 50” ATV trails. And do it in comfort and with the ability to carry enough camping equipment for the two passengers! So until something better comes along, the RZR is one of my favorite off road rigs. The proof of this can be found in the fact that there has been a RZR sitting in my garage every single day since they came out! The only other machines that can say that are the Suzuki King Quad and the Kawasaki Prairie!

But, my life is more than just riding for fun – living on 20 acres requires something for work – something to haul wood and hay, and tow the rough-cut mower. And living in a small town where things like this are still possible, it’s nice to have something to run to the Post Office, or to the small general store. We’ve used Kawasaki Mules for this for many, many years, with everything from Diesels to Crewcabs sitting here over the years.

It was only recently and as a fluke while at a Polaris new-model introduction that I got to use an electric UTV, the Ranger EV. You guessed it, I fell in love. While certainly not quiet the machine of choice for exploring the trails, thanks to the inability to actually carry any spare volts along in case you run out, it works perfectly around the farm or ranch. Quiet is good in many ways. You don’t upset animals, and in fact actually can here them while you drive by. Perhaps the most noticeable advantage I’ve found to the EV’s quiet operation is when towing stuff – especially something like the rough-cut mower. With no engine sound coming from the EV, you can now more easily hear if the mower is running okay or bogging down, or if you’re dragging it across the field with the blade stopped ;-)

But wait, there’s more! I have one more need. I need something to haul people around – more than just one! For this I need a crewcab something or another. I’ve tried the Mule Transcab. While it’s quiet and good for around the farm or town, it struggles horribly out on the trails. The RZR 4-seater is just too difficult for easy entrance and exit. The Ranger is too big and wide, so big in fact you might as well be driving a Jeep around. But like Goldilocks I’ve found the crewcab that’s ‘just right’, the Ranger 500!

Yeah, it’s still long, but it’s pretty hard to have a good 4-seater without adding some un-wanted length. Where the 500 Crew shines is that it is narrow enough to fit on many of the trails and it has the suspension to get over them without beating all the passengers to death. And the 500cc EFI engine has adequate power to even climb up the mountain trails with a full load of people on board.

Now here’s where I say that like every Polaris, the crew is not without some glaring faults that if I were the Product Manager that I’d fix. There’s no parking brake what so ever! And, well, that’s it I think. Wow! I think I just amazed myself – I can only find one fault! I better go for a ride and make sure that’s right.

Don’t get me wrong now, there are a lot of good machines out there and something I like to point out to everyone that asks me which ATV is best for them. And maybe that’s exactly what I’ll talk about in the next blog. It’ll help me update the FAQ page on the website.

But for now, you know exactly what I beg the PR folks to allow me keep sitting outside my office ;-)

Just in case you wondered what a Meyers Manx was ;-)

God Bless -

Doug

Where are ATVs Made

2011-02-24T13:01:00.001-07:00

Where are ATVs made? That’s a question of almost mythical proportions and a question with most answers with just about as much knowledge as a myth. Many people who are thinking they’re buying an American ATV are pretty quick to point out their purchase as patriotic and just as fast to point their finger at their friend’s new purchase as an act bordering on a being traitor to our country.

This all came to a head for me a few years back when we tested the new Toyota Tundra. The comments on You Tube were an amazing mix of how good the truck is and how horrible it is to buy a Japanese vehicle.

I attempted over and over again to point out that the Tundra was made in the United States, but the haters pointed out that the ‘profit’ went back to Japan! I wonder what money they are most concerned about – the money paid to workers or the profit to the corporation?

So here we go with the same information about ATVs and UTVs. It is meant to clarify many misconceptions. Of course I’ll also then confuse the issue later…..

The manufacturers in alphabetical order:

— Arctic Cat. All Arctic Cat ATVs and UTVs are made in the United States except the newest trio, the 350, the 425, and the 450i 4x4 Crossover.

— Can Am. All Can Am ATVs and their one UTV, the Commander are all made in Juarez, Mexico.

— Honda. The Rincon, the Rubicon, all Foreman, all Ranchers, the Recon, and the 250X and 400X are all made right here in the United States. The rest of the Honda lineup is made in Japan. Honda's UTV, the Big Red is made in Mexico.

— Kawasaki. All Kawasaki ATVs and UTVs are made in the U.S. except the KFX90.

— Polaris. Polaris recently made the announcement that they would move a part of their manufacturing to Monterrey Mexico. In essence, what this means is that the ATVs and UTVs that will be sold in the southwestern part of the U.S. will now be manufactured in Mexico. All the ATVs and UTVs sold in the northeastern part of the U.S. will continue to be made in the U.S.

— Suzuki. The King Quad 750, 500, and the 450 are made in Rome Georgia. This includes both the standard models and the EPS models. The sport ATVs like the LT-R450, all the kids ATVs, and all motorcycles are assembled in Japan.

— Yamaha. The Rhino, the Big Bear 400 4x4 IRS as well as all of the Grizzly 350s and 450s are made in Newnan, Georgia.

So while that just may clear up the question as to where ATVs are made, let’s take a look at the ramifications of where ATVs are made.

The most obvious are the advantages for the Japanese manufacturers to make their machines here in the United States. First and foremost they can cut down on the cost of delivering the machines from the factory to the dealership. Second, they are helping the economy of the country where they are selling their merchandise. Is there a downside? One might think that because the Japanese manufacturers are so well known for their quality that that could adversely be affected by building the units here in the U.S. That has been proven to be false with the proof being that it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between any of the ATVs made here or there. Proven false I say because the quality of a machine is designed in first, and can be controlled in the manufacturing process second.

The harder thing to do is to point out the advantages for the U.S. and Canadian manufacturers to make their machines in Mexico. First, Mexico lowers the cost of the manufacturing process. Taxes are lower. Wages are lower. And employee benefits are less. The bigger question is whether the quality is better or worse than if they were built in the U.S. Once again, I believe that that is more a question of design and workforce management than simply location.

So what does all this mean?

I don’t know about you, but to me it means good ATVs can be made anywhere in the world. So can bad ones. Does it make it right? No. But it’s how it is.

Anyone? Anyone?

2011-01-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

Around my house, when someone is rambling through the rooms looking for another family member, we often use a quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, calling, "Bueller? Bueller?"

So staying in character with Ben Stein, Bueller’s Economics teacher, I ask if there are any ATV manufacturers out there still making new models? Anyone? Anyone?

You know how much I sing the praises of Suzuki King Quads – I love them. I would love to seem some new changes like Special Edition models with better shocks and tires. I’d love to see better racks. Or how about a 650 model? Or maybe most important, a side by side to compete with the RZR. I have heard inside rumors that they have a RZR fighter but don’t want to release it at this time. So I (unfortunately) can only imagine what these models would be like, or how great they’d be, simply because there are no new Suzukis. Bueller? Bueller?

And then there’s Kawasaki. My history with Kawasaki goes way, way back. I know them well and respect them in many ways. I know too that they had something they called a Super Mule – a Prairie-based side by side in testing well before the RZR was released. What’d they do? Fired the guy that was responsible. Hmmm. They still refined the Brute Force until it was formidable competition with anything on the market – at least until power steering became an issue. Bueller? The there was the Teryx, a better Rhino, but that’s all the farther it went. Bueller? And then there’s the most popular class of ATVs, the 400cc class. Could Kawasaki come out with a 400cc Brute Force? 450cc Prairie? Bueller?

Yamaha. The first Side by Side! The first ATV with power steering! The first ATV to really get that mass centralization perfected. Many, many great machines. Of course I even had spy photos of a new 950cc V-Twin, short wheelbase 4-seat Rhino that was due to be released in February of 2010. Bueller? Yes, Yamaha does have a good, solid line up of ATVs but they do lack a twin. And in spite of the inside rumors I’ve heard about spreading out Rhino line to include more sport machines and more recreational machines, what we really got was new colors and graphics. Bueller?

Honda? Same-o same-o. Their new and incredible UTV is the size of a Toyota pick up, and almost the same price! Although they’ve entered the realm of power steering and IRS, their most incredible ATV, the Rubicon continues on almost identical to the day it was introduced. Wasn’t it Honda that introduced the ATC? The 250R? The hydrostatic transmission. The Pilot! The Pilot? Can you imagine what the same Honda that introduced those machines would do now? Bueller?

Okay, Arctic Cat just came out with some new machines. Fairly good ones too if you are not looking for anything new - and if you’re looking for another ATV made in China. For a great company filled with American pride they’ve gone awol. Bueller?

Hey, what about Can Am? They’ve come out with some great new stuff! The Commander, Can Am’s first entry into the UTV market is a good machine. They put power steering on their ATVs! They also have those special editions with nice wheels and better tires, winches, and other niceties. They have a good, full line of machines but seem to continue to develop using the ‘Bigger is better” mentality rather than “Better is better.”

And of course there’s Polaris, seemingly the only company that continues to introduce new models at a rapid pace. An alarmingly rapid pace actually. It’s as if they intend to be the only ATV company still in business when this is all said and done. And considering their line-up of models I doubt we’d lack much – except maybe two-lever braking to 4 wheel discs. And engine braking that goes to all 4 wheels without having to push a switch. And a true 4wd system with a locker. And perhaps most importantly, a design team that spends a little more time making their products with a little more quality rather than a little more profit!

And that brings us back to one of the biggest advantages of competition in the marketplace.

Anybody? Anybody?

An All-new Polaris Side by Side is Coming on 1-1-2011

2010-12-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

I’ve been keeping my mouth closed for a while knowing I was going to go to a secret location at an undisclosed time to test a new Polaris, but now Polaris has leaked the first news that I can share about this – There’s a whole new class of Side by Side coming on January 1^st!

While I knew it was coming and that I’ll be one of the first of the media-types to take it for a spin, what I still don’t know is what it is . . .

So the best I can do is guess – or wish . . .

Let’s just say for a moment that the ‘term’ “whole new class” is a marketing term. So unless we see a street legal RZR, or maybe a RZR with wings, ‘whole new class’ may be a bit of a stretch.

But if we think of the RZR4, or the RZR S as a whole new class of Side by Side then maybe we can guess at what we’d like this new RZR to be.

Personally, I’d like to see a 50” RZR XP. That means it would have the smooth 850cc engine and transmission complete with ADC. Or even better would be a RZR with a conventional 4wd system complete with lockers front and rear. Of course it would also be nice to see it come with a longer travel suspension like we’ve done to our RZR. It should have a mechanical parking brake. And a better looking cage. And come with radial tires and a winch.

Well, that’s all just wishful thinking I suppose. Right or way wrong, at least we don’t have long to wait to find out.

Leave to Polaris though to break new ground when everyone else is hiding in their offices afraid of the economy.

Any thoughts?

A street-legal RZR would be a “whole new class of Side by Side!”

Tires and Snow

2010-12-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

I received an interesting email from Lynn in Canada with a great question about snow tires. It seems that although the Mudzillas he runs on his Wolverine work great in the mud and muck, they don’t work well at all at pushing his snowplow down his driveway .

So what’s up with that?

Well, tires are far more complex than most folks realize. Think about how much controversy goes on surrounding tire wear, choices, air pressure and compound in NASCAR, F1, or any other racing you may follow.

While we may not be quite as ‘leading edge’ as racing, the same technology applies.

So to answer the question why certain tires work better than others, let’s first take a look at the tire’s compound. Hard rubber will wear slow, but it also doesn’t ‘grip’ the ground, especially when that ground is sand or snow. So a tire with better performance is a softer tire. Too soft though and it will wear out as you look at it. But too hard and it won’t grip at all.

The next part of the equation is the tread. Sure, big tread can move mud just like a paddle moves sand or water for that matter. But in snow (and performance on dirt) the tire’s tread needs to flex. The flexing allows the rubber of the tire to stay in contact with the ground longer, but also gives it a slight slingshot effect in moving the machine forward. Part of this ‘flex’ is helped by the small little slits in the tread called siping. These sipes also help the tread to flex, or squirm, thus allowing it to grab to the surface more. The tread also needs to trap enough of the surface to allow it to grab, but also be able to release that material so it doesn’t ‘clog’ the tread and not allow the tread to work as designed.

