Jeff Tweet’s Hybrid Yamaha-Arctic Cat Race Quad
Jeff Tweet, a paraplegic racer and son of former Arctic Cat VP Ole Tweet, built his own hybrid race quad. We were informed that the main goal of the ATV was to allow Jeff to “compete at a higher level than what his Honda 250R would let him, being that the Honda has a transmission that needs... [Read more]
Bomb Squad WORCS Report
Wes again called me out, as he so eloquently does, and talked me into racing the recent WORCS race in Adelanto. I had opted to save time and money but couldn’t pass up the opportunity when I saw he and Adrian loading up their quads for the Friday practice. Adrian is our friend and faithful... [Read more]
Action Alert! CPSC to develop rules for SxS's
Action Alert! Side by Side owners and enthusiasts need to stand up and be heard. Now I don’t have a huge interest in (ROVs) Side by Sides but here is a link to a preformed response that will be sent to the Office of the Secretary, CPSC. Personalize the message all you want. The Americans for... [Read more]
Quick Tip, Homemade number plate
I got the inspiration for this blog from a question that was asked in our own ATV Magazine Forum. A forum member needed a solution for a quick, cheap, and easy number plate so he could participate in a race coming up soon. Here is my condensed response. Materials needed: White 5 gallon plastic bucket... [Read more]
Don't be stranded because of a broken clutch cable
Don't let this keep you stranded on the trail! For those of us that have machines with manual clutches operated by a cable you know that a broken cable on the trail can be the pits and in some cases leave you stranded. This little tip can really get you out of a jamb. Before your current clutch... [Read more]
Quick Tip: Fixing a carburetor float
OK I know more and more ATV’s are coming equipped with EFI (electronic fuel injection), but the overwhelming majority of used machines in service still have carburetors. The purpose of a carburetor float is to maintain the proper amount of fuel in the carburetor bowl for both the pilot circuit... [Read more]
Yamaha's new YZ engine design, will the YFZ benefit?
Regular readers of my articles know I am not an engineer, nor some fancy pants engine builder, I don’t claim to be either. What I am is a motorcycle enthusiast with a side of ATV interest. (read my bio HERE ) So when the motorcycle side of the industry introduces a interesting new concept... [Read more]
Suspension setup, stetting the sag
Of all the mechanical things that people “mod” on an ATV, suspension is one that seems to be the most intimidating. It seems to me that most riders I meet are afraid to mess with all those funky clickety screw thingys and rings with teeth on them. I cringe anytime I see an obviously over... [Read more]
Chain drives, too tight, too loose???
Make sure you have the counter shaft, swing arm pivot and axle in a straight line. Ever since the ATVs inception, the chain drive (adapted from motorcycles) was and still is the most affordable, lightweight, most efficient and easily engineered type of final drive system. Sure they get a bad rap... [Read more]
Exhaust it's a gas, gas, gas
It is no secret to seasoned riders and mechanics that an internal combustion engine is just a large air pump, air goes in and air goes out – in between there is the nifty combustion that does the “work”. It is also no secret that the more efficient you can move the air through this... [Read more]
