Buyers Guides

Something for the 12 days of Christmas and then some By the staff of Dirt Wheels 2020 Dirt Wheels Christmas Gift Guide The Christmas season is fast approaching. Those of us afflicted with an off-road passion, have some very specific ideas for gift-giving this holiday season.  Here are 13  great gift ideas, via our 2020 Dirt Wheels Christmas Gift Guide. First, we scoured the industry offerings and came up with 13 items. These would make excellent gifts, for virtually any off-road fan that you care about.…

Don’t be like Pig-Pen By the staff of Dirt Wheels BIO-FRIENDLY DIRT BIKE & ATV WASH We heard a lot of product histories began when an enthusiast wanted a product and could not find it for sale. Alco claims that this is what happened with its wash products. Thus, their new Bio-friendly ATV & Dirt Bike Wash. They rode, the machines got dirty, and they needed to be cleaned. Often, detergents that get things clean with ease can etch or stain metal and paint finishes permanently. Others are tragic for the…

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…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels GIANT LOOP PRONGHORN STRAPS 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…

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…

Making sure you get there and back By Casey Cordeiro Photos by Casey Cordeiro and the manufacturers There are several accessories that are “essential” items to have on your ATV or UTV. Depending on the terrain you ride, those essentials can change somewhat. Our essentials are a spare tire, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit and helmet, and protective safety gear for every rider. Not everyone thinks of a winch as essential, but it is something that every off-road vehicle could benefit from having! Some of you are…

The 2021 Yamaha Grizzly is the ultimate sport recreational ATV for excitement on every ride, delivering the ideal balance of big-bore power and performance. Its potent and proven 700-class engine, ultra-reliable Ultramatic transmission, durable On-Command system, best-in-class EPS, and capable suspension all combine for a smooth and powerful ride. For the most adventurous explorers, the Grizzly is also prewired for the Yamaha Adventure Pro. Further highlighting the Grizzly’s looks and performance, a new SE model is…

Giant Loop is a popular name in adventure off-roading. The company has a variety of products, like packs and such. Most were made with adventure motorcycles in mind. Many of those products easily carry over to 4x4 quads with their handy racks. Fewer of the products are an easy switch for UTVs. We recently obtained a Giant Loop 5-gallon Gas bag. We have often had excursions where more fuel would be handy, but we had honestly not considered carrying that fuel in a bag until we tried the Gas bag. Giant Loop is a popular…

By Casey Cordeiro Photos by Casey Cordeiro and the included manufacturers ADVENTURE-READY GPS SYSTEMS Having a GPS system onboard your ATV or UTV is an invaluable resource when you’re out on the trail. Whether you use it for navigation or for emergencies, a mobile GPS can get you to and from destinations, pinpoint your location, and sometimes communicate with others. In the last several months we have put all of these GPS systems to good use. One UTV adventure was 710 miles in length over a seven-day period.…

.By the staff of Dirt Wheels FLY DIRT LAUNDRY BAG Getting wild and rowdy in the dirt means your riding gear is going to meet mud and muck. Racers tend to keep multiple sets of gear in their bag to change out between races. Some weekend warriors just want to keep the rest of their clean gear separated from the dirty stuff. Fly Racing’s $10.95 Dirt Laundry bag is an inexpensive way to store your roached riding threads in the same gear bag as your clean stuff, or you can just toss it in the truck bed until it’s…

Many of the fully restored machines you see gracing the pages of Dirt Wheels Magazine lately are the work of Mike Palmgren owner of Vintage Motorsports Restorations. Mike not only loves restoring machines back to their former glory, he owns a few as well. For years he sat on this untouched, first year,  Honda U.S. 90 but now thinks it shall have a new home. Today, he’s crating up the rare Honda, with a slight patina, and sending it to its new owner in England.  Stay tuned to the pages of Dirt Wheels for more of Mikes…

Comfort is required By the staff of Dirt Wheels Imagine you are settling your UTV into a hard left-hander, the rear wheels chewing through tacky dirt as you depress the throttle for more power, sending the machine into a controlled pitch. All of a sudden the outside rear tire grabs a rut, and instead of staying in control, your body slides across the stock seat, the stock seat belt allows your upper body to lean, and your grip on the wheel is compromised. Instead of viewing the corner’s exit, you are seeing sky, dirt…