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Toys on top By the staff of Dirt Wheels You know that Hair Club commercial where the spokesman claims that he doesn’t simply own the company but he is also a client? The same applies to Travis Gardner and Ryan Flanders. Together they own Kombustion Motorsports in Salt Lake Valley, Utah. And like the guy from Hair Club, they not only build trick UTVs for customers, they are customers. A few years ago we experienced rock crawling in Flanders’ Polaris RZR XP 1000 4. Since then he and wife Kristen have had a pair of…

This story originally ran in the April issue of 2000 Several years ago, CT Racing developed the first aftermarket aluminum cylinder for the Honda 250R engine. Called the Pro-Cross (originally Pro-X), this new cylinder allowed ATV racers much more leeway with motor modifications than the stock 250R offered. In the motorcycle motocross world, engines with various types of power valves have been standard equipment for well over a decade. Virtually every 250cc and 125cc race bike has some sort of powervalve now, but…

Why buy a whole door By the staff of Dirt Wheels While complete half doors are not strictly necessary on a UTV, they can be beneficial to any build. Half-door replacements generally have the advantage of a full inner frame, but they require installation and hinge and latch alignment. Rather than paying more and dealing with the hassle of installing a full door, an easy and cost-effective way to protect your cabin space is through the use of door inserts. Many aftermarket companies offer a variety of choices ranging in…

Wienen has the points By the staff of Dirt Wheels For the past few seasons, fans of ATV/MX have been treated to a superb battle as two of the best to ever grab handlebars remained locked in an all-out war for the championship. Joel Hetrick and Chad Wienen have been the main story at every round with the race outcome never a sure thing. On one hand, Hetrick has been clawing his way to the championship and is a huge fan favorite. Coming into the class, reigning champion Hetrick made his mistakes and had successes.…

Go around strapped By the staff of Dirt Wheels Giant Loop is well-known for quality, not cheap or inexpensive adventuring products. Many of the products are somewhat exclusive to motorcycles, but most can transition easily to 4x4 quads with racks. In this case we tried Giant Loop’s Pronghorn straps. These are elastic straps that work with about any vehicle or process where you could use a bungee cord or even rope. The straps come as a pair, and you can get black 18-inch straps, gray 25-inch straps or almost neon orange…

One KRX 1000 for trails and one that rocks By the staff of Dirt Wheels Some of the biggest news in the UTV world has been the entry of Kawasaki into the true sport side of the market with the Teryx KRX 1000. Serious trail drivers have completely embraced the machine, and with good reason. The KRX has the perfect pedigree for technical trail driving: the right wheelbase, track width and ground clearance. The drivetrain and 4WD system are equally qualified to conquer all the thrills you throw at it. A roomy and…

Comfort, capable, comfort, fun, comfort By the staff of Dirt Wheels From the very first time we saw or, more accurately, rode in the General 4, we were fans. Even though the suspension travel was on the modest side as far as sport machines go, it is on the generous side for recreation utility models. And then there is that cab. Great seating, comfort and an interior fit and finish that are as refreshing as it is unexpected in the UTV world. Now, with the General XP models, Polaris has super-sized the General (two- and…

Convenience and security By the staff of Dirt Wheels For explorers, your smartphone has benefits of a camera and now great tracking and GPS map apps. However, quickly accessing your device on the trail is a hassle when sitting down strapped into your seat belts and harnesses. Just like how Assault Industries fixes problems on all facets of UTVs, they have the solution for your smartphone needs as well.  The new device holder solves this dilemma with an adjustment range that will fit most modern phones and multiple…

Back in the early 2000s Cannondale expanded from making bicycles, and burst onto the motorcycle scene and then the ATV scene in a big way. At the time, Yamaha was the only manufaacturer building competitive four-stroke dirt bikes. Hybrid race ATVs at that time were using these bike engines in custom ATV frames and gathering big attention from racers and other OEMs.  Cannondale shocked the ATV community when they released a complete line of sport ATVs with great handling and power. We raced one of their…

BRP  builds Can-Am Off-Road vehicles from the rider down, with every detail – from capability and reliability,  to performance, comfort, and beyond – finely tuned for riders to get the most out of their vehicle,  regardless of the challenge at hand. And sometimes, that challenge means getting muddy. Real  muddy. Which is why for 2021, Can-Am is introducing a true looking differential called Visco-4Lok, the absolute best ATV 4-wheel-drive  system available*, so riders can conquer mud like never before. However, Yamaha and…

Baron and Leaverton win big By the staff of Dirt Wheels Like all sporting events in the U.S., the popular WORCS races of GP-style off-road racing was completely derailed by COVID-19. We doubt that the promoters were grateful for a modest spectator turnout before, but the off-road-typical low density of spectators and the spread-out nature of the pit area allowed more than enough social distancing. Those factors allowed the competition to resume a little over two months after the virus-forced competition shut down.…

First to fast By the staff of Dirt Wheels Chris Leaming is a facilitator. He and his father Rob are partners in Gilbert, Arizona-based XTC Power Products. They moved there to grow their company that specializes in UTV electronic parts, such as street-legal turn-signal kits, and switch and wiring solutions. Rob and Chris have owned and built a large number of machines over the years. Despite not owning many Hondas lately, Leaming describes himself as a “Honda guy.” Among his current machines are a scratch-built,…