Now let’s look at air pressure. Air pressure has a similar but different effect on bias ply and radial tires. But basically you need to have a low enough pressure to allow the tire to flex (there’s that word again) to allow it to grip better, but not so low as to allow the tire to wallow around and roll over in cornering. Basically tire pressure is a very subjective item and the correct air pressure can only be found with a bit of experimenting on your part.

So to sum it up, snow requires a soft tire with a flexible tread with siping to make it even more flexible. That gives it the most traction. You also need to run the tire’s air pressure as low as possible without doing harm to the tire and wheel.

That sounds all well and good until you try to add that information to a specific ATV. In case you haven’t discovered this, ATVs are not all created equal. This inequality for our purpose here, can be focused mainly on the operation of the front differential.

And here’s the problem with front differentials – while lockers are pretty straight forward in their ability to apply equal traction to each front tire, the so-called ‘limited slip’ differentials are exactly that – limited!

Here’s what happens when a limited slip differential detects slip - a difference in the speed of both front tires. When one tire tends to move faster than the other, or slip, the differential tries to bind and attempt to limit the excessive speed of the faster spinning tire. To cut to the quick here, what happens when you have bigger tires with more traction is that they can overwhelm the design parameters of the limited slip differential and it can’t bind the differential enough. So, your limited slip differential doesn’t work as planned!

That means that on many machines with limited slip differentials (and those can come in many fancy names, but are basically every 4wd system that doesn’t have a lockable front differential) a tire with too much traction can actually cause you to have less traction.

Confused? You’re not alone. And if you’re not confused I could go on until you are.

But I won’t.

What did we learn? The best tire is one that has a soft compound with flexible tread and siping. You need to adjust you tire pressure to as low as you can for the conditions, and on ATVs without locking front differentials you also need to remember not to overwhelm your drive system with too much traction.

And just in case you were observant enough to notice the many pictures of the ACT and wondered – yes they are my favorite all around tire…….

The UMP Filter for the Polaris RZR:

2010-11-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

As you may remember, I have searched for a solution to the RZR intake problem for quite sometime. If you’re a RZR owner or even a RZR want-to owner you no-doubt know what we’re talking about.

We’ve had a new RZR every year since they came out and we have never had a problem with the stock filter system not doing its job properly. But we continue to hear enough horror stories about RZR engines being destroyed to think that there must be something going on. Although Polaris claims to have fixed the so-called intake leaks on the RZR, it seems the talk continues about dirt leaking into the intake and ‘sanding’ the engine, sometimes with several hundred miles of use!

No matter what, there’s enough talk that I wanted to be sure that my RZR wasn’t going to suffer a dirt meltdown if there was a way to prevent it. After all, I’m too-often too far from civilization to have more things to worry about…

We’ve talked to RZR owners with their solutions – most of which require home-built fabrications. What I wanted was a bolt-on solution that I could be sure of.

I have used K&N filters for many years on many different types of off-road race vehicles with never a problem, so that was my first effort. The K&N system went on easy enough, although requiring the removal of the bed and bulkhead for better access.

While the K&N filter system may do an incredible job of keeping dirt from entering the RZR’s engine, the one item I didn’t think to consider was the additional intake sounds due to its open design. Intake noise is seldom a problem on race cars, but on a RZR designed to explore the back country, quieter is a better thing to have rather than noisier!

Under acceleration or with enough throttle to climb mountains, the additional intake noise definitely was more than noticeable. For me it was bothersome as it really reduced the ability to easily talk with your passenger.

So I continued to look at options. One of you wrote me suggesting I check out the UMP filter system. So I did. It didn’t take long before UPS delivered the UMP for me to try out. The UMP is a great canister system that is designed to have the air flow spin into the system. Plus it is a fully sealed unit and pulls the air into the filter through the stock intake tube. One important item to remember in all this is that the K&N filter claims to add power (which it seems to do) and the UMP filter makes no claim other than to better filter the air that goes into the engine. And that it seems to do.

Like the K&N (and any filter system I suppose) the installation of the UMP filter requires the removal of the bed and the bulkhead. The first thing I noticed is that the UMP canister mounts very, very securely, better than both the K&N and the stock filters.

I like the idea that the UMP unit is a more sealed unit and uses the stock air intake tube. And that’s no doubt part of the reason that there is little or no increase in power for the UMP filter. But once again, this unit is not about increasing power, it’s about eliminating the destruction of your RZR’s engine without any additional noise irritating you or your passenger while trying to enjoy a great trail ride.

We’ll have an installation video and a follow-up as we put some miles on our RZR. But some times you can just ‘see’ that a product is built correctly and do the job it was meant to do.

I’m no longer worrying about getting dirt in my intake and ruining my RZR. No-sir-ee, now I’m free to worry about other things!

Arctic Cat New Model Introduction – What I Hope to See:

2010-11-11T12:16:00.001-07:00

Arctic Cat has invited a group of media reps to Texas to look at and ride some all-new models being introduced for 2011!

Yippee I’m going, and here’s what I hope I see:

First and foremost I hope we see an all-new Prowler. Or maybe we should call it the ThunderCat Side by Side. Built from the Thundercat it would be a 50” wide, 1000cc, all independent UTV. Although you’ll first think I’m thinking about an Arctic Cat RZR, think again. The Arctic Cat would be built to be the ultimate trail machine. The 1000cc engine would be detuned for more torque. The transmission would be an industry first centrifugal clutch. The rear would be a nice metal cage-rack system and another smaller rack system at the front. It would come with a spare tire, a large fuel tank, and a low, narrow cage to fit better under and around the trees. It would retain the great AC suspension but also come standard with a great set of radials – maybe the Carlisle ACT HDs!

Years ago we tested an amazing little Arctic Cat that I fell in love with – a 250CC 4x4. It was a small, Recon-sized ATV with 4 wheel drive. It was so nimble and competent and yet so manageable it was amazing….. So, that what I hope to see, a small 4wd ATV. Simple. Basic. Inexpensive. Competent. And fun! And hopefully it would come with a $3995.00 price tag.

I’d also love to see some sport versions of the Cruiser 550 and 700 ATVs. Now when I say ‘sport’, what I mean is really, an ATV set up ‘ready to use’! Better shocks. Good radial tires. A winch, heated grips, and good, sturdy cargo boxes front and rear. Maybe even with a set of RotopaX fuel packs attached…..

We’ll see just how close I get. If my wishes and hopes for Arctic Cat are no closer than my wishes and hopes for Polaris I’ll be 0 for 3! Oh well they’re loss.

And here I was going to help them rule the world.

Maybe another day………

ATV Update – Touring LE First Ride:

2010-10-14T10:51:00.001-06:00

Polaris Touring LE First Ride:

As I mentioned earlier, I fell in love with the new 2011 Touring models when I first saw them at the New Model Introduction we attended up in Cascade Montana. I especially like how the new LE comes complete with a winch, Carlisle (MudLites?) on aluminum wheels, twin mirrors, handguards, and even grip warmers.

One of the coolest things is how the new Touring can be quickly converted into a single-seat ATV by removing the rear seat and handgrips and replace them with a box that blends with the rack! Not only does that make it more practical, but makes it what I think could be the best looking ATV out there. There’s nothing that looks better (to me) than a long wheelbase and short overhangs – nice. Real nice.

But this is about the first ride.

I must say, this thing may be the smoothest ATV I’ve ridden! Yeah, that’s right, smooth and quiet. And I’m not talking just about comfort from that soft cushy seat either. I’m talking about a silky smooth engine. A silky smooth drivetrain! It’s shocking and wonderful!

Also much to my surprise, the engine braking is phenomenal as well. Let off on the gas and the big machine slows down just as it should – not too much and not too little. Once again I’m wonderfully amazed.

Of course I also already mentioned that I’m really disappointed in Polaris’ cost-cutting measures that include the removal of one of the rear disc brakes! Yes, the Polaris still stops okay, even coming down the steep mountain roads at speed, but this is their Top-of-the-Line machine! It shouldn’t have a hub sitting there with the rotor and caliper removed! For Pete’s sake, just as an added slap in the face, the mounts are still there for it!

Speaking of the brakes and getting off of the 3-brake complaining - if I could tune the Sportsman, I’d add in just a bit more braking leverage. When you only have one brake lever it should apply more pressure, more easily to the braking system than it does. It’s especially noticeable to me due to how I use just a couple fingers to pull in the lever. Maybe few of you do that, but it’s a habit I got into years ago racing – the more of your hand you can keep wrapped around the grip, the less likely you are to get it yanked from your grip. Maybe that’s another reason I always prefer two-lever systems – better control.

The machine obviously has plenty of power, but more than that, it has good balance. You can just add power while twisting up through the trails to bring the rear end around as needed to aid in the steering or just plain have fun!

Speaking of steering. Why is it that Polaris cuts so many corners? Is it really worth irritating customers over a few dollars here and there? This time I’m referring to the plastic steering bushing at the top of the steering stem that is just too sloppy. It transmits all the bumps and giggles that the power steering should be isolating from the handlebars. It is actually loose enough that you can see it move back and forth as you wiggle the bars forward and back! I parked next to my friend’s 13,000 mile Honda and there wasn’t even a micro-mili-movement in its steering stem.

The Touring is so smooth and wonderful that this single fault is hugely irritating. So I suppose I can try to see if the local Polaris dealer can install one that is a tighter fit, or I can go out to the shop and cut up a beer can to wrap around the stem to fill up the space. Either way I imagine no buyer of a $12,000.00 machine will think they should have to do this.

But I love this machine and will continue to put a bunch of miles on it one way or the other. Hopefully I can get the steering stem fixed so that I’ll be singing praises rather than grumbling about the bean counters. This Polaris demands all the praises.

Test Updates

2010-10-11T14:54:00.000-06:00

ATVTV Test Updates:

Polaris Sportsman XP 850 Touring LE —

While at the Polaris 2011 New Model Introduction up in Montana, I fell in love with the new Touring models – especially the LE that comes complete with a winch, Carlisle (MudLites?) on aluminum wheels, twin mirrors, handguards, and even grip warmers. What, no seat warmer? Am I asking too much? Am I getting too old?

What I really like is how you can convert the 2011 Touring to a single-seat ATV! Not only does that make it more practical, but makes it what I think could be the best looking ATV out there.

Of course, I’m more than merely disappointed in Polaris’ cost-cutting measures that include the removal of one of the rear discs! The official explanation is that because it has a solid rear differential, one rear brake is all that’s needed. I just don’t know what to say :-(

Actually I do, as when have I ever been at a lack for words? Polaris’ downfall will be their cost-cutting procedures – plastic bearing carriers, moving their manufacturing to Mexico, and even things like 3-wheel disc brakes!

RZR –

The project RZR is pretty much completed, well, except for some changes we plan to make to the intake system. We need to modify the K&N filter we installed! It’s just too noisy! The more open (or less restricted) intake and the metal box that’s a big part of it, just make the interior sound of the RZR too loud for me. Under acceleration the induction sound reverberates enough to actually be uncomfortable on my ears. It also completely annoys my companion, Bob Dog. So I think my options are to try and quiet the K&N box down, put the stock filter back on, or find another filter system that’s not so loud.

Perhaps since it’s already installed we’ll try first to quiet this one down. Perhaps we can cover the open intake side of the box a bit. Or put some padding on the box itself.

Any suggestions? Whatever we do, we’ll let you know what it is and how it works.

Suzuki King Quad —

The modifications we’re making to the KQ are coming right along. We’ve mounted a pair of cargo boxes front and rear that seem to be what we are looking for for. Our biggest problem is with the mounting of the rear box. The problem is that the box I found that I like the most hinges at the rear! Yeah, while digging through my old boxes, I found a pair of Kawasaki-branded boxes that I really like. The size is right, and the shape is right, with flat tops so more items can be mounted on the top if needed. And although I really like the fact that the rear box hinges from the rear, it requires the fuel pack mounting brackets to be moved farther rearward. Even with that done, the box extends forward enough that the seat is difficult to remove and the fuel cap harder to get to.

