Product Tests

-- Keep your drinks cool on hot rugged rides -- We are accustomed to going to Assault Industries when we want hard parts—stuff whittled and welded from steel, aluminum and even shaped from glass. But, the popular aftermarket builder has soft items as well. One is the handy and effective off-road cooler bag. It comes in white or black. At first we groaned when we saw the white color, but went ahead and tossed it in the back seat of a RZR XP 4 Turbo S for days in the dunes. We loaded the bag with bottles of water and cans…

-- Testing top-of-the-line foot protection -- Convincing ATV riders to wear a motocross-style boot is a difficult task. Most 4x4 riders wear shoes or work boots, and we see too much of that on sport quads as well. The riders that wear true moto-style boots are generally racers, or riders who like to ride as fast as they would racing. Just because your foot won’t hit the dirt as consistently as it would on a dirt bike doesn’t mean the protection and stability of a motocross boot isn’t worth it. Hard landings, the jerking…

-- Installing a better skid plate & testing it out --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Polaris has not left the underside of its UTVs unprotected. Each has a factory plastic skid plate installed, but the plastic isn’t heavy or thick. It balances weight with maximum protection, but some people drive terrain that is a bit challenging. Ricochet Off-Road has been providing protection for off-road machinery for over 35 years. The reason? Ricochet is located right at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and there is ample…

-- Testing a smart wiring solution for your RZR --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels One of our editors has been building a project Polaris RZR XP Turbo that will be featured in Dirt Wheels soon. Installing everything has required many hours. We’ve had to collect parts and persuade things to fit correctly. Modifications have been made, while blood, sweat and tears have been shed, but none of those problems were from XTC Power Products. Wiring can be relentlessly tedious if you are not an aficionado or have the…

-- Testing for grip and strength -- By the Dirt Wheels test crew: Manufacturers of UTV tires are in a constant battle to build the best tires. Some tires are specific to the terrain you love to ride, while others offer a broad range of traction for multiple types of terrain. One thing stays consistent—these companies are struggling to make a tire that is light yet strong enough to withstand the harsh abuse drivers put their favorite toys through. Fuel Off-Road came out with its Gripper R/T 32-inch tire and Anza D918…

-- TEST: Vents and MIPS at a happy price -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels As soon as we took the new Z1R F.I. Flank dirt helmet out of the box, we were impressed. The finish is ultra smooth and glossy, and there is no hint of a transition between colors in the attractive graphics. Rather than plastic screws holding the peak in place, it has what looks like black-chromed metal hardware. Instead of plastic grates on the helmet vents, there is a fine mesh metal screen. The rubber trim around the eyeport has molded-in…

--Testing a sleek set of full doors --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels There are far too many UTV models that come with close-to-pointless quarter doors. Polaris RZRs generally all come with them, and we feel that they’re not enough protection against the elements, brush or trees and accidents. We went to UTV Inc. for a pair of $726 RZR XP 1000/XP Turbo and Turbo S doors. They also make doors for many other brands and models. CONSTRUCTION UTV Inc. builds the main door frame and mounting frames out of TIG-welded…

-- Tough multi-terrain performance tire test -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels We become used to seeing hard-terrain tires with closely spaced, relatively short tread blocks. Most have a pretty square profile as well. In light of that, we assumed that the Maxxis Coronado was a mud tire with widely spaced, deep tread blocks. Obviously, we were a little surprised to find that the Coronado is what Maxxis calls “the ultimate desert tire for your ATV or side-by-side,” and claiming that the compound is long-wearing and…

-- 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…

-- Another Blast From The Past favorite -- Back in 2001 Honda was selling 400EX sport quads as fast and they could make them. It was an extremely popular machine and it seemed like every body had one.  The number one thing on their minds was to make these Hondas even better. Or, more to the point, how to make them faster.  That was what the Dirt Wheels crew did for a living and an aftermarket pipe was always the first thing we bolted on to a given quad. "Which pipe is best?" is a question we constantly got from our…

-- Adding skis & a trax system to a Banshee is not a new idea -- Ever since our very first issue back in 1980 the Dirt Wheels crew has been into hopping up machines for more power and better suspension. When it comes to ATVs we've also been known to try some wild and crazy things. We liked riding in snow and we wanted to improve our quads for that. Back in 2001 we found a company that specialized in setting up quads with skis and a trax system. They put their conversion kit on a Yamaha Banshee and a Yamaha Warrior, so…

-- 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…