Twice As Nice

Man, times certainly have changed. Remember the late 1980s and early ’90s? If you were a young 6-year-old tyke with a Power Wheels you were the coolest kid on the block. Not anymore. The neighborhood’s top dogs now ride quality youth ATVs.

Sure, plastic Power Wheels are a great learning tool for 2- to 5-year-olds, but an electric powered ride can’t compare to the ping of a two-stroke engine and the smell of exhaust to an enthusiastic 6-year-old. We recently met with Over The Edge Racing, which had two tricked-out Apex Pro MX ATVs loaded to the hilt with aftermarket accessories and bling.

Cole Olson and Dylan Kloss have a lot of envious friends when they hit the trails aboard their Apex quads. Olson, who thumps on a 70cc Pro MX, and Kloss on his 90cc Pro MX can’t tame their excitement when out riding. The two brothers would ride all day if they could buy their own gas!

About Apex
Based in Chandler, Ariz., Apex Motor USA manufactures what it claims to be the most advanced mini ATVs available. While companies like Cobra may disagree, the Apex youth quads do come pretty trick right from the box.

Kloss and Olson kept many of the components on their quads stock due to that very reason. The front A-arms, swingarm (with OTER gussets), two-stroke engine and pipe all come race-ready stock. Over The Edge Racing gusseted the swingarm for added durability because both brothers race cross country.

All Pro MX Apex quads have a CVT with HP clutch assembly, which means young riders don’t need to worry about shifting when they encounter obstacles on the trail. Both modified ATVs came with custom clutching to meet their powerband demands. A 21mm Mikuni carburetor feeds fuel to the 69cc engine, while a larger 24mm Mikuni carb is installed in the 89cc Apex quad. Both carburetors are stock.

Over The Edge Racing is known for its fondness of orange plastics – a team signature – and Apex delivered with bodywork that matched the adult ATVs on the team. Stock Apex ATVs are available with red, blue, black or orange plastics.

Modifying Mania
While stock is good for the average rider or beginning racer, Olson and Kloss wanted an edge. That’s where Jason White comes in. White is known for gaining that edge, and sometimes he goes over. We guess that’s how he developed his shop name Over The Edge Racing!

The brothers’ Apex quads were stripped to the bare frame and White went to work on a custom gusset kit for both the 70 and 90. After adding gussets to strengthen the chassis, White had the frame powder coated a candy lollipop blue color. Since youth ATVs have less ground clearance, they are subject to harsher hits during a race. But after several cross country races, White says the gussets have held up to the abuse both riders have put the quads through. “We haven’t seen much in terms of stress on the chassis,” he said.

Up front, a set of Yamaha tierods and spindles were added for durability in woods racing conditions. White retained the stock A-arms because they offer plenty of width for both riders’ machines. However, the suspension got an upgrade.

Olson’s Pro MX 70 features Works Performance Pro G Series emulsion shocks that come sans piggyback reservoirs. Kloss’ Apex 90 has the upgraded Works Performance Black Widow shocks that are fully rebuildable with piggyback reservoirs. “We couldn’t get the valving in the Black Widow’s light enough for Cole,” White said. “We decided to make a switch to the Pro Gs, which have worked out really well for him. Both suspension setups have a lot of travel. I don’t think either of the brothers have bottomed out the suspension during a ride.”

To aid in rider comfort, a set of Fasst Flexx handlebars were bolted on to both Apex ATVs. The Flexx bars are in high demand for youth quads and White said he was lucky just to get two sets of bars. Spider grips and PowerMadd handguards completed the handlebar package.

White said the stock engine is plenty powerful, so he stayed away from mods when it wasn’t necessary. “These engines are very stout stock,” he said. White swapped the stock air filter for a UNI filter to help the quads breathe a little better.

A Sidewinder chain turns on stock sprockets for both quads.

Bolt-On Accessories
With the Apex quads new to the youth scene, there aren’t a ton of aftermarket bolt-on accessories available yet. But AC Racing does make a host of parts. The nerfbars, footpegs and heel guards are custom from AC Racing, along with the bumper and grab bar. Of course, White powder coated the bolt-on parts to match the frame and make them more durable.

While the Apex quads come from the factory with quality aftermarket tires and wheels, White opted for Maxxis Razr2s front and back. The 21 x 7-10 Razr2s are bolted on the front Yamaha hubs on both quads, and highly sought after 18 x 10-8 Razrs rest on Honda hubs rear. “I had a guy come into my shop who saw the rear tires and offered to buy them right then,” White said. “I guess they are pretty popular and hard to get.”

All four Maxxis tires on each Apex quad are mounted on OMF Performance scalloped beadlocks with reinforcing ring rims. Naturally, White powder coated those orange to match the plastic. The brake pedal and kickstarter also are highlighted by the orange powder coat.

Do The Kids Like It?

Even in near 100-degree temperatures, we couldn’t peel Olson and Kloss off their quads. By the smile on their faces, it’s obvious how much they enjoy riding their Apex quads. Olson has been riding for one year and already looks like a veteran thanks to days full of endless riding.

And his brother, who has been riding for four years, provides plenty of encouragement. At every turn and jump, Olson fights to keep up with older brother Kloss aboard their two-stroke-powered fun.

After two hours of riding and chasing each other around like hyper dogs, one would think they would run out of energy. Nope, just gas!

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