We’ll see how that all works and if it’s a problem or if we can deal with it.

I also got the new 3000 pound KFI winch installed. What an easy thing to do. The mount installs so easily that I almost wanted to take it off and put it on again! Then, Suzuki has made the mounting easy on their part by first providing a nice plastic tube to run all the wires through, and second, by making a nice place to bolt on the connector box. The only problem is that to use the pre-drilled holes requires removing the rear plastic bodywork which also requires removing the rear rack. Actually they just need ‘mostly’ removed. Also this helps to make for a very clean install. We also mounted the remote plug right up on the handlebar with the switch – something we’ve never done before but makes for a simple (and clean) installation.

We think every winch should come with a synthetic cable. Once you use a ‘rope’ in place of a steel wire cable, you’ll be sold on its safety. It’s both easy to handle with your bare hands and even more important, should it ever break, it contains no kinetic energy, so rather than whip around and possible cause serious harm, it will fall harmlessly to the ground! I still have the steel cable on my Prairie I use to plow snow with and the cable is already frayed enough to be dangerous to touch.

Mounting the synthetic cable is certainly easy enough. Remove the steel cable. Drill the hole that holds the steel cable on the spool a bit larger diameter. Thread in the synthetic rope. Bingo! Reel it in and you’re ready to go winching!

Looking at the pictures you’ll see that I also installed a set of Rotopax mounts on top of the front box. I like the added storage options but I’m a little unsure how the box itself will hold up to the added weight.

So we’re pretty much done with our mods with the exception of bolting on a better set of shocks, and putting some miles on it to see how everything works! Interestingly enough, we recently ran into a couple of guys on the Paiute Trail that had to have one of their KQ racks re-welded after it broke from hauling the weight on rough roads! And what they were hauling didn’t seem like too much to me. They even were running Elka suspensions! It kinda makes me wonder…..

Kawasaki Teryx —

The Teryx continues to perform flawlessly. No hiccups in its performance whatsoever. We’ve even used it twice to run up the mountain with a trailer and haul down a good-sized load of wood. No power problems and no braking problems. And never once was there anything that made me question whether I would make it back – or not.

It continues to be used hard and put away wet and yet like a faithful dog is always more than willing to head out again.

Of course we still wish it was a bit quieter (What’s new?), and more than anything else wish it was 50” wide!

Kawasaki Mule —

The same thing applies to the diesel Mule. It continues on with flawless operation. I continue to enjoy its sturdy, metal construction and its no-nonsense design. I do continue to wish for a Sport Edition Mule, with a little more suspension travel and no speed limiter so it would make a little better machine for casual trail riding. Fat chance I’m sure.

Polaris Ranger EV —

I continue to be amazed with the EV. I love the quiet operation. I do wish it had some kind of a back up system that charged the batteries while driving.

Also, for some reason I’m now finding that the throttle response from a standstill (what I always refer to as ‘tip in’) seems far more sensitive than before. Sometimes you start pushing the throttle and nothing happens and then all of a sudden, (WHAM), it starts moving – faster than you planned.

And I’m more used to having an increased gasoline bill than I am a larger electric bill.

Kawasaki Brute Force 750 —

Gee I wish I had something more to say about the Kawasaki’s we have other than their faithful operation. Even after spending its first several hours immersed, hopelessly stuck in a muddy spring stream due almost entirely to rider error, it has never once given me any reason to doubt its ability to get me where I want to go and back home safely and without any worry. That’s not something that can be said about every ATV that comes through our testing…..

Project RZR - The Ultimate Trail Rig Moving Right Along!

2010-09-13T12:04:00.000-06:00

We've started preparring our 2011 RZR in our attempt to make it the most capable trail machine to use exploring the vast expanses of the Paiute Trail system.

One of the first things we did was remove most of the stickers. I like the clean look. Could you image if your car came with all these stickers?

We then took some clear silicon sealant and sealed the seam in the front fender wells as we've noticed that in mud and snow these can leak. We then installed our floormats made from the BedRug. We do this for several reasons; One to quiet the interior, and two, so that we can fill in the silly heel pocket that drives us nuts! We installed our High Lifter aluminum top - which of course we glued some carpet to, once again as a sound-deadening process. We then bolted on our reaview mirror. I think every ATV and UTV should come standard with a mirror! We also installed our Ram GPS mount up under the roof. We put a QuadBoss fender bag in between the seats for added interior storage.

Because we hate rattles, we also ran several wraps of black electrical tape around the grab bar to keep it from vibrating!

To increase the suspension's articulation we remove the front sway bar entirely and back the rear sway bar as far off as we can. This way it lets each wheel move a couple inches further before it moves in like our government controlling things. We've seen some folks remove the rear altogether but we have yet to try it.....but we will.

We installed a set of Super Works shocks with extended body length. This gives us all the advantages of Works Performance shocks and a 1" to 1 1/2" l;ift all in a single package. We love 'em. If you contact Works, ask for the ATV Television build.

As you could also see in the previous picture, we installed a 3000 pound KFI winch complete with synthetic cable and aluminum fairlead. Once you use a synthetic cable you'll wonder why winches even come with twisted wire cables! We mounted our switch just behind the shifter and the remote left under the seat.

The stock skidplate leaves a lot to be desired for hard trail riding.

So, we installed a complete set of HCR aluminum skids. Wow! These are incredible. They go on using the stock hardware and actually bolt on without any problems or misaligned holes. I can't say enough about how well these skidplates fit - especially since we've heard many stories about the horrors of trying to install aftermarket skids, and seen enough of it ourselves that we typically don't add aftermarket skidplates.

One this we did that I highly recommend is to run some rubber insulating tape between the frame and the aluminum. It really keeps the reflective noise and vibration to a minumum.

This was another one of those products we hesitated to bolt on. The RZR's are notorious for letting dirt past the filter and into the engine, some going kaput within 200 miles! So, a good filter is a must, and K&N are one of the best. Why the hesitation then? Good filters add a lot more induction noise - something I don't really want. And they require quite a bit of work to install. But the thought of a ruined engine after a couple days on the trail was motivation enough for me. We'll have a complete Product Review segment on it, but it required removing the bed to install. But in addition to being sure the installation was correct it gave me the ability to double check everything else under there. BTW: The sound is louder than stock, but I think I can live with it. If not, the next step would be to carpet the engine cover behind the seats.

There we go! We mounted a set of 26" Goodyear MTRs on 14" High Lifter wheels. These seem to work really good in every condition except snow. We'll see how they last. You can see the lift that the extended Works Performance shocks give the RZR. On the rear is our incredible RyFab cargo box with a pair of RotopaX fuel and storage packs mounted to the lid. I think we are now ready to hit the trail!

We have a few more pictures on our website.

And we have already started work on our Project Suzuki King Quad!

Test Updates

2010-09-08T10:29:00.004-06:00

Ranger EV -

And it handled quite well!

We are absolutely amazed at how well the new EV is working around our place. We're preparing the video that will show the EV hauling firewood and towing the rough cut mower to have up hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

It never ceases to amaze us the smiles the EV puts on other's faces. Quite, powerful. Of course we still struggle with really testing it's full potential as a trail machine as we can't find the right can to carry the spare volts with us. Or is that watts? Whatever.

MULE -

Kawasaki may not endorse this but the Mule moves
this around my ranch without a problem

We are also getting our diesel Mule test ready, but since the EV's been here we've used the Mule less than before. Suddenly a diesel really seems noisy and smelly. But of course, nothing else sitting around the shop can haul and tow like this thing.

RZR -

Now that we have the 2011 RZR test completed we can get started on the modifications we plan to make to it to make it the Ultimate Trail Machine! The pile of parts is growing. Some decisions are easy, some much harder.

One of the first things I do is remove all them danged stickers!

We have the HCR skid plates and kick panels.
We've got our KFI winch.
We've got our RyFab cargo box.
Although we've got a couple RotopaX fuel and storage packs, we're still figuring out if want to mount them a little different this time.
We're also trying to decide whether to mount the long travel, extended length Works shocks or try the air shocks from Legend Air. I can't seem to get past the thought that as you lift it that it will also be stiffer.
Also, ATR makes a pretty cool kit that includes a lift kit, strengthening tubes and Fox shocks that looks like it might be the answer.
Then there's the tires and wheels. We ordered the Blue and White edition so that we had nicer-looking 12" wheels that will still be 50". Now what tires. We also still have our 14" High Lifter wheels with the Goodyear MTR's that I really liked on the last RZR we fixed up.
And the cage! I've love to put on a lower-profile, better-looking cage, but wonder if it's really worth the effort.
We plan to remove the front sway bars as before, and either loosen or remove the rear as well.
Bolt in the GPS
Bolt on some additional lighting front and rear.

Some RZRs seem to work just fine, but most need an air filter upgrade to be sure the inners stay clean. So we have that to do - no matter what!

Wow, all of a sudden it looks like a lot of work! Maybe I should just put some miles on it stock ;-)

Suzuki King Quad 750 EPS -

Still looking for the perfect box!

One of my favorite ATVs, and one I always want sitting around here to measure other ATVs against. It's coming along well as a project simply because it's easy to get trail-ready.
Carlisle ACTs mounted on the stock wheels
A pair of RotopaX one gallon fuel packs mounted on the rear rack.
Have a bag on now but still looking for the right box.
The GPS mount was easy.
Still need to mount the winch.

RZR 4 -

What can be said?

Just hit over 500 miles on our RZR 4 and getting ready to send it back. Not sure we're real happy with some of the noises it's making. It sure handles great, but sure is big when you don't need all that seating space.

We're replacing it with a new Ranger 500EFI crew. I enjoyed putting miles on one at the new model intro in Montana and for how I explore the trails with three other people onboard, I think it will work better than the RZR 4. Certainly smaller feeling.

We'll see.

Teryx -

The Teryx never once let us down - even in severe conditions

The Teryx just continues to do everything it's asked. It is the most trusted trail rig when we ride where there are no 50" trails to worry about. It's towed a trailer up to 10,000 feet to haul down loaded (both the Teryx's bed and the trailer) with firewood.

I wish it were a little quieter. I wish it had a hand-actuated parking brake, and I wish it had an automatic-clutch, manual transmission. But that is most likely asking too much:-)

I guess wishing it were 50" wide would be too much too?

It still is what sits right outside my office door, but then I don't have an electrical plug that close.

Brute Force -

The Goodyear MTRs work great but the wider fronts
make the non-power steering harder to steer!

After burying it in the mud within the first 25 miles of use, it has forgiven me and continues to be at the ready when needed to explore the 50" trails. Ran the Goodyear MTRs on it for a while but being so used to power steering on the other ATVs we put the stock tires back on to ease the steering. I guess I should have put on the ACTs as nobody likes the stock tires much.

Hopefully we have some more 2011s on the way as my favorite time to put the miles on are in October and November!

The Value of Air

2010-08-30T11:15:00.000-06:00

Don’t Forget the VALUE of Proper Air Pressure!

You’ve heard me constantly yammer on about the difference that the proper (radial!) tires make on an ATV. There are very few machines come with tires that actually help the ATV handle properly, and in fact most stock tires usually make ATVs handle more like a watercraft than a machine planted on the ground! The thin, rounded, bias-ply tires roll over too easy when cornering and provide less than precise steering. Of course, the problem is that you’d never know that the ATV could handle better until you actually change the tires.

Once you change the stock tires to anything else, you become a believer that those new tires you put on are the best in the world! The trouble with that is that it is based only on the difference they made on your machine. It’s something I see over and over again. People talk about the virtues of the tires they have put on their ATV based entirely on how they compare to the stock tires they replaced. Little do they know that almost any tire they could have bought is better than the stock tires!

So that’s something to keep in mind when your friend replaces his worn stock tires with a set of Goodyear Mud Runners and tells you how much better they are ;-)

So, once again, tires are one of the most important modifications you can make to your ATV. But choose them carefully!

