Project RZR - The Ultimate Trail Rig Moving Right Along!

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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'

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?

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!

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…