Machines

First to fast By the staff of Dirt Wheels Chris Leaming is a facilitator. He and his father Rob are partners in Gilbert, Arizona-based XTC Power Products. They moved there to grow their company that specializes in UTV electronic parts, such as street-legal turn-signal kits, and switch and wiring solutions. Rob and Chris have owned and built a large number of machines over the years. Despite not owning many Hondas lately, Leaming describes himself as a “Honda guy.” Among his current machines are a scratch-built,…

Performance and handling on a budget By the staff of Dirt Wheels Until we picked up the sporty Kayo 200 Jackal, our only experience with quads from this Chinese company was a brief exposure to the Kayo 150 Storm. The Storm uses a lay-down engine like the Honda TRX90 but with more power. The Jackal is a 200cc upright engine, and it looks like a generic single-cam 200 engine like you would see in an ATC200X or a Yamaha TT-R225 dirt bike. This is a proven engine design, and one that has proven reliable from Chinese…

Midwest Performance builds a monster By the staff of Dirt Wheels The off-road and side-by-side culture is thriving these days. Stock and modified machines are dotting the trails and tracks across the country and around the world. What’s interesting is how different regions of this country build machines for their particular terrain. Many of these examples are way beyond stock equipment. From the $150,000 desert racers out West to wild mud rigs of the south, they sure do draw a lot of attention. We recently caught up…

Putting fun in work and comfort in fun When Polaris came up with the concept of the General, it proved to be a whale of an idea—an idea that created or at least redefined the sport-utility segment of the UTV market. The General has all the payload, bed-load capacity and towing of all but the best utility models. The bed is not as large, but it can move a significant amount of stuff for work or for play. One of the drivers for our test has owned a Polaris 800 Sport, as well as a Polaris RZR XP 1000. He noted that the…

This Polaris really flies By the staff of Dirt Wheels So many companies build truly amazing machines for the annual Sand Sports Super Show that it is difficult to come up with a combination that literally stands out in a massive crowd. As builders of many impressive machines, Assault Industries knows that standing out in such a crowd takes an over-the-top effort. As it turned out, Assault was up to the task. We spotted the Polaris RZR XP 4 Turbo S project from 100 yards off as we walked the lanes of the Sand Show.…

A Pro for four By the staff of Dirt Wheels Polaris debuted the great new RZR Pro XP for 2020, and given the success that the brand has had with four-seat machines, it was only a matter of time. That time has come, and the RZR Pro XP 4 is here. In addition to the base RZR Pro XP 4, the new machine is available as a RZR Pro XP 4 Premium and a RZR Pro XP 4 Ultimate. Our test unit was a RZR Pro XP 4 Premium. In terms of driveline and suspension performance, there is no difference between the base model and the Premium…

The ultimate in trail performance? By the staff of Dirt Wheels Polaris has introduced a new limited-edition model to its 2020 RZR Pro XP model lineup. The new machine comes with an updated Orange Madness color scheme that consumers have been waiting for. The LE model is equipped for “ultimate trail performance” that Polaris claims can only be found in the Pro XP line, including a 64-inch width and 22 inches of usable travel for outright comfort. Coupled with its performance, the Pro XP Orange Madness LE also features…

Bryan Raffa’s Yamaha Tri-Z 911 Tribute This build is an awesome tribute to the fallen heroes of September 11 2001 including Raffa's cousin, Arlene T Babakits who worked on the 15th floor, her and other port authority workers  got trapped in the 10 floor stairwell when one of the twin towers came down. Bryan lives in upstate New York and says the best part of this Yamaha Tri-Z 911 Tribute  is a glow-in-the-dark coolant  bottle that he says, lights up, every night when he shuts the lights off in his shop.…

An X3 that rocks! By the staff of Dirt Wheels When Can-Am introduced the Maverick X3 X rc Turbo R in 2018, it was an immediate sales success. Not only did it have that great 72-inch track width and long-travel suspension like the premium performance X3 X rs Turbo R, but it came stock with highly desirable features. For 2020, the model designation includes an “RR” that replaces the “R” of that 2018. The single R designates 172 horsepower and the double RR reveals that the 2020 has a whopping 195 horsepower! At the moment…

Keep on rollin’ By the staff of Dirt Wheels This may not be the infamous and cultist TRX250R two-stroke ripper, but the humble Honda TRX250X has outlasted and sold in greater numbers than the old two-smoker. One is a pure-bred racing-style ATV, while the other is the perfect transitional ATV, or even the final landing, for riders that don’t need a lot of power. Honda’s 250X is their only sport ATV for older youth riders and adults that is still available. The TRX400X and favored TRX450R have long since left production…

Arctic Cat® Inc., a Textron Inc. company and part of the Textron Specialized Vehicles business, announced today its model year 2021 off-road lineup. “For the 2021 model year, Arctic Cat has simplified its product lineup, with a sharp focus on offering high-performance side-by-sides and ATVs across the most popular product classes and categories in the powersports industry,” said Craig Kennedy, Vice President, Arctic Cat for Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. “For work and play, our 2021 Alterra, Wildcat and Prowler…

Feature-filled for less By the staff of Dirt Wheels While the sport 1000s and turbos get all the fanfare, it’s the utility machine that manufacturers sell most. This segment has a crazy number of offerings from all the major manufacturers. In fact, some brands have multiple offerings in the same category to attract buyers with different budgets. In the June issue we featured a comparison between the Polaris Ranger 1000 and the Ranger XP 1000, and learned you don’t have to pay more to get more of what you need. CFMoto…