Project Machines

SNO-TRAX CONVERSION *Here is a story from our 1998 files about a company that made conversion kits for snow use. These  SNO-TRAX CONVERSION kits were the bomb. For several years now, the staff of Dirt Wheels has traveled to the snow-cov­ered peaks of Southern Cal­ifornia to try out the latest Sno-Traxx units from Snow Conversion Inc. (SCI) out of Bakersfield, CA. In years past, we tested a variety of four-wheelers outfitted with these unique kits, which turn a quad into a snow machine for the winter, and then can…

From our March 1998 issue of Dirt Wheels. MORE INFO:  https://dirtwheelsmag.com/ultimate-off-roader-honda-trx600/  PROJECT HONDA FOURTRAX TRX 600: BUILDING ULTIMATE OFF-ROADER “Honda should have made this years ago,” said reigning Grand Na­tion­al Champ Shane Hitt after his first ride aboard Dirt Wheels’ Project TRX600 sport quad.  had just put the machine through a grueling test ride at DW’s exclusive Club Moto torture track—a track, mind you, that few “race” quads would feel comfortable on, much less a…

**Editors Note- Test from our DEC 97 issue. Pair of Duncan Doughnuts. When it comes to reliable performance, Dun­can Racing is extremely confident of the products that it sells. So confident, in fact, that it offers a 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee with all of its performance products. If you are not happy with the performance, quality, or reliability of any Dun­­can Racing product, send it back and your money will be refunded. We wanted to put Loren Duncan, the owner of Duncan Racing, to the test, so we had…

Feb 98 **Editors Note-A test of a one-off prototype racer to replace Honda's FourTrax 250R. Rebel Star one-off racer.  A replacement for the Honda FourTrax 250R? Ever since the wildly popular Four­Trax 250R disappeared from Honda’s line­up in ’89, racers throughout the country have been screaming for a ma­chine as good as, if not better than, the FourTrax. Sure, there are plenty of other sport and performance machines on the market to­day, but none are as fast on the racetrack (in the modified form) as the…

*Editors Note: A  look back at a Team Alba  Racing set up on our 1998 Yamaha Wolverine. The folks at Alba Yamaha near San Di­ego, California, hit upon a unique marketing concept several years ago. Instead of simply selling ATVs in the pure stock form like everyone else, they began to jazz up brand-new machines with trick aftermarket parts and then put them up for sale at the regular manufacturer’s suggested retail price. The idea proved to be pop­ular, not only with riders in their lo­cale but with other off-road…

What's it like to ride.

**Editors Note-This project Honda High Lifter 355 originally appeared in the December 2000 issue of Dirt Wheels magazine. High Lifter Honda 300 4x4 Honda’s 300 (2WD & 4WD) has been one of the best workhorse ATVs of all time. For over ten years now, it has racked up an enviable sales and reliability record that is unmatched in the industry. But with the introduction of Honda’s Rancher line of ATVs in 2000, the 300 was put out to pasture and replaced with this more powerful and versatile 350cc 4-wheeler. There…

**Editors Note-This story originally ran in Dirt Wheels April 2000 HOT MODS FOR QUADS Several years ago, CT Racing developed the first aftermarket aluminum cylinder for the Honda 250R engine. Called the Pro-Cross (originally Pro-X), this new cylinder allowed ATV racers much more leeway with motor modifications than the stock 250R offered. In the motorcycle motocross world, engines with various types of power valves have been standard equipment for well over a decade. Virtually every 250cc and 125cc race bike has…

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…

A Husqvarna 3-wheeler? No such thing, good sir! Husky doesn’t dip a toe too far in the waters of three and four-wheeled off-road machinery. So, how did this trike come about, you ask? Daryl Rath, owner of Rath Racing, likes to create hybrid ATVs and ATCs. While a lot can be done to make an old machine work better than new, sometimes it is best to start off with a new ride and customize it to your wants and needs. Photos by Wayne Davis Photography Rath’s white Husqvarna 3-wheeler began life as a 2018…

What one man does for his wife By the staff of Dirt Wheels This Polaris RZR Turbo S, also known as SuperNovaRZR, is the second Loomis family build featured in Dirt Wheels. When Wyoming’s Robert Loomis had his Kombustion-built TombRZR 2016 RZR Turbo featured in Dirt Wheels, it fulfilled his dream of having one of his machines in a magazine. He still loves and drives that build, but he tried our RZR Turbo S while we were shooting his machine. After that brief drive, we could see the hunger for a new Turbo S. We don’t…

First turbo in the family By the staff of Dirt Wheels Sector Seven is the relatively new but innovative UTV product division of longtime off-road parts manufacturer Pro Moto Billet. Company owner Lynn Hodges is in Idaho where there are all sorts of off-road opportunities, so it was inevitable that his family would end up with a Polaris XP 1000 4 in its stable. As son Sheldon got a little older, he was looking for something sportier to drive, and the then-new Polaris RS1 was added to the family’s fleet. The RS1 project…