But there’s more, as I was reminded just the other day. Air pressure makes a difference in every tire’s performance! And tire pressure changes with altitude! But we’ll leave that part of the discussion for another time.

Here’s my story. I was riding one of my favorite ATVs equipped with one of my favorite tires. A Suzuki King Quad with Carlisle ACTs on stock wheels. I was riding on some trails I had not been on in a long time. Several times I mentioned to my friend that the trail was really slippery. He agreed but then he was riding a Brute Force with the stock tires on. So what did he know?

As we rode, I kept going over in my mind as to why I was not that happy with the performance of this ATV and these tires. Maybe it’s me? Maybe I’m just off today? Maybe its? Maybe what?

Towards the end of the ride, we stopped near a small stream to enjoy looking over the valley below as a powerful thunderstorm moved its way slowly through. While listening to the thunder, I looked at my tires. They seemed a bit stiff looking so I decided to check the air pressure in them. To my surprise, the front tires were at 4 ½ pounds, but the rears were at almost 7 for some reason!

I lowered the rear to 4 ½ while questioning how I could have been that far off. It took little more than 1 mile for me to realize the incredible difference that adjusting the air pressure made.

So my point is - check your air pressure often, and if you have never changed it, try it? Even a ½ pound one way or another, or from front to rear can make a noticeable difference in how your ATV works. And all tires are a little different. The heavier, stiffer tires can certainly get by with a lot less air pressure than the thinner, more flexible tires.

So do yourself a favor – go ride your ATV with a little different pressure than you’re used to and see what happens……

At a Loss for Understanding!

2010-08-15T17:19:00.003-06:00

At a loss for understanding!

I am so fortunate to live where on any given day I can hook up with a friend and go for a ride. Not just any ride mind you but a ride that most people would spend a year planning and spend their hard-earned vacation time to do. All this in what I call my ‘back yard!’ Of course it’s a backyard necessitated by my job of testing ATVs and UTVs, and the products that go with them – but that’s another story I guess…

So it was that a good friend, Kenny and I had some time on our hand to explore an area where we had not gone before. That is always an exciting prospect and always an adventure!

The trail we chose did not let us down. It was a seldom-used trail that with only a couple distractions led us on an incredible 2-track journey. A journey that traversed side-hills, climbed some rather good distances through the aspens, dropped steeply into a distant stream and followed it to what was for us, a great lunch stop.

We continued exploring a few of the other side-trails in the area, one traveling tightly up through the dense aspens and pines, past a few mining relics, and along a ridge with those incredible views that bring people to the area. It was one of those trails that because it was ‘seldom used’ was almost completely free from the usual litter of beer cans and water bottles.

We had found a jewel of a trail for sure. It was with great expectations that we followed it onward and upward. What could be any better than this? Here was a 2-track trail with everything we could ask for. It was one of those trails where should we run across some liberal extreme environmentalist shouting how ATVs destroy the wilderness, we could poke them back in the chest, go toe-to-toe, nose-to-nose, and say, “Show me where the damage is? This trail is no different than any riding and hiking trails we’ve been on, and better than most!”

I spent a good many days of my life building hiking trails, including a connecting section of the famous Pacific Crest Trail. Even building a trail for hiker’s and horseback rider’s, the government’s requirements were that you needed to make enough clearance between trees and rocks and switchbacks that a sensible rider on an ATV could ride them without harm. That wasn’t their wording or intent, but my point is how big they required a simple hiking trail to be.

But I digress.

This was a great trail. One of my favorites. It was one of those trails that I feared telling anyone about because since it wasn’t marked a 50” trail I was sure if they knew about it, the ‘Wild Crowd’ would try to ride it in their 60”, long travel, race machines! And then it would be ruined. This great 2-track, scenic trail, free of trash and even tire damage from fast machines would be destroyed. Closed. Forever, thank you very much.

Wait a minute! What’s this? A gate? The trail’s closed from here on to motorized travel? Yikes! Look what they’ve done. Eeww, look what they’ve done! Ohhhh, look what they’ve all done….

It seems we had run upon a gate installed across the trail blocking it to all motorized forms of travel. In their effort to do that, the forest service had not just installed a gate and a sign, but also downed trees in an attempt to cover the trail and to hinder any possible circumnavigation around the gate. It was an ugly attempt to close what had been so far a perfect example of the perfect reason to leave these kinds of trails open for use by ATVs.

But it also seems that we weren’t the first to run across this seemingly newly installed deterrence. Someone else had been there prior and left their distaste for this closure by leaving an even uglier reminder of the type of people that come to ride these trails. The people that seem to either unwittingly or uncaringly help to bring about these trail closures in the first place.

Suddenly Kenny and I were looking at each other and wondering what shocked and irritated us more, the forest service’s closure of this incredible trail for what seemed like no reason, or the distasteful reminder of the people we are classified with as ‘trail riders’ or ‘ATVers!’

It would all make at least some sense if the trail defecators were there first and then the trail was closed. But this was more of a case of ‘we’ll show you why this trail should be closed!’

I just don’t understand – any of it. Add it to the list I guess.

Living in the Past!

2010-07-22T14:02:00.000-06:00

Or should that be living for the past?

I am so very fortunate to have lived through some pretty good “hay days!” I was there in the 60s when motorcycling really took off. I was also around to see the first 3-wheeler, 4-wheeler, and UTV. I was around when Baja racing started, when there were things like the Riverside Grand Prix, and even the Palm Springs Grand Prix. I was there when go-carting took off, and when minibikes were all the rage. I was there for the first hang glider, the first ultralight, and the first hobie cat. I was there for the first skate board, the first 10-speed, and the first BMX bike, actually called a ‘sting ray’ if memory serves me correct. I saw the first American win a Formula One race, and for Danny Sullivan’s spin and win at Indy.

There’s more, amazingly more! But of all the things I’ve been a part of, the best was the birth of the dune buggy. Although it is always there as a part of my life, having more than just a couple buggies from my past staged in my garage, it hit me rather hard when I sat down at my desk and my wife had dropped the day’s mail in a pile that happened to land the latest UTV Off Road Magazine directly on top on a copy of the very first Dune Buggy and Off Road magazine. Just like that, 2010 met 1967.

I couldn’t help but compare the two. I have a couple of the older off road magazines laying around to look at as I contemplate restoring another buggy. I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me but, like so many things nowadays, my favorite activity is being overrun by the “in-your-face, hey-look-at-me” crowds. Clean and functional has been replaced with wild and extreme.

I’ve seen this pattern before and know how the story ends. First the crazies take over one area and then they keep moving like a swarm of locusts overrunning and overwhelming other areas in their path. I’ve seen it with the sand dunes! Growing up in Southern California I was a constant visitor to several local dunes, most notably Glamis from the mid 60s. The dunes survived the influx of the VW buggies, 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers. But once the wild and tattooed crowd hit the scene with their incredible $70,000 buggies, huge trailers that virtually are rolling parties the weight shifted. Law enforcement was needed to patrol the drunks in their 1000 horsepower compensators, and new fees were needed to pay for the law enforcement. What had been a wonderful place for families to enjoy the great outdoors became as dangerous as walking through England with a white, right-wing, heterosexual Christian t-shirt.

But there was still plenty of other places to explore. Rock crawling was one of them. It proved to be a great way to get the family out into the beautiful backcountry and get to places you never thought possible. But of course within a few years that sport transformed from Jeeps and Suzuki Samari’s with limited slip differentials into full roll-caged specialized rock crawlers that as you guessed cost lots of money and were driven by the same compensating city dwellers that had just taken the dunes away from the regulars.

Now it seems to be happening to what is probably the last outpost for simple off road recreation, our back country trails! Although most sport ATVs stayed away from the scenic mountain trails, preferring to stay on designated tracks or to race across the deserts and the sand dunes, the new wave of UTVs have set their sights on our scenic mountain trails. These super-scenic, quiet, and serene back country trails are best explored by an ATV or a stock 50” RZR. But now, the onslaught of the widened, loudened, and disfigured UTVs are attacking the once pristine trails making the trail’s footprint wider in order to accommodate them, as well as degrading the trail conditions due to their increased speed, and irritating the communities that once so-welcomed the quiet families that came to enjoy the mountains. The thumping of loud music, and inappropriate language now overruns even the campgrounds that once were populated by story-telling around the campfires.

In every case, the responsible users were driven out by the loud and obnoxious crowd, who bring with them the need for intervention to control the damage from their noise, speed, trash, and otherwise bad behaviors. And as they overwhelm an area they also manage to give power to the forces that choose to close the areas down rather than put up with it’s destruction.

Where do we go next? I’m afraid there is no ‘next’ and so we must make a stand here. The magic word for the future is ‘sustainability.’ Educate the new users quickly. And perhaps just as quickly enforce the standards that have kept the trails open for so many years before.

I’ve seen the Future!

2010-07-19T14:49:00.000-06:00

That’s right. I have seen the future and I think I like it!

On a recent trip to Montana to view all the new Polaris models for 2011 (notice I mentioned ‘all’ the new models as compared to most manufacturers with nothing new!) I took my first ride in the Ranger EV. The EV in case you don’t know stands for Electric Vehicle.

It certainly got my attention and I quickly begged Polaris for a test unit.

I’ll back up a bit here and mention that I always (and I mean ALWAYS) have a Kawasaki Mule sitting directly outside my office door for use around my little ranch, or farm, or whatever it is. Although I’ve only got about 25 acres of property, it includes a couple acres of pasture, a pond, several thousand feet of stream, a big enough garden to put a small tractor in, more than several acres of woodland, and enough weeds to drive a Southern California desert rat absolutely NUTS! Plus I haul my own trash across town to the dump. And where I live I also regularly drive the Mule (or some sort of ATV/UTV to the Post office, to my daughter’s school, and to the neighbor’s to visit. And of course there’s always the trips up the mountain to gather wood, and just go for an evening ride to smell the pines and watch the aspen quake, and listen for the elk to bugle.

So needless to say that when I drove the EV around the Montana ranch I wondered how well it would actually work in the real world – my real world.

So I now have a new Ranger EV sitting outside my office right next to my diesel Mule! Well actually it doesn’t sit as close to my door as the Mule as it needs to be attached to an extension cord when not in use.

Of course I’ll give you a full video test as soon as the embargo date for the 2011 models arrives, and I put a few more miles on it, but until then I’ll say this; Wow! Oh, and you can count on an extended test as well letting you know how the EV works over the long run as well.

First, let me say that it’s quiet - like a sailboat as compared to a powerboat quiet. Or a hang glider as compared to a powered plane. Weirdly, eerily quiet. Just the wind and the water. Well, kinda. Of course just as quiet brings awareness of other things you typically won’t hear, it also brings with it the notice of certain things you don’t typically hear. Although I can hear the stream rumbling and dashing over the rocks as I ride by, I can also hear the front end rattle and grind. Trade-offs I suppose. And something I’ve learned to just accept from Polaris. While they are always pushing the envelope, I oftentimes wish they improved the existing envelope before pushing it.

I’m still measuring hours and miles that I get on a charge. And I need to ask someone smarter than me how much it costs to charge the EV as compared to putting fuel in my Mule, but so far I’m amazed.

The quiet travel certainly makes other’s look up and smile. Noise is one of the impacts on the surroundings that trail users seldom consider. So I see lots of smiles as I head up the trail looking for firewood or wildlife. I also hear lots of things I’m not used to hearing while riding, like the stream, or even the approach of an old-style, fossil fuel powered ATV.Whoa! I’m already starting to sound like an environmentalist!

We’ve got a long ways to go before there is an electric vehicle that can replace a gas-powered vehicle for exploring the great outdoors, but I’m ready.

Quite smiles.

If They Asked Me What They Should Do Here’s What I’d Say - to Suzuki!

2010-07-05T13:05:00.000-06:00

If They Asked Me What They Should Do Here’s What I’d Say - to Suzuki!

