Growing In Glamis, Aboard Yamaha SE Quads

Riding the 2010 Raptor 700R SE at California's Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (Glamis).

Back in 2007, when I was still new to  ATV Magazine and ATV Sport, our staff took a trip out to the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA, a.k.a. Glamis) in extreme Southern California for a 450-class sport quad test. I had been riding my whole life, but had only ventured outside of the Midwest to ride a few times at this point – to North and South Carolina, Oregon, Kentucky and West Virginia. Everybody said I just had to ride in the dunes. From the descriptions I heard, I was very excited and a bit intimidated by such an alien riding environment of towering dunes, stadium-sized sand bowls.

Back in ’07, we were there to ride the newly-expanded fleet of 450cc sport quads including: Yamaha YFZ450, Suzuki LT-R450, Honda TRX450R and Kawasaki’s new KFX450R. We also had a few built-up machines out there, which I really had no business riding for my first visit, in such fast company.

I learned all the basic techniques before my first ride: don’t stop at the bottom of a hill, turn out (back downhill) if a hill climb isn’t going your way, maintain speed on off-cambers to keep the quad planted, look out for witches eyes (quad-swallowing divots created by shifting wind patterns) and, most importantly, don’t go off on your own unless you’d like to become a well-dressed stick of beef jerky.

Interesting night life, but I'd avoid the street "helpers" if possible, and stray dogs!

Being just 30 minutes north of the Mexican border, our group took advantage one night and crossed over to Mexicali for a night of international debauchery. It was a very memorable night. My advice? Don’t buy pharmaceuticals on the street, keep your eyes peeled for rogue canines and check out The Green Door – a very, very interesting pub where anything goes, it seems.

ATV Sport July/August 2007

Even though Mexico is a hop-skip-and-a-jump from Glamis, the real nighttime entertainment is centered around a campfire in the sand. Desert camping is quite a bit different than shacking up in the woods, but the endless views are interesting and the howling night winds can sooth tired riders to sleep, with the comforting knowledge that the winds are also erasing all the day’s machine tracks and will leave a clean slate of impeccable sand for the morning’s riding.

That initial trip to Glamis was a lot of fun. I didn’t wipe out, but had a few “oh crap” moments. When it was done, I agreed that it was unlike any other form of riding I’d experienced, and hoped to return soon for further investigation.

It took three years, but I  got back to Glamis in late January to attend a Yamaha event for the company’s newest special edition models of the YFZ450R, Raptor 700R and Raptor 250. Now a much, much more versatile rider than I was in early 2007, I would be riding with a lot of good friends in the industry, but was again intimidated before flying out to Southern California. I really shouldn’t have been.

Yamaha USA headquarters in Cyprus, CA.

Southern California's Salton Sea is an interesting, unusual place.

The drive down from Yamaha’s Cyprus, California headquarters is a great view for looking out the windows. We ate at the Farm House in Banning (amazing breakfast, unusual place), and I enjoyed the snow-covered mountains and forests of wind mills along the way. It makes you wonder why the rest of the country can’t do wind power on such a grand scale. Also, driving past the Salton Sea is always interesting – such a strange place. Surrounded by arid sand, it’s the ultimate oasis, albeit a largely dead, uninhabited one.

After Brawley, we arrived in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. Yamaha put us up well, with entertaining on-site cooks and Weekend Warrior toy hauler campers for us to stay for two nights and two full days of dune riding. Suiting up for the first ride, I wondered if I’d hit an unexpected jump in fifth gear, if a hidden witches eye would swallow me whole, or if I’d lose the crew and stumble into the dunes in search of a jeweled lake I’d see on the horizon.

The Farm House Restaurant in Banning, CA. It's great!

Well, none of that happened, but I did have some of the greatest, most scenic and highest speed rides of my life for two straight days. It was paradise! Trail Nation TV’s Jeff Henson (also a friend, former co-worker and ATV Magazine test rider) led a small group of us out into a northern section of the ISDRA that’s less technical, with the really big bowls. In my opinion, there’s really nothing comparable to carving a bowl in fifth gear with the throttle pinned.

Throughout the trip, we also went on a very technical ride with ATV MX champ and Yamaha rider Dustin Nelson, who also kicked my butt during a horseshoe tournament. Wearing a GoPro chest camera, I had plenty of hair-raising moments, and enjoyed seeing the group, one-by-one, drop off of a sidehill that was just too steep to cross – at least for the stragglers I saw sliding off the side of the hill.

With a permanent smile while riding, I realized I had nothing to be intimidated by out here. Sure, you can get into trouble if you’re not careful to see what’s on the other side of a cornice, or you hit an obstacle with too much speed – but none are anything to truly be worried about, especially if you’re reasonably cautious and following experienced riders.

The last day's group ride out testing Yamaha's latest SE sport models.

As it often goes, the last ride of our final day was the best of them all. Yamaha’s Travis Hollins (a fantastic sand rider, nice guy and a great guide) took our whole group out to a remote area of the dunes that had a very nice variety, and plenty of smooth, untouched sand. After stopping at Competition Hill, which is just insanely steep, we stopped to take in the surroundings.

I decided to step up my game for the ride back, and hung close behind Travis and Corry Weller, who is one of the fastest girls on four wheels. With throttles buried, we had an extremely athletic ride back in all conditions the dunes had to offer – step-up jumps, sharp cornices, deep bowls, endless views of dunes against the setting sun. While I started the event feeling like a novice, keeping up with these power riders make me feel like a hero and I had to control my excitement when we arrived back at camp.

2010 Yamaha YFZ450R SE - $8,999

As for the machines, the SE editions of the YFZ450R, Raptor 700R and Raptor 250 look sharp. Everybody talked up the Raptor 700R (for go0d reason) for its sand abilities, plush ride and very torque-heavy engine that lugs effortlessly up the steepest dunes. It really is an ideal match out here, but I found myself drawn to the high-revving nature of the YFZ450R that screams like a banshee (pardon the expression) and really makes a rider feel like he’s wringing every last bit out of the machine. A few editors also had impromptu Raptor 250 races, which was fun and provided the best laughs of the trip. It’s amazing how many top-level riders say the spunky 250 is their favorite ATV of all time. It’s hard to disagree. I had the most fun on the YFZ, though, and they all look great with their new graphics and colors.

Lastly, we had the great photo services of Adam Campbell – and the photos turned out great. Look for the full story on the ride and machines in an upcoming issue of ATV Magazine.

Yamaha Raptor 700R SE

I’ve got the dune fever, and am already scheming up ways to get back for a throttle-pinned visit. I’m certainly no expert, and still wouldn’t go out without a guide, but there really is nothing like riding in Glamis.

Riding here is as good as it gets on a sport quad. If you’ve never been, I couldn’t recommend it more. Thanks to Yamaha and all fellow riders for a great time out there!

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