Buyers Guides

-- Testing one of the best head protectors you can buy --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels The Shoei brand has been a well-known name in the motorsports industry for quite some time, and it’s because of the research and quality behind their name. The Shoei VFX line has evolved into a high-tech masterpiece with styling that is the envy of wannabe helmet brands. But, Shoei isn’t just a stylish helmet company; there is a lot of science in these helmets. The new VFX-EVO features Shoei’s own Motion Energy Distribution System…

 -- PRODUCT EVALUATION: Communicate with your fellow rider --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Rugged Radios has almost cornered the market in communication systems for off-road applications. These days, it is becoming more unusual to see a UTV that doesn’t have one of their systems installed on it. Having the ability to communicate with your passengers or friends in other machines is not only safer, it adds to the enjoyment of recreational riding and racing. Rugged also caters to ATV and motorcycle riders with their…

-- Testing Chaparral's lower-priced performance tire -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels:  Chaparral Motorsports has been an off-road product distribution and sales company for quite a long time and has long had Ocelot Racing as its house brand of budget gear. Ocelot now has a full range of tires. Ocelot specializes in ATV and UTV tires of all types, and we recently picked up a set of its Atacama tires designed for 4x4 machines to tackle the rough, rugged and unrelenting terrain of the desert. We mounted them on our…

-- The Blackwater 100 was dominated by this fast 2-stroke quad -- In 1975 a race was born in the muddy waters of Davis, West Virginia. Dave Coombs, owner of the famed GNCC racing series, was contacted by a small-town preacher in West Virginia regarding the economy of his struggling town. He was interested in hosting a motorcycle race to bring money into the area. Coombs saw the enormous potential, and the Blackwater 100 was born! The Blackwater race was aptly named after nearby Blackwater Falls and Blackwater…

-- 253 horsepower never disappoints, By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Recently, we have found ourselves getting seat time in a variety of machines with Evolution Powersports turbo modifications. Traditionally, when you start leaning hard on a motor and making a lot of horsepower, the power delivery can get finicky and lose drivability. When we first caught sight of the Evolution Powersports X3 in Idaho at the UTV Invasion, it was the look of the car that grabbed us. Later, though, when we strapped in, turned the key and…

-- Installing a better skid plate & testing it out --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Polaris has not left the underside of its UTVs unprotected. Each has a factory plastic skid plate installed, but the plastic isn’t heavy or thick. It balances weight with maximum protection, but some people drive terrain that is a bit challenging. Ricochet Off-Road has been providing protection for off-road machinery for over 35 years. The reason? Ricochet is located right at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and there is ample…

-- Dirt Wheels’ top 15 UTV windshields -- We believe that having a windshield on a UTV is a great thing. Number one, it keeps the elements off you and your passenger when traversing cold, wet or windy days. A windshield can also benefit you in the summer by keeping the bugs off our beautiful faces or preventing nasty windburn! Whether you’re looking for a full windshield, half windshield, folding windshield or a windshield with a wiper kit, you’ll be sure to find something that works for you in this buyer’s guide!…

-- Not everyone wants to spend 10 grand or more for a big 4x4 quad. For the more economy minded they automatically look at the lower-priced 500 - 550 4x4 quads in a manufacturer's line up. But then Yamaha said, "Hey, it costs us just about the same to make 550 engine as a 700 engine, so why not just offer a basic 700 with no bells and whistles for the price of a 550." And so, the Kodiak 700 was born. It sells for $6,999. The guys at Textron and Arctic Cat saw the logic in that approach, so they offered up a…

-- TOP CHOICES FOR ALL TERRAINS -- If you own a 4x4 quad or UTV you want a tire that will work for multiple terrains, an all-terrain tire with the capability to tackle the wet season would be ideal. We’re not talking large-lugged mud tires; rather, smaller lugs with enough channels to push water aside and keep the traction moving in the right direction—tires that can deal with soft conditions but cross over to hard dirt as well. There are many ATV and UTV tire brands to choose from. Tires that range from basic tread…

-- The most amazing variety of maachines yet! By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- No matter what kind of UTV you’re dreaming of, 2018 is full of amazing choices. Just to name a few, the sport category has Can-Am’s 172-horsepower Maverick X3s, in addition to the new family of 50-inch Maverick Trail UTVs, and Polaris features the new RZR XP Turbo Dynamix with active suspension. In recreation utility, there’s the all-new Yamaha Wolverine X4, Polaris’ all-new Ranger XP 1000 and Kawasaki’s Mule Pro-FXR. Dirt Wheels’ “UTV…

-- For a wide number of the most popular and best-selling ATVs and UTVs, the heart of the power delivery system is the CVT belt. There are a few extreme ATV riders who are hard on the CVT belts, but time and mileage are the most common reasons to change an ATV’s CVT belt. UTVs are heavier, so they are harder on CVT belts, whether they are high-horsepower sport models or not. No matter what your CVT-motivated machine is, it will need a new belt sooner or later. We based our belt guide on the Polaris RZR XP 1000 model. It is a…

-- By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- We are always excited to drool over all of the new model-year ATVs that have slowly trickled in over the past few issues! Companies fight to outdo each other with styles, technological advancements and just plain cool stuff. Argo, a company known for amphibious vehicles, ventured into the quad market with their new Xplorer line of machines. Can-Am and Polaris have vast lineups of quads—from the basic 4x4 to extreme specialized editions. Textron Off-Road purchased Arctic Cat and trimmed…