Not that they will of course, but if they did, here are my suggestions:

The King Quad is pretty much the best ATV on the market today – in my opinion of course! The revised front geometry on the new power steering models (caster in particular) has solved one of the few problems the King Quad faced. The biggest problem with the King Quad is that you can’t buy one that’s really ‘Trail Ready!’

So I say, let’s make some trail ready Special Editions that would include some real tires mounted on the stock wheels. A good set of 25” (or even 26”) Terra Cross, ACTs, or MT/Rs would be perfect. I’d also include a good winch, and perhaps a few other items like a rearview mirror and even a GPS. Then I’d add another Explorer package that would include good quality front and rear boxes and a RotopaX fuel pack or two.

The same holds true for the smaller King Quad 400. It requires little to make it great, but offering ‘Special Editions’ that are truly trail ready would be a real plus. And keep it the size that it is. I see so many people (especially wife’s and less-experienced riders) that ride ATVs far too big for them. Although this is really a topic for another blog, I’m always amazed at well riders do out on the trails when they are riding ‘smaller’ ATVs like KQ 400s and Ranchers.

But where Suzuki really needs step up is with their UTVs! Step up? How about just take a step?

Here’s my suggestion. In a perfect world you would need three UTVs. One pure utility machine for work, one sporty 4-seater for the dunes, and one specifically for the trail. But in today’s horrible economic conditions and poor market, and with all the competition that’s out there, I propose just one machine – one with only one competitor, a 50” trail machine!

Think RZR, but better, of course. Fix the faults. The King Quad 750 engine and transmission would be a great power package to build this machine around as it is powerful enough (especially with a revised ECU) and incredibly smooth and quiet in its operation. It would also have the perfect drive system (2wd, 4wd, and locker), and wonderfully effective engine braking for the downhills. Plus it’s very reliable!

It would (as stated earlier) have to be 50” wide, even with longer travel arms providing a minimum of 8 inches of travel front and rear. It would have to come with good 14” radial tires. And just as importantly it would have to be ‘Trail Ready!’ That means several things. It would have to have a fuel tank that holds at least 7 or 8 gallons. It would need good skid protection. And it would need a good rack-bed set-up to carry all the camping gear and additional fuel you would need to explore the longest trails.

It would be taking on the RZR, which is of course, the best-selling UTV made, but just like the King Quad, I know Suzuki can make the best machines out there if they are only given the green light by the Japanese management that control the very talented Americans at the company. If you don’t believe me just look at what those silly Americans have done when given the reins - with the Eiger, the Vinson, the King Quad, the LTZ, and the LTR! If only the management listened to the marketing guys and then unleashed the designers there is no imagination that could comprehend the machine they could make.

All wishful thinking from a guy who when he walks out of his office door has the enviable(?) decision as to whether to ride a King Quad or a RZR on one of the many 50’trails that await on the Paiute Trail system.

If only someone would listen?

2011 Polaris'

2010-06-19T09:46:00.000-06:00

We are off to the see the new-for 2011 Polaris line-up. Of course I’m not sure how long we’ll be sworn to secrecy before we can tell you what we saw, so I thought maybe I’d spend a little time telling you what I’d like to see…..

First and foremost in my book would be a revised RZR. I’d like to see the 850 engine put in it Not that it all that much more powerful, but it’s smoother and a cleaner, more compact design. That package would also give us the 4-wheel braking that is MUCH needed. While they are in that department, let’s make sure that we clean up the mounting points so we can add bigger wheels and tires without having to go outward and increase the width beyond the 50” And let’s clean up those a-arms, make them a tubular steel and paint them silver. Then mount some better Fox shocks to them to increase the travel slightly but increase the ride and handling considerably. And go ahead and put some real tires on it. My choice would of course be something like the Carlisle ACT, or Goodyear MT/R. Or even a special set of perfectly (re-sized) Terra Cross.

Moving inside there would be a hand-lever for the emergency-parking brake, and some sealed storage compartments. The bodywork could stay pretty much like it is but let’s take some of the ugly out of that roll cage! Of course if it were up to me I’d go ahead and switch the entire drivetrain over to a system that had 2wd, 4wd, and a locking front differential and therefore also get great engine braking in the process. But I’m sure that’s too much to ask for. As would be a switch from a CVT transmission to a autoclutch system!

Moving on I’d lover to see a mid-size crewcab Ranger. Built on the platform from the 400cc class machine I’d stretch it slightly so there was a back seat. A small one! I’d probably make that model at least a 500cc, and maybe a 650.

In the ATV department things are looking pretty good with the new line of XPs, but I’d fix the power steering so it has less power and more feel. I’d make the design engineers go ride a Suzuki King Quad with EPS. I’d also make another 2-seat model, based on the Touring, but without a raised rear seat. I’d just make the standard seat longer. I talk to a lot of folks that ride two-up on a regular machine because the second rider doesn’t like sitting up so high and feels exposed. And while we’re working on the ATV line, I’d revise that transmission. I’d have it engage sooner and run in a higher ratio. And fix it so it shifts with clunking so much.

That’s pretty much the main changes – in a nutshell. I’d probably also shorten the RZR 4 a bit and clean up that cage as well. I might lift the Ranger Crew a bit too.

But I better stop while I’ve only dug a small hole for myself.

Oh there’s one more thing I’d do. I’d swallow my pride, and make a HUGE commitment to do two VERY important things. I’d keep building all the machines here in the US of A, and I’d commit the entire operation to a design and build quality that matches or exceeds that of the Japanese.

Think I’ll see any of this at the 2011 intro? I doubt it too, but knowing Polaris I know they’ll be some surprises.

I’ll let you know what they are just as soon as I can.

Have we passed the point of ‘common sense’ in the name of profit?

2010-06-10T16:19:00.000-06:00

Have we passed the point of ‘common sense’ in the name of profit?

The newest Side by Side has hit the media outlets and will soon be sitting on the local dealership floor near you. The new 1000cc Commander is definitely the “latest and the greatest” SxS we’ve seen yet! But is it an aubaine or a dysastre?

With a 78 mph top speed and more complicated electronics than we’ve ever seen on a UTV or ATV it is an incredible display of technology. But more than it’s cost (initial or maintenance) perhaps most importantly it’s another prime example of a new vehicle brought to the market that will do more harm to our industry - all in the name of profit.

Sport quads are great machines for the race tracks and the sand dunes, but they do more damage to the trails, local communities, and the cause for responsible use of ATVs on the wonderful and scenic trails of our great backcountry than their utility counterparts. So why are they so prevalent? Because the manufacturers know that they can sell them. It matters less that they are harmful to the future of ATVs than to the immediate padding of their profit ledger.

That same holds true for the bigger and faster UTVs that are now hitting the market. While there is nothing wrong with the Commander in and of itself, it is more about the type of rider/driver that it is aimed at, and how (and where) they will use that machine to help accelerate the closure of our ATV trail systems.

Why am I complaining you say? Am I not in the business of profiting from this market as much as anyone else? Well yes, I guess – kinda, in a way. The latest and greatest, newest and most trick machines do draw more viewers, that’s true. But there’s something more that I see. I see the damage these machines (and riders) do to the areas where they are used.

Once again, whether it’s ATVs, guns, or alcohol, it’s not the device itself that causes the harm, but the person that chooses how to use it that causes the problem. So, to cut straight to the quick, I see that certain off-road vehicle ‘choices’ cause more harm than others. I’ve been fortunate(?) to have lived in several different locations (all on the edge of the wilderness) and I have seen the destruction that certain vehicles cause, to the trail system itself, but even more importantly the damage they do to the community around the trail system. While many people put up with mechanized off-road travel out of respect to the very users themselves, they tend to be noticeably less tolerant when the off-roaders are loud, fast, and irresponsible and disrespectful.

This sword has two edges, and both are dangerously sharp – and damaging. Certain off-road vehicles are marketed at the less responsible of off-road users, and those less responsible users then take that vehicle to an area (typically away from where they live), and use it (and their behavior) in ways that accelerate the closure of the trails they came to enjoy(?).

This closure affects not only those irresponsible users, but the responsible ones as well.

Some of you may call me crazy. To that I say, “Why are you even reading this? Shouldn’t you be on some other website?” Other’s of you, those that I do this website for, know the danger in irresponsible trail usage. All I’m pointing out is the relationship of the machine they use to their lack of responsible use of our trails. While there are things we can do to help stop the irresponsible users from closing down our trails, I find it equally irresponsible to be profiting from the manufacture of the tools that help them do it.

So, go riding while you can. And smile, as every day there are more idiots on the trails that you are going to have try to make up for with your respectfulness, politeness, and responsible behavior.

God Bless

Swingarms Are Better Than IRS!

2010-06-04T13:29:00.000-06:00

Yeap, it's true!

I bet that got your attention, eh? Well, now let me jab you one more time! The only reason IRS is so popular is because consumers like you(!) demanded IRS because they(you!) thought Independent Rear Suspension systems were better. Huh? You bought ATVs with IRS rather than swingarms so manufacturer’s all needed to make ATVs with IRS so you would be competitive and you would also buy their’s!

Now let me explain myself. First of all there are no utility ATVs or UTVs than have optimized swingarm suspensions to use as a comparison, whereas IRS systems have undergone several years of improvement.

Now let’s also look at the fact that most IRS systems have huge sway bars that restrict the ‘actual’ independent travel of each of the rear wheels tremendously. Don’t believe me? Go out to your garage and put a jack under one rear wheel and jack it up. (Yeah I know that will require that you first jack up the ATV to get the wheels off of the ground so that you can then put a jack under just one of the tires. And yes I know you may need to sit on the ATV to put some weight on it to ‘try’ to make it move. And yes that might just be another problem here). So, did you do it? Then you know that there was little or no movement. Amazed? I know, it’s an amazing thing. If one rear wheel goes up, the other does too. It’s only independent depending on what you think ‘independant’ means – if you know what I mean….

So why is this so? Because completely independent rear suspension travel does not work on an ATV! If you disconnected the anti-sway bar you’d find that the high center of gravity of an ATV would cause the independent travel of the rear wheels to be a horrific problem, causing the ATV to lean tremendously in the corners, and fall over every time the terrain was uneven.

Huh?

Let me explain a bit further. If you have one end of a vehicle with the wheels working independently of each other, the other end of the vehicle needs to be an anchor to keep the machine’s wheels below the rest of the machine (in other words it’ll fall over!) Hence a stable rear suspension system that can either be dual a-arms with a swaybar connecting them together, or a swingarm system with a solid rear axle.

Need some examples? How about racing ATVs. Or the ultimate off-road speedster, the ‘Trophy Truck’. Now if you checked out trophy truck suspensions you probably noticed that they are a unique blend of individual trailing arms with a solid rear axle. Arctic Cat had a very similar system many years ago that worked incredibly but was not accepted by consumers so AC switched to what was demanded – an IRS system with tons of ground clearance! And you guessed it, you lost again ;-)

You see, you need the stability of a solid rear axle for the ultimate in stability and handling. But don’t think that just because it’s a swingarm that it can’t have great travel. (refer once again to the comment regarding sport quads and trophy trucks). Why not set up a swingarm rear suspension on a Prairie or Rubicon with 12” of wheel travel? They do it on the sport quads and the trophy trucks…..Oh yeah, I said that already ;-)

So I contend that consumer demand for independent rear suspension systems have made ATVs handle worse than if we would have spent the time to develop better, longer-travel swingarms on our utility ATVs (and UTVs!)

Do I doubt my comment? No, I just got back from riding my tricked-out, Elka-equipped, Kawasaki KFX 700. And if I need more proof I’ll take a spin on the project Raptor…

Tires! Tires! Tires!

2010-06-02T11:58:00.002-06:00

The importance of tires!

It seems like all I do is talk about tires! Tires this and tires that. But, they are important! Tires just may be the most important single change you can make to your ATV! No, no, make that the most important change.

