Buyers Guides

The perfect pair By the staff of Dirt Wheels In the heat of woods racing, circumstances can lead to “close racing.” In other words, you feel the jarring sensation of getting nerfed hard by another racer and must quickly redirect through a tree gap your quad shouldn’t fit through. The first of the branches blast over your knuckles, threatening to remove your hand from the bar, but you manage to keep your grip. Then a hidden branch snags your front brake with unexpected force, and over the bars you go. Events like…

The best offerings in this category By Casey Cordeiro, Photos courtesy of the manufacturers and Dirt Wheels There are so many categories and options in the UTV world these days that we often get asked, “How do I choose the right one for me?”  The 60-inch side-by-side vehicles on the market offer a lot of great features that many enthusiasts look for when purchasing a UTV. They are legal on many different trails across the country. They offer a good assortment of engine sizes across the different manufacturers, with…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels ARCTIC CAT ALTERRA 300  The Alterra 300 shares the DNA of its bigger relatives but in a more compact form. This two-wheel-drive offering has independent dual-A-arm front suspension with a solid rear axle and swingarm suspension system. It is capable enough to tow up to 500 pounds when you are done playing on the trails and need to get work done. Engine type: Liquid-cooled, SOHC, 4-stroke, Displacement: 270cc, Transmission: CVT w/ reverse, Final drive: Shaft, Fuel capacity: 4.3 gal.,…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels ARCTIC CAT TRV 700 Arctic Cat’s Alterra TRV 700 is back in the lineup for 2020. This two-up machine has a long wheelbase of 58 inches to comfortably fit a rear passenger seat that is equipped with a back rest and hand-holds. Suspension is independent in the front and rear with electronic power steering as a standard feature. Engine type: Liquid-cooled, SOHC, 4-stroke, Displacement: 695cc, Transmission: CVT w/ reverse, Final drive: Shaft, Fuel capacity: 5.3 gal., Wheelbase: 58.0”,…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels APEX PRO MXR 50/70/85/90/100 When racing runs through your veins, it tends to run through your child’s, too. Apex offers multiple two-stroke competition-model ATVs for youth of all different sizes and skill levels. If you want your kid to dominate the racetrack, we suggest you give Apex a call and pick out the perfect racer. Engine type: Liquid-cooled, two-stroke, Displacement: 49cc/70cc/89cc/99cc, Transmission: CVT, Final drive: Chain, Fuel capacity: 1.5 gal., Wheelbase: 41.5”,…

Vintage builds and old 2-stroke ATV and three wheelers of every brand are all the rage these days. Saving this part of history is not only fun but necessary because machines like the Quadzilla, the Banshee and Hondas 250R most likely will never be made again. There are still plenty of these machines out there to restore for yourself  with the help of builders like CT Racing, Duncan Racing and Lonestar Racing or you can buy unique ones from companies like BVC Trikes. Trikes are too on the comeback. We have listed a few of our…

What is safer, is proper training on how to ride an ATV which the United States does a great job through...

By the staff of Dirt Wheels ARCTIC CAT ALTERRA 570 Arctic Cat is back! Textron owns the company, but the historic brand name is back with machines that are trail-ready. The Alterra 570 has independent front and rear suspension sporting 10 inches of travel at each corner to smooth out terrain. Cargo racks and towing capability make it a great worker. An EPS version is available. Engine type: Liquid-cooled, SOHC, 4-stroke, Displacement: 545cc, Transmission: CVT w/ reverse, Final drive: Shaft, Fuel…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels Dirt Wheels started 40 years ago featuring the best handlebar-controlled three- and four-wheeled machines in the industry. We haven’t let that tradition go, and neither have the great ATV manufacturers in our industry. We put together 100 machines, and their variations, from 14 different companies in this “2020 Buyer’s Guide.” Can-Am and Polaris keep things interesting with the most available models in their lines. Polaris shocked the industry by announcing the impressively wide and…

Can-Am Offers Ideal Presents for Your Off-Road Family

-- Testing this hot pipe on a YFZ450R -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels, photos by Daniel Gonzalez Another Yamaha YFZ450R exhaust test? You bet! Yamaha is a godsend in the sport ATV industry. They continue to produce the legendary YFZ450R, while the rest of the sport 450s have fallen off of dealer floors. That means that aside from the healthy number of Honda TRX450R projects out there, the YFZ450R is the only sport 450 we get our hands on every year to test and upgrade to our liking. We have been on an exhaust kick…

-- Testing a set of premium $4,800 shocks --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can you remember far back enough to the May 2019 issue of Dirt Wheels? Our associate editor Collin Duffy built a tricked-out Polaris RZR XP Turbo project with more horsepower, wider suspension and an extensive list of the industry’s best aftermarket parts. We have spent a lot of seat time in the machine, dialing in the suspension to tackle the gnarliest terrain around the deserts of the West Coast. Elka Suspension came on board with a set of…