Features

-- The fastest 3-wheeler -- What was the fastest 3-wheeler? That distinction has to be the Tiger 500. So, you say you never heard of the Tiger 3-wheeler brand? Well, that's understandable. It wasn't a very large company, but you could buy machines from them between the years of 1983 and 1986. The company was founded by Peter Wood, so the story goes, and the Tiger factory was in Minnesota. The company made their own frames and plastic, and they installed 2-stroke engines from Rotax. The Tiger 500 had the big air-cooled…

-- Replace your old beat up seat -- Nothing makes a quad look neglected like an ugly rip in its seat. Putting duct tape over it doesn't help much. No, sometimes you just have to replace that old seat cover. There are several companies that specialize in that. Quad Tech is one that the Dirt Wheels crew has used regularly for project quads. They can provide you with a stock looking replacement or one that has a special custom look. Quad Tech's covers not only have fancy color designs and stitching, but they offer a…

-- Understanding the deal with Textron, Arctic Cat & Tracker Off-Road -- It was nearly two years ago when Textron announced that it had purchased Arctic Cat. Because of Textron’s reputation and clout that it carries in the aviation industry, this was not necessarily viewed as bad news by most people. Among the many companies it owns are Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes, as well as Bell helicopters. The general idea shared by off-roaders is that Arctic Cat would benefit by the economic and technology boost from…

-- Smart item from Motion Pro -- Being able to replace your own brake pads and work on your brakes is something many ATV and UTV owners take pride in. That means you need a way to bleed your brakes. It is critical to get the air bubbles out of the hydraulic brake lines. Having a tool to make the job easier is a big plus, and that's where Motion Pro comes in. Their Mini Bleeder here is exactly what the doctor ordered, and it's available for $27.99. Here's what they say about it: Combines wrench and bleeder valve…

-- Strong enough to stop a bullet -- Product Evaluation by the staff of Dirt Wheels Leatt has never made a secret of the fact that it is a protection company. All they do is produce some of the most protective riding products on this planet, and they sure don’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon. The newest addition to the Leatt product line is the impressive Velocity 6.5 goggle. They are literally bulletproof! Or, at least, the lenses are. Admittedly, Leatt tested that claim with small-caliber, subsonic…

-- Super ATV elevates the high-performance Honda -- If you want to ride over bigger rocks and drive across deeper creeks a lift kit is a good thing to have. That's also true if you put bigger tires on your machine. This is why Super ATV came out with a 3" lift kit for the Honda Talon. They say it'll allow you to go up to a max tire size of 37". Their kit here is designed for the 2019 1000R model and it sells for $224.95. THE FEATURES INCLUDE: 3" front and rear lift Fit up to a 37” tire when used with 1.5”…

-- Return of the fat bikes? -- Test impression by the staff of Dirt Wheels We recently did a short feature on the internet dealing with the short-lived, fat-tired Honda Fat Cat two-wheeler. The response was incredible! That response brought back memories of hitting the dunes and trails on the Honda Fat Cat and the Yamaha BW80, 200 and 350. We had those machines in mind while returning our Suzuki KingQuads. We noticed a small fat-tired motorcycle that Suzuki says is an “extraordinarily retro, funky machine”—the…

-- RANGER REMEDY, by Boss McKannick -- Hey Boss, My mom has an 2004 Polaris Ranger 700 twin. It won't start unless you hold the gas pedal about half way down. Then it will start and idles at about 450 to 500 rpms, but after about 30 seconds, it dies. If you start it and just put it in gear and go, it does fine until you try to idle. I changed spark plugs, but made no difference. I wonder if the injectors aren't working right. It has plenty of fuel because it has pressure in the pressure valve. It will actually…

-- Built by Duncan Racing --

-- 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke blast from the past -- Dune season is right around the corner. We know you’re itching for cooler weather so you can migrate back into the desert. Now is the time to polish that chrome, freshen that engine and get out your flags. To go along with this theme, we thought we would take our next old-versus-new quads out to the sand to see how they work. As with our last two-stroke versus four-stroke feature in the April 2011 issue, Duncan Racing prepared two beautiful samples of Suzuki’s finest ATV…

-- The most reliable workhorse is a Mule -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Kawasaki is a titan company that builds amazing two-wheeled machines that can soar off massive jumps or propel you past 160 mph. It also offered the highly impressive KFX450R ATV, created the stand-up watercraft game and generates excellent UTVs like the sport-inspired Teryx. Their workforce machines are quite popular, too. The Mule Pro lineup is so popular that a few dealers we checked had already sold their current 2019s and were waiting for…

-- Cole Richardson’s GNCC Yamaha racer --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels,  Photos by Ken Hill It takes a lot to become a pro ATV racer. You need commitment to put your all into each race, every practice lap and have the willingness to put your wellbeing on the line to place a foot on the podium. Countless hours are spent wrenching, working out your body and psyche, all while honing your skills on the quad to become one of the best. None of those facts matter, though, if you don’t have a great machine to pilot in the…