So you’d think I’d know that, but I actually had to learn that lesson all over again just yesterday. It was a beautiful day and I thought I’d take a test ride. The ATV of choice was the 2010 Kawasaki Brute Force. Camo edition! This was the first real miles we put on it since the filming. During the filming we also had a new Sportsman along. Every time I got on the Brute Force I was too aware of the stiffness of the thumb throttle. It used to be that the thumb had to push two carburetors open, but now it’s only the twin fuel injection units. It just seemed too stiff to me.

Now there are several reasons that could be. It could be that I’m getting old and tired. Or it could be that I spend too much time in the seat of a UTV. But whatever the case I thought I’d just jump on the BF and take it for a little ride and see how it felt putting a few miles on it.

While there are several lessons to be learned from this let’s just focus on the one that has to do with the tires. The ride consisted of 20 or so miles of fairly easy scenic trails. I wanted to see if my thumb got used to the BF or if it did me in. Towards the end of the ride I opted to try a trail pretty well inundated with spring run-off. I figured it would be fun to splash through a little water. Unfortunately it was quickly apparent that the underside of the flowing water was more than just rocky. It had lots of sticky, gooey mud. The kind that permanently stains everything it touches as I later find out. (Note: I know this trail and often wondered why it appeared so very rutted ;-)

But I’m riding a new Brute Force with a locker! (A long time ago an old man imparted a bit of wisdom - that he no doubt learned the hard way now that look back at it). He said that 4 wheels without any traction are no better than two. Words to live by, or learn from. And better to learn from someone else than by your own adventure.

But I had a locker! Equal traction to all four wheels. And power! 750cc of twin cylinder, explosive power to those four wheels. Equally if I might add that again! The only things I lacked (as I look back on all this with a new-found wisdom) were tires with the proper traction, and the common sense to know that.

In my defense I’m a slow learner at this ‘stuck’ thing, having stuck every single test vehicle (full size and ATV) in the snow over the winter months. Most of my friends were perplexed by my actions but I referred them to the ‘other’ old adage, “you don’t know exactly were the edge is until you fall over it!”

Whatever. This is a whole new adventure. Of course I wish I had pictures but even if I would have had a camera along, I was far too covered in layers of mud (sticky, gooey mud that stains everything it touches mud!) to use it. Although the mud was not bottomless, once I stepped in over the top of my 10” boots, I knew I was in deep, ah, trouble.

A quick check of the circumstances showed me that the mud was too deep to stand in, even flowing slightly over the floorboards of the BF I used as my refuge. I had plenty of power to spins all four tires – equally I might add. The problem was that the tires didn’t do anything but spin. Just a bit more tread might have made all the difference in the world. And might have saved me an hour or more of digging and diverting water. And might have saved a good pair of khaki cargo pants and a 4x4TV shirt from being ruined!

I did get out, but it was an hour or more struggle that gave me plenty of time to think about the dangers of riding without the proper tires.

Gotta go. I think I’ll bolt on a set of Terra Cross and see what happens ;-)

Polaris to Make ATVs in MEXICO!!!!!

2010-05-23T11:02:00.000-06:00

What the Hey!?!

Whether you love Polaris machines or hate them, you got to give them credit for being true blue! They are an American company, and their machines are designed by Americans and built by Americans.

Oh wait, I’m wrong! Polaris’ are not made in America! While that statement isn’t true yet, it looks like it’s going to be real soon.

Yes, that’s right. Check out the Latest News on our Blog or on our website for more information that Polaris is closing down their manufacturing plant right here in the good ‘ol U.S. of A. and moving ATV and UTV manufacturing to Mexico! MEXICO! Maybe that’s Polaris’ way of fighting illegal immigration;-)

They say it is for financial reasons! Whatever their reasoning it is indeed both perplexing and maddening! While the Japanese are going to great lengths to build their machines on our soil and by our citizens, Polaris leaves the country? And at this time?

The ATV business is bad, but in case you didn’t notice the whole economy is bad! But it sure ain’t going to get any better with one of our own shutting down a plant, laying off American workers and moving out of our country.

Where does Polaris think their success came from? Do they really think they build better machines, or do they simply build good machines that are proudly bought because they are “American Made?” While Polaris has a very devoted following, I think the vast majority of Polaris owners bought their Polaris ATVs because they are made right here in the U.S.A!

At least most of the Polaris owners I talk to are proud of the fact that their machines are made right here in America!

I’ve seen this argument many times with Americans getting vehemently angry over people buying a Japanese vehicle and sending their money overseas. My answer is this; Who do you care about, all the people working on the assembly line, or the corporation? I say I want Americans to benefit, and that means the workers. I’d rather buy a vehicle made on our soil by our citizens first and foremost!

I’ll continue this rant when I have a more level head, but I just couldn’t contain myself.

MADE IN AMERICA BY AMERICANS!

Call Someplace Paradise and Kiss it Goodbye. Eagles, The Last Resort.

2010-04-08T18:16:00.000-06:00

Call Someplace Paradise and Kiss it Goodbye. Eagles, The Last Resort.

Let me introduce you to someone I met last summer in a small Utah town. You see, Kenny has the enviable lifestyle of actually living right on the Paiute Trail! I mean it, right on it! Okay, actually he stays at one of the resorts that borders the actual trail so he has to ride a side trail to reach the actual Paiute Trail. But he still can jump on his ATV in the morning and ride it to breakfast, or to the gas station, or just about anywhere for that matter. Maybe that’s why his Rubicon has somewhere over 11,000 miles on it!

Other than living on the Paiute Trail and riding all the time, he’s really a lot like the rest of us. But I get ahead of myself. I don’t really think that applies here, but I like the way it sounded. But I get ahead…..whoops, I guess we’ve already covered that.

What Kenny and I, and hopefully the rest of us all have in common is that we love this country - and we love to explore the back roads and trails of this great country. When I blogged about trail abusers, Kenny quickly let me know his pet peeve.

So in his own words:

First Doug, thanks for allowing me the opportunity to voice my opinion and express my feelings here in your blog.

I am very fortunate to live in a state that allows me to drive my 4wd truck and ride my ATV on thousands and thousands of miles through some of the most breathtaking country anywhere.

I also consider myself to be very, very fortunate to live right in the center of the greatest ATV trail system in North America — the Paiute Trail.

Without question, the single most appalling, offensive, and disturbing thing that I come across while enjoying some of mother nature’s most spectacular scenery and the greatest ATV trails is all the garbage that’s left behind by what must be the biggest ingrates there are! What makes it even worse is that we are forced to share our oxygen supply with them!

Barney Lake is one of the most scenic and picturesque places on the Paiute Trail system. Last October my wife and I took a ride over Marysvale Peak to view this spectacular high-country lake while being surrounded by the brilliant fall color; truly a slice of heaven!

While we were at the lake’s edge eating our lunch I was just looking around. I was appalled by the amount of trash that was left behind by others. Someone even took the time and effort to hide their empty beer bottles under some low-lying pine branches as if that made it okay. How much more or LESS effort would it have taken to just toss the bottles in a bag and take them back home with them?

One more thing while I'm venting. I smoked for over 30 years and I always doused my butts and put them in my pocket, I carried them in, so I carried them out. I’m not dissing smokers, but PLEASE be considerate enough to take your butts home

with you!

What is it with these people who disrespect our most sacred public lands?

Can anyone help me understand this type of behavior?

Now it’s my turn to thank you Kenny! Thanks for picking up behind the losers in this world that don’t care enough to ‘care enough.’

My own story goes like this; I was on a very little used trail high in the mountains where I often take my daughter. We call it God’s Place for it’s unbelievable beauty and incredible views. One day we headed up this small trail only to discover a couple hunters off of their ATVs and scoping for game. I’m not sure what season it was and it really doesn’t matter I guess. We rode on to a different spot with a lesser view. On our return, we noticed that the hunters were gone so we rode up to the top of the hill only to find their trash they left behind. Pudding cups, juice drinks, and a few other items were strewn about. It was disgusting. It was thoughtless. It was a crime. And it was just another example of why we should close down the backcountry to these idiots.

But wait! How do we tell the difference between those idiots and the rest of use? How can we distinguish between those of us in the choir and those dwelling in the dark alleys of morality?

I was talking to a good friend a few years back. He was a CHP (California Highway Patrolman). I don’t remember the exact subject we were talking about other than it being about idiot drivers. He commented to me that unfortunately it’s not against the law to be an idiot. It’s a sad commentary but regrettably the truth. It’s why our country is in the problem it’s in. Nobody cares. You can’t see it from my house. What’s it to you? Mind your own business! Deal with it!

While being an idiot isn’t against the law, it is against the law to shoot them. Go figure!

So here’s my solution. It’s based on a principle put forth by the comedian Gallagher a few years back. His idea for dealing with idiot drivers was to issue everyone a dart gun that shot little flags. When you saw an idiot driver you shot them with your little flag gun. When they got three flags the police would pull them over and give them a ticket.

My idea is similar. First, there has to be a responsible group to do the policing. That’s us. Then, when we see idiot behavior, or just idiots, we shoot them………………I know that part sounds great, but I was thinking maybe it should just be with a paint gun. With permanent and irremovable paint of course! When they get back to civilization, if they have more than two colors on them (or their machine), they lose their right to ride for a year.

Or how about this? What if those of us in the choir all get issued cards, red cards that show us as responsible trail users. And that gives us the right to disable any off road vehicle that we see damaging the environment or harming our privilege to ride the backcountry.

Okay, perhaps all I’ve done is use more words to get back to Kenny’s original question, “Does anyone understand what’s going on here?”

I Have Met the Enemy and He is Us

2010-04-05T21:54:00.000-06:00

A quote from Pogo, "I have met the enemy and he is us!"

If we are to survive we must prepare for battle, and the first step is to know your enemy. Unfortunately oftentimes the most harm done can come from within.

What if Dana Walsh had been uncovered as an inside operative 2 episodes ago and dealt with accordingly? Would we even have had the next two episodes of 24?

What if we could stop the idiots that are riding their off road vehicles irresponsibly and recklessly before they give the extreme environmentalists cause to close our trails? Wouldn't the lack of their 'irresponsible freedom' be a gain for those of us that know how to tread lightly?

The answer? Get involved!

Here's the links to just a couple recent articles I came across in USA Today:
Off-roaders in search of trails
ATV drivers invade, damage roadless forests

And here's the link(s) to some organizations to link to, follow, be educated by, and donate to:
Blue Ribbon Coalition
National Off-Highway vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC)
Tread Lightly

And know thy enemy:
Responsible Trails

And the bigger enemy:
Sierra Club

I could go on but that's enough links to check out.

My point in all this. Those that want to close down our trails into this country's beautiful back country would have no ammunition if we didn't give it to them.

Please stay on the designated trails.
Ride slowly and respectfully around others.
Ride quietly.
Leave the area you ride in better than when you ride in.
And don't be afraid to tell others when they don't.
It may be you last chance to say 'anything'.

Please help spread the word.

Ride like you want to keep it.
Ride responsibly my friends.

Is There Any News That's Not Racing?

2010-04-02T21:56:00.001-06:00

I think I might know what’s wrong in the world. No I’m not talking about the United States move towards Marxist Socialism, nor the lack of our current population’s grasp of the history of what made our country the greatest in the history of the world. No, I’m just talking about our little world of ATVs!

I’ve tried to put together a latest news section on the website and as a “Latest News Blog” that would keep everyone informed of, well, the latest news! Unfortunately I seem to have a bit of a problem finding any latest news in our industry that is not racing, or racing-product related.

You want to know who won the latest GNCC race? All the leading ATV manufacturers send out a press release. Want to know who won the latest round in any UTV racing series? Yeap, the manufacturers send that out too. How about the latest silicon-injected, all aluminum, computer-actuated performance enhancer? It’s there too.

But want to find out about any new trails just opened, cool stuff we need for trail exploring like new boxes or bags, new maps, guidebooks, GPS, software, or just about anything of value to us ‘regular’ trail riders? Well, forgetaboutit!

I’m bummed. Actually more than bummed, I’m irritated. Irritated enough that I’m going on a mission to look to find new stuff that we want to know about.

