Product

-- Like a vacation for your back & knees -- First test: By the staff of Dirt Wheels We aren’t exactly sure how a company renowned for high-quality tie-downs develops a work mat as a product. We can only guess that Mac’s owners and employees actually work on their own stuff, hook up their own trailers and occasionally have to slide under their vehicles. We routinely carry a small gardening mat to kneel on while connecting the trailer or changing flats. We also stand on it to change into riding gear. But our little…

-- BUYER'S GUIDE TO THE BEST CHOICES -- Like all of you, we drive UTVs for fun, sport and adventure, but safety is our number-one priority, especially in today’s powerful UTVs. The stock seat belts are easy and convenient, and they encourage drivers to use them at all times and will help keep riders in their seats in the result of a roll-over. OE seat belts do allow the riders to shift around in the cab. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it can become a nuisance during a long ride or those times when we feel like…

-- Testing a way to ride hard and stay hydrated -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Riding and testing often take us to remote locations to explore trails and terrain. We love finding new pathways of ATV riding pleasure, and that means we take all-day rides. Fly Racing has a nice lineup of Hydro Packs that come in sizes for long or short trail adventures. We picked up the XC100 that offers ample storage for our outings and a healthy-sized water reservoir. The Hydro Pack won’t break your wallet either at $99.95. WHAT…

-- Testing a six-ply ATV & UTV  tire with traction and long life -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Track & Trail is another tire company that is new to the ATV and UTV scene. Currently, the company has a sport quad tire set and the TT410 utility tire. The tire’s specs and pricing are very good, so we saw it for sale at many of the big tire retailers, despite being a new company, so we were quite curious about these tires. The set we received was sized 25x8-12 and 25x10-12 for a 4x4 quad or a very small UTV. We…

-- PRODUCT EVALUATION --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Have you ever felt the smooth and warm comfort of slipping on a set of Ugg sheepskin boots? We imagine that sliding into a set of these Sidi Trial Zero.1 boots must be similar. We ride a lot of big 4x4 quads, and wearing a full motocross boot is a bit much on them. The search for a lightweight boot that still has some general protection was on, and we landed at the Trial. They are designed for trials motorcycle riders that jump from boulder to boulder for a good…

-- Making a list and checking it twice --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Tis the season to be jolly, and it’s easier to stay in a joyful mood if you’re not fighting crowds of aggressive shoppers at the mall. When you’re looking for a gift for off-road riding enthusiasts, there’s not much at the mall anyway catering to our specific sport. That’s okay, because it’s more fun to shop at an ATV/UTV dealership where you also get to mingle with cool machines while looking at the accessory shelves. The thing about shopping…

GADGETS FOR AN OFF-ROAD FAMILY The holiday shopping season is in full swing. Maybe you skipped Black Friday and didn’t take advantage of those super deals on Cyber Monday, but you can still find some good deals for all those gearheads in your family. Some of these gifts will suffice as ideal stocking stuffers while others will bolt directly to that vehicle in the garage. Can-Am helps you become the giver you’ve always wanted to be, with this list of goodies for motorized family. Cell/Tablet Holder…

-- How to refresh your tired UTV suspension --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Many sport UTV owners aren’t aware of the hard facts and level of maintenance that is involved in sustaining like-new performance while enjoying one of these insanely fun machines. Shocks are one of the chronically neglected parts of a UTV. We started with a fairly new Polaris RZR XP 1000 that comes stock with piggyback reservoir-type coil-over Walker Evans Racing shocks. Depending on how hard you drive, you should expect most stock shocks to…

-- TIRE TEST: A true all-terrain tire from the mud experts -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels: Interco Tire Corporation has been building some of the most trail-worthy tires for trucks since 1968. Some of us recall how wildly popular their Super Swamper and Bogger truck tires were for extreme mud and trail conditions. That’s still the case these days for the Louisiana-based company. They’re taking their know-how of successful truck tires and implementing that into ATV/UTV tires, and the end result is awesome. One of…

-- Dexterity work gloves comfortable to drive or ride with -- “Dexterity” derives from the Latin word “dexter,” which means “skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.” We know this because Google told us so. But gloves are an important item to wear while wrenching, riding or driving. Only certain people can ride gloveless for a long duration without getting blisters. Mere mortals need extra protection. Riding gloves are starting to go up in price and are usually built thin, which means they won’t last for an…

-- 3 great shocks for $999 ---- By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Most sport quad riders are weekend warriors who love upgrading their machines. One of the smartest purchases you can make is in the suspension department. A lot of riders think that adding power parts will make your quad faster. That can be true; however, if you don’t have the suspension to handle the added power, you won’t go much faster. While racers get the best and most tunable shocks they can find, most of us just want something better than stock…

-- Testing a locking brake for your UTV -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Frankly, we hadn’t thought much about our Polaris RZR not having a parking brake. It has park in the transmission after all. But, after talking to the Scorpion Lok guy, we realized that we might not have to deal with that horrendous clunk when shifting from park while parked on a slope. FEATURES The Scorpion Lok is simple in concept, but it is a precision-made little product. In simplest terms, it is a spring-loaded hook that mounts to the…