Reader’s Photos

-- Wild machines of Dirt Wheels readers -- We're all used to seeing high-lifted 4x4 quads out in the deepest mud holes. For some reason though, we rarely see 3-wheelers modified the same way. Greg Armbruster in Ohio set out to change that with his unique mud machine here. He saw no reason why his old Honda Big Red couldn't become a swamp monster too. The first order of business was to make sure his 250cc 4-stroke 3-wheeler got plenty of traction while giving it more ground clearance. He accomplished that with these…

-- As close to a new 2019 model as you can get -- What has been considered the greatest high-performance quad of all time? Well, most of the experts agree that Honda's TRX250R set the standard when it first came out in 1986. It handled very well, had good suspension and its 250cc 2-stroke engine provided instant power that helped it get down the trail very quickly. You could buy a new TRX250R from your Honda dealer in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. Unfortunately it was removed from Honda's lineup for 1990. ATV people were…

-- The 1970 Lockley Wrangler -- Have you ever wondered which machine can be credited as being the first UTV? That can be rather murky based on how strict the rules are for proper classification. However, many people say the first side by side off-road vehicle was the Lockley Wrangler in 1970. You say you never heard of one before? You're not alone. The older members of our staff only had vague memories of the vehicle with no recollection at all on what it was called. Thanks to Dirt Wheels readers Steven and Kelli Gleason,…

-- Finding brand new Cannondales -- Imagine you're out in a remote section of woods you've never been to before. You go between some bushes and accidently discover the opening of a cave. Out of curiosity you wander in to check it out. After a few twists and turns your flashlight beam focusses on something shiny. Your heart suddenly starts beating frantically as you exclaim, "GOLD!" Well, that's kind of what happened to Dirt Wheels reader, Hunter Lovelace, up in Ontario, Canada. He was rummaging around in a back warehouse…

-- Not all 3-wheelers were Hondas -- Adam Cook is a Dirt Wheels reader in Ohio. He has owned many quads and a few dirt bikes over the years, but one of his favorite machines in this 1985 Yamaha Tri-Z 250. There's just something about riding a 250cc two-stroke that feels good, no matter how many wheels it has. The engines are simple and easy to work on, and that sudden blast of power is just plain addictive. You quickly learn how to work the shift lever to always keep the revs in the fat part of the power band. This…

-- How to get a brand new Honda TRX250R -- Dirt Wheels reader Frank Raneiro is in the process of building an awesome 250R. We're going to let him tell you how he's doing it and what all is involved. Check it out... > Hey there Dirt Wheels. Just wanted to share with you The MX build I’m doing. It’s a completely brand new TRX250R Build. All parts are new or new old stock. Nothing on this bike is used. Took me 4 years to acquire all the new parts. Here’s a few Pics of the Current State. Will be finished within the…

-- Here's a good letter from a Dirt Wheels reader -- Hello Dirt Wheels, My name is Tony Cooper and I wanted to share some before and after pics of my 2003 Yamaha Banshee build.  This is my second submission to Dirt Wheels with my first being a 2011 KFX 450 that made it into your great magazine last year. I bought the Banshee as a project in early 2017.  It was a complete and somewhat running ATV, but it wasn't until I started the tear down that I realized just how much of a project quad I had bought.  The only real…

-- What is the best high-performance quad? Well, if you're talking about what you can buy new in 2018 then that would have to be Yamaha's YFZ450R. However, if you were going to include all quads made in the last 10 years, then you'd have to consider the KTM 505 SX. Stephane LeBlanc is a Dirt Wheels reader who owns a 2010 KTM 505 SX and he seems quite pleased with it's performance. The photo of it here shows that he keeps clean, well maintained and in good shape. It's a shame that KTM no longer makes this machine. If they…

-- 20 years worth of readers' rides -- When it comes to quad riders, which group is the most passionate, enthusiastic and hard core of all? Well, we'd have to say the owners of two-stroke quads. Honda TRX250R riders are certainly fanatics and the same can be said for Suzuki Quadzilla owners as well. However, those two machines were only in production for around four years. On the other hand, you could buy new Yamaha Banshees from 1987 to 2006 here in the USA, and beyond that in Canada and other countries. Based on 20 years…

-- SUZUKI'S 500cc MONSTER 2-STROKE QUAD -- Suzuki gets credit for coming out with the first quads as we know them today. First they introduced some little 4-stroke versions and then in 1985 they unleashed a high-performance 2-stroke machine known as the Quadracer 250. Suzuki gave us a couple of years to get used to that great machine and then in 1987 they totally blew us away with a 500cc version. Its official name was the LT500R Quadracer, but it was such a beast that everyone began calling it Quadzilla. You had to be a…

-- Something you don't see every day --     Who remembers the Husqvarna 500 three-wheeler? There were actually a few of these running around in Southern California back in the early '80s. The big 500cc two-stroke motors made these vehicles a ton of fun to ride, but only for the most skilled three-wheeler riders. Mike Dunn is a Dirt Wheels reader who fits into that category and here is his Husky that he had restored back to its original condition. Even though it looks perfectly pristine it doesn't sit parked in a museum. …

1: This 3-cylinder, 2-stroke quad has been set up for... A: Towing a manure spreader on a farm. B: Tight, rock-crawling trails in the mountains. C: Delivering pizzas in downtown New York city. D: Drag racing on a sand or dirt drag strip. 2: This 4x4 quad has been set up for... A: Maintaining the greens on a golf course. B: Delivery pizzas in downtown Los Angeles. C: Road racing at Daytona. D: Mud bog competition. 3: This is the all-new 2018... A: Street-legal quad from Ferrari.…