I wonder why all these ATV companies that sell so many ATVs to us to use to explore the back country on, or hunt with, or farm with, or use on our ranch or jobsite, can't find any news that we would like to read? Why aren't there new products that we would like to know about? Why aren't there any news updates on trails closures, or better yet, openings that we should know about?

I'll be contacting all the manufacturers letting them know that we want to know of this kind of new stuff.

In the meantime, if you’re reading this and you know of something that you think we should know about, e-mail me and let me know about it.

There’s enough promotion of racing and performance, let’s start promoting recreation and exploration, camping and traveling.

Got any suggestions? E-mail me at DougMeyer@atvtv.com

Blogs and News and Info - Oh my!

2010-03-30T16:57:00.000-06:00

Blogs are everywhere nowadays, and that's just on the ATV Television site!

If you visit our website I'm probably telling you something you've already noticed, but I'm not gonna let that get in the way of me continuing on — we've got new blogs!

Here's what's going on - or so I think.

The ATV Television site will continue to be the mother ship for all things ATV Television. All our videos will be there. All the Latest News we put up will be there. Pretty much everything as you've know it for years.

But...

We needed a place where I can be less, ah, 'politically correct' and just be myself, so-to-speak. Someplace where I can unload, step over the line occasionally, and perhaps earn your hatred (or respect;-) I'll apologize now for everything that doesn't work like I hoped and hope the rest of you find it entertaining.

The blog for ATVTV Latest News is simply another avenue to get the latest news out to you as fast and as easy for you as possible. By subscribing to our Latest News, you can have it installed right on your front page and see it right as we put it up.

Of course because all Blogs work this way you can also subscribe to the ATV Television Blog and the Paiute Trail News.

And that brings us to The Paiute Trail News. We just added this blog (to our blog collection) as a way to get more information out about one of our favorite riding areas, and one we hope to spend an overwhelming amount of time on this summer. In these strange times I've made the decision to spend more time riding this summer. I know many of you think I spend too much time riding already, but those that know me well know that I spend far more time on a computer than I do on an ATV. And now, with the industry rather slow it gives me the time to do this that I've always lacked (of course that comes with a lack of money I've always feared). Money is a good thing, but it can't buy you time.

We have plans to put together a forum for the trail where we can all share our experiences as well as (during prime riding times) the trail conditions. Plus, as some go to the forum to show us the new trails they've ridden and shown us the pictures they've taken, we can then put those trails on our list of trails to do.

But until then we'll use the Paiute Trail News as a way to get inside information out about the trail.

The Paiute Trail News may also be a way to share some additional information I come across as I continue working on the different trails for an up-coming Paiute Trail Guide.

But I get ahead of things here. Just stay tuned and hopefully something of value will follow...

Watch a Video - Shop at Amazon

2010-03-26T15:46:00.001-06:00

Shop at Amazon - watch a new video!

I hate to even get into this but in case you didn’t know it fewer people are buying new ATVs right now. We have a lot of people to thank for this including a whole slew of folks that overextended themselves. I know of way too many people in Southern California that actually refinanced their already over-leveraged homes so they could buy $70,000.00 dune buggies and toyhouse trailers! Of course the Communist residing in the White House doesn’t seem to be helping the situation much either. But whatever the case, we’re where we are so we’ll deal with it!

The ATV industry is currently only selling about 30% of the units that they sold back in 2007 and 2008. That means that their income is down considerably, and we all know what happens when your income is down, you cut back on your spending!

I’ve lost a lot of good friends in the industry due to the cutbacks and it’s really a sad thing to see. Several big-name magazines have closed their doors. Even some websites have curtailed their operations due to the cutbacks in the industry’s advertising budgets. Basically the bottom line to all this is that if only a few people are buying new machines, why spend any ad dollars to promote sales, or even PR dollars for that matter to send out any units to test.

And this is where we too become victims of this downturn in the economy. For over 10 years our television programming has been supported by the big players in the industry – the ATV manufacturers. Their support of our television show is also what funded making all our videos available on our website and You Tube Channels. Now with the huge budget cuts in the industry we struggle to make the proverbial ends meet.

Enter the new look of the website, You Tube Channel, and even the blog. After many years of working so hard to keep our Internet content free from outside advertisers, we have finally opened our doors to their access.

So first off, please bear with us if some less-than-desirable ads sneak through. Although we (think we) have pretty good control over the advertising, because it is so new to us we still worry what might happen ;-)

Secondly, and hopefully more important is the fact that all our Internet advertising is based directly on your response to it. That means it is beneficial to us if you browse the advertising you find on our site. Not to mention that it’s a good way to find out what’s out there!

Thirdly, as part of a new type of promotional advertising we have entered into an associate agreement with Amazon.com. What this means is that any time anyone purchases anything (and that is truly anything at all!) from Amazon that is accessed through our website, we get a small cut. So any time you shop for any products on Amazon through our website you are helping to keep our videos coming. (and our groceries too!)

Thanks my friends -

Your support is greatly appreciated.

If It Was Up to Me!

2010-03-23T11:14:00.000-06:00

If It Was Up To Me!

For years on ATV Television we would run a year-end special of “The Best of.” There we would name the best ATVs in class and the best products. We would also occasionally include a “Best of” some other items that caught my fancy – so to speak - my favorite place to ride, or my favorite trail, or even my favorite off road vehicle. But probably my favorite “Best of” that we did was to put together a list of the best parts and pieces of ATVs.

In testing so many different ATVs over the years I’m always amazed at how many incredible features on one brand of ATV or UTV are completely ignored by other manufacturers, either by oversight, or maybe by just plain stubbornness. I wonder how one ATV have such a great shifter and yet another one have a horrible, notchy shifter? And that applies to thumb throttles, 4wd systems, engine sounds, and even seats! Don’t they ride the other brand ATVs?

So, I was recently thinking once again about those best individual features and even some of the suggestions that I’ve made over the years that seem to just get shrugged off by the manufacturers. It got me to thinking, “What if the red phone rang and the design of a new model was up to me. What would I make?” Well here’s what I’d do if it were up to me.

I’d start with a layout that is 50” wide overall and has about a 75” to 80” wheelbase. That seems to be a really good size. Sure, wider is more stable, but for me, 50” wide is hugely important as it can fit on the 50” wide ATV trails that are so prevalent (and the most beautiful) on the Paiute Trail system. While wider may have some handling advantages in Moab and the sand dunes, I think the machine can be designed to handle those situations well enough.

Not only would it be about the size of a RZR, but it could also look a lot like the RZR. But my absolute favorite off road design (along with the Ford EX that the RZR is copied from) is the Meyers Manx. It’s one of those designs that I can just sit and look at. It’s also the design that I told Suzuki they should emulate for their SxS. I’m not even sure I’d put a full cage on it, but maybe rather a dual A-frame roll hoop set-up like the original Meyers Tow’d. Obviously I’d only be able to sell the thing to ‘responsible people.’ It would also have to have a folding windshield.

Out back would be the bed (look at the Manx again), but with a lockable aluminum cover over it for all-weather storage as well as a place to lash bigger items for camping.

Now comes the power. My preference would be for a slightly larger version of the Teryx 750 V-twin. Although 950cc would be best, even the 750cc version would work fine. And here’s why. Rather than run the heat-producing, power-robbing, and all-around stupid CVT transmission, my SxS would run a centrifugal clutch 5-speed like used to be on ATVs. And the short shifter would ratchet back and forward to shift through the gears. And if we really wanted to get even more trick, why not put a set of paddle shifters on the steering wheel?

Here’s another item that’s a bit off of the traditional. I think in this case, that the engine and transmission could sit in front of the driver. Behind the front axles, but in front of the driver. This not only would make a tighter and more space efficient package, but may prove to make the machine more stable. Not sure how well that would work but I’d certainly test one that way.

Next up is suspension. There’s nothing better than the trailing arm suspension found on the rear of Can Ams. That would be the perfect set-up. Compact. Long travel. No scrub or caster gain. And since that system is so good, why not put a similar system on the front as well?

Of course it would have to come with a set of tires designed to help the handling and stability, so I’d put a set of 27x8x14 radials on the front and 28x10x14’s on the back.

The drivetrain would be the proven, 2wd, 4wd, with a ratcheting front and rear locker set-up. Each locker would have its own lever. And of course we’d have high and low ranges in the transmission and a nice cable-operated hand brake for emergency and parking. Perhaps we’d even have two separate rear e-brake levers. That way they could also be used as turning brakes when the rear differential was open.

Well, dreaming is fun, but work is calling…

Stay tuned, my friends.

So, I'm not alone out here in the woods!

2010-03-17T12:07:00.000-06:00

Thank you everyone for all your support. I apologize for not getting this up sooner but I’ve been out of internet reach for a while. Unfortunately it wasn’t because I was out for a week-long ride.

In the time since I wrote “Is it Just Me?” I received some great comments on the blog that are well worth reading and more than a few emails I thoroughly enjoyed. Here’s a sample of just some of the others of us regular folks trapped out in the “ATV world of ridiculous.”

No its not just you, Doug. I thought you were speaking directly to me. I feel 100% as you do on this subject. It’s all about marketing bull and the bottom line is big money. Let's get back to common sense. I feel that if it wasn't for ATV Television, the ATVTV Blog, trip videos, product reviews, gear to take on trips, first aid and safety gear etc. people would be at a loss. Doug, you and your crew do such a great job and we all are looking for more trip videos, great product reviews and always your ATV Blog page.

Doug, God Bless As always on a wing and a prayer.

Girard.

Very kind words Girard. We are indeed working on more trip videos, and more focused adventure preparation stuff.

Hi Doug,

This is a follow up letter to the letter I sent responding to your frustrated blog. I get ATV.com news by email and just read a review of the 2010 Honda Rubicon. Your review of the Razor is also there, though I saw that review on your website. I told you in the previous letter that many of us rely on you for accurate reviews and let me add the term "complete" to accurate. Just compare the review of the Honda to your review of the Razor and you will know why I am saying that. I learned almost nothing about the Honda. Could it be the writer was afraid to write anything negative therefore he didn't write much at all?

Thanks, Gary

Well Gary, it is very easy to tick off the manufacturers when you tell it like you see it! Especially if you see it different from the way they do! We rely on the manufacturers to supply us with the test units and it’s only natural that if they don’t like what you say that they’ll just not give you any more. After all, as they’ve told me, why send you anything to test if you’re just going to say negative things about it? I’ve mellowed in my reviews over the years as I’ve learned that everyone’s expectations and desires are a little different. Imagine that! Actually, as I’ve grown older and spent more time in Utah rather than Southern California I’ve learned that so much of what people look for in an ATV depends on where they ride, how they ride, and what they do with the ATV. But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t better ATVs than others ;-)

Doug,

I couldn't agree with you more about your recent blog post. My wife and I have ridden in Wyoming, Colorado & Utah the last two and a half years since we've taken up the sport. As older riders we spend lots of time on the trails and enjoy the low speed scenic trail rides in all the places we go. I think the problem you point to is two-fold.

I believe most of the advertising and magazine features are aimed at the testosterone-driven crowd because that bunch will spend more money solely on their ATV or UTV emulating the hot-rodders. The trail riders I am familiar with will also spend a fair bit of discretionary money, but it is more diverse. Since we spend a lot more time on the trail in no hurry, we concentrate on long lasting reliable equipment but not all of it is focused on the ride. I've ridden with hunters, people with high-end camera gear, geocachers with GPS units, and people who spend a lot of time hiking from where their ATV can take them.

The latter group tends to spend more on ancillary items and riding to see historical features, something the magazines seem to miss, perhaps you want to start the first publication to focus on the vacation trial riders? I believe that its a large group you mention.

And the Bighorns? We have wide-open spaces where there is nobody for miles and miles. Sacrifice a little in the ride department for a tire that reputedly won't leave you stranded because of getting cut up on all of our sharp rock, and yet is an effective tire in most all terrain. Reputation among our friends is that it will last us several thousand miles too. That's why this year a stock size tire with that kind of reputation will be replacing the OEM tires my wife and I are running.

Check out the websites Offroading Home and Nyrocatv. Trailriders are out here. It's a big and diverse group. We research our purchases by surfing web sites like I mentioned as well as yours and following them a lot prior to purchases.

For a future review think "ground anchors". Used in the 4x4 community when your winch comes up short of a tree or fixed object or personal locators.

Your site is great and I've been following it for a long time. Thanks

Bernie

Tires like the Bighorns are certainly known to be bullet-proof! I think I mentioned that two close friends have over 5000 miles of problem-free riding on the Bighorns. Unfortunately I struggle with wanting to spend 5000 miles of riding with that type of handling. But, as I said in the reply to Gary above here, so much depends on how and where you ride. It can also depend on what you ride as well. One of my before-mentioned friends switched from Bighorns to ACTs and would never go back. The other wouldn’t switch out his ‘Horns’ if I gave him a set of other tires for free! I respect both their opinions and neither are wrong. So what’s the answer? What you like best.

All good topics for another time.

Stay tuned as more’s coming soon.

Doug

Is It Just Me?

2010-03-03T09:45:00.002-07:00

I need some help here!

There has been several times in the past that I have gotten depressed over the ATV (and UTV) market. I am again! I look around at the various stuff the industry sells, and at the weirdness of what the magazines cover and wonder to myself, “Am I the only, uh, ‘normal’ person out here?”

Here’s what I mean. Pick up a copy of most print magazines and the test riders pictured are wearing full-face helmets, racing jerseys and motorcycle boots. Excuse me, but do you ride like that? I’m not talking about testing race machines or being at the sand dunes shooting bowls. I’m talking about riding a utility quad through the woods! And the pictures of the action are equally out of place – in my opinion. They show big berm shots, jumps, and even wheelies! Wheelies for Pete’s sake. Now there’s how I ride my utility quad!

So then I turned to the UTV magazines. They were no closer to my reality. If picking one those mags up was your first glimpse of the UTV market, you’d think that every UTV cost over $20,000.00 and had long travel suspension with the inside of the 27” tall tires sticking well beyond the fenders. And that every owner either raced their UTV or installed 4 seats (complete with 4-point harnesses!) and pretended to race it with their kids in the back! Yeap, that’s not how I use my UTV.

Then look around at the industry itself. There’s some pretty strange stuff out there. I’ve been very close to ITP over the years and have thoroughly enjoyed many of their products. But trying to get them to make a wheel without added offset was impossible! And when I whined about why they don’t keep working on improving the ATR — possibly the best trail tire ever made, the answer was quick and to the point! “We probably sell 10 times as many mud tires as we do trail tires — nobody buys that stuff but you!” I can’t argue because when I look around at what ‘trail tire’ seems to be the most popular, I see the Bighorn. It is a big, heavy, and very hard-compound tire. Sure it wears well, but it handles like and ATR with about 50 pounds of air in it and your shocks drilled out so you’re riding around with no damping. And of course all the wheels (other than the stockers of course) stick out beyond the fenders so should you ever dare ride in snow or mud (or even wet dirt!) the tires will fling more of the trail on you than it leaves behind for the next rider!

And then there’s 14” wheels! Sure they make sense on a UTV where the weight of the thing is closer (or more even) than a dune buggy. But I have just not found any 14” wheel and tire combo that worked better on an ATV than a 12” set. They are just too stiff and too heavy!

I won’t even get into roll cages, window nets, stereo systems, lift kits, or any of the many other products not designed with me in mind.

And that brings me to the other source of information I find. It seems that nowadays many folks look to the internet forums for education, information, and direction. And there you’ll certainly find lots of input from a wide variety of riders. Perhaps too much so. While I have a couple very good friends with many, many miles on the trails that continue to provide me with valuable information, it is difficult to say the least, to sort through all the ‘posts’ on a forum and find information not weighed down with huge amounts of personal preference. It’s there that I all too often see the “This is the best because own it” syndrome. “Sure the Outlander 800 got so hot that the plastic melted to my leg, but so what?” Or one of my favorites is a question I actually asked a RZR owner. He had 3000 miles on his RZR and I wanted to know if he’d had any problems with it so far. His answer was “None. It’s great. I’ve replaced a CV joint, I replaced the air filter cause the stocker was sanding my engine, and a rear shock went out. But other than that, it’s great! No problems!” Considering I know two ATVers (referred to above) that have over 7000 miles and 11,000 miles on their ATVs and have only changed the oil and cleaned the air filters I don’t think the RZR owner fully understood the concept of “No problems!” I would have hated to rely on his perception as a basis for my decision.

Where’s that leave me? Or us? The magazines don’t help me understand which ATV is best for exploring the trails. Most of their product reviews only focus on racing or mud products. And then even when they cover events, the pictures focus not on the trail rigs, but the ‘silly stuff’ that you wonder why it’s even there. The forums seem to be home for self-promoting chest-beaters trying to rationalize their purchase. And the industry doesn’t help us very much as they only go where the money is.

So, I realize that I’m in the minority, obviously. Every time I’ve looked around like this in the past I’ve come to the conclusion that if I didn’t cover the real world of ATVs and UTVs then who would? If I wasn’t ‘in’ the industry, and was out in the real world looking for the best ATV to go exploring the mountains and the deserts, where would I find that information? If I wanted to find out which UTV was best for doing the chores around the farm and yet could me up into the high country exploring, or scouting, where would I look?

So help me out here. I need your input. Where do you find the best information on ATVs and UTVs. Where do you find the most information on where the best places to explore are? And where’s the best place to find out what the best stuff is to take along when you explore the back country?

To help, make a comment below or send an email to me at DougMeyer@ATVTV.COM and let me know where you find ‘your’ best information. Then I’ll put them all up here for everyone else to check out. Assuming there is anyone else out there that doesn’t wear motocross gear while racing their 70” wide UTV along the trails with their stereo blaring louder than their twin exhausts!

As always, Thanks —

Adventures of a lifetime

2010-02-26T13:16:00.005-07:00

Being in this business since 1995 and maybe more importantly being an off road enthusiast all my life has given me the opportunity to ride some pretty good adventures. I’m a lucky man for sure!

I loved the years I spent riding the sand dunes, and of course the years I spent racing across the desert as well, but when it comes to my fondest memories, great adventures are the best. For ATVs, two incredible adventures stick out in my memory.

One is the trip up Surprise Canyon. I first heard of this adventure back in the October 18^th issue of Autoweek. Yes, as odd as that sounds, Autoweek, a predominately race-oriented weekly car magazine had a feature by Mark Vaughn as he followed Rick Russell and a rag tag group of off roaders up an incredibly amazing canyon to the ghost town of Panamint. It was an incredible adventure. The Jeeps had to be winched up the slippery waterfalls along a trail that continued to be washed out. The Surprise Canyon ball quickly started rolling. The next month’s issue of 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility had another article by Phil Howell going up the trail with Rick.

Well I, unfortunately never had the opportunity to take a Jeep-type rig up there, but I was certainly way more fortunate to be the first to take an ATV up the canyon in 1995. At that time I was writing for several magazines including ATV Magazine. But I no doubt am giving you more information than you desire here ;-) What you want to know about is the trail!

The approximately 10-mile long trail up Surprise Canyon is highlighted by the ½ mile section of the canyon that was steep, narrow, rocky, and flowing with water. Very slippery water. Well, actually it was the rocks that were slippery from the year-round water flow. And that was one of the highlights of the adventure – getting up the falls. The second part of the adventure was the remote town of Panamint at the top. Because the town couldn’t be reached by any other way than this extremely difficult trail, it remained very well preserved.

It was an incredible adventure of a lifetime, and one that we captured on video for ATV Television when we found out that the trail would be closed down. We just uploaded that video to our website and you can watch it right here: Surprise Canyon – An Ultimate Adventure!

The other great “Adventure of a Lifetime” was my first circumnavigation of the Paiute Trail. This was also done in 1995 for a feature article in ATV Magazine. We later did it all again for ATV Television. It took us a whooping 7 days and rode over 700 miles! We explored side trails and camped under the stars every night.

These two trips started a love affair with the Utah mountains that started almost yearly trips to the area to ride and to film. You can watch many of those trips on the Adventure section of our website. It’s the Paiute Trail and nearby Moab Utah that helped me to coin the phrases, “the adventure of a lifetime”, and “once you ride here, once won’t be enough!”

The Paiute Trail is an approximately 250 miles in length and goes from around 5000 feet in elevation in the lower plains, all the way over 11,000 feet at the highest passes. It is an incredible trail, and better yet, part of an even more incredible system of trails in Utah where you can literally ride thousands and thousands of miles on your ATV. Some of the towns along the trails even allow you to ride into town to fuel up and get supplies.

One reason I bring these two adventures up is that I'm considering taking some time off from 'work' this summer and guiding a few trips exploring this area. Perhaps another loop of the Paiute Trail and perhaps maybe some day rides along some of my favorite trails.

I'll keep you posted as to the possibilities. Keep an eye out on the website as well for an invitation!

Happy trails,

NOHVCC February Newsletter

2010-02-24T15:54:00.002-07:00

NOHVCC February 2010 NEWSLETTER

By Russ Ehnes

In last month's NOHVCC Newsletter I wrote an article describing the history of the lead ban that has severely limited the availability of youth size ATVs and motorcycles. I told you that the time was coming soon when we would need to mobilize our grassroots networks and take action to end the senseless ban on kids' OHVs, which rather than protecting our kids, has put them at greater risk of riding OHVs that are adult size. Our time to act is now!……………...Read more

GAO Report on OHV Use on Federal Lands

By Karen Umphress

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was directed by Congress to evaluate the use of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) recreation on federal lands. The agency looked at the use of OHVs on US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service lands. They also interviewed various stake holders and traveled to several locations to view the areas. Their report was released at the end of July and the results are surprisingly positive. The report was released at the end of July 2009 and is report GAO-09-509……….Read more

Positive Economic Impact of OHV Recreation

By Jack Terrell

The Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition (COHVCO) has released a new study of the positive economic impact of off-highway vehicle recreation in Colorado. The study, entitled "Economic Contribution of Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation in Colorado", was conducted by the Louis Berger Group, Inc., an independent global environmental engineering and planning firm. The study provides detailed analysis of direct gross sales (jobs, labor income, other property income, and business taxes), additional economic activity, and total contribution of motorized recreation to Colorado's economy……. Read more

Prevent Trail Funding from Being Slashed in Budget

Submitted by American Motorcyclist Association

President's Budget Proposal Would Slash Trail Funding Write your Senators and Representatives Today!

On February 1, President Obama submitted his proposed budget for fiscal year (FY) 2011 to Congress. One proposed cut could be disastrous for motorized trail users.

Buried in the nearly 200-page document is one paragraph dealing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CIM) program. The CIM program funds improvements, maintenance and the operation of U.S. Forest Service roads, trails and recreation infrastructure.………… Read more

Training Resources with a Click

Submitted by Royce Wood, AMA

The National Trails Training Partnership (NTTP) is "an alliance of Federal agencies, training providers, nationwide supporters, professional contractors, and providers of products and services". Of course, all of these are trails related.

NTTP was created to address challenges shared by all trails advocates: the need for well-trained, effective volunteers and staff. Some trail groups have relied on experienced trail builders from the federal agencies, but the old-timers are fast retiring and new people with trails skills aren't necessarily being hired. In the same way, volunteers don't always stick around for years, and training new people is hard work in itself.….……. Read more

Rubicon Trail Updates

Submitted by Friends of the Rubicon and the Rubicon Trail Foundation

Placerville, CA January 26, 2010: El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted to formalize the alignment of the world-famous Rubicon Trail. This decision includes a handful of important bypasses around some of the more difficult sections of trail, providing trail users the option of taking a less difficult route around the toughest segments of trail. In a meeting which lasted well into the night, the Board of Supervisors heard arguments from county residents, off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, environmental activists, the U.S. Forest Service, and the State Parks OHV Division about how to best define the trail which winds through the scenic Sierra Nevada west of Lake Tahoe.….……. Read more