Rec UTVs: We Test, You Decide

After the release of Can-Am’s much-anticipated and outrageously powerful Commander 1000, the idea to test it against the fastest, coolest looking, most off-road capable UTVs on the market was a natural one. Needless to say, we were all pretty excited about it.

Testing the UTVs with weight in the back is key to determining stability and performance in work situations.

Our fleet of smile-inducing machines included the Yamaha Rhino 700 Sport Edition, Arctic Cat Prowler XTZ 1000, Polaris RZR 800, Polaris Ranger XP, KYMCO UXV 500, Kawasaki Teryx Sport and the Can-Am Commander 1000 XT. Regrettably, John Deere was not able to get us their new three-cylinder Gator XUV 825i in time for the test.

We assembled an eight-person crew of evaluators, varying in age, body size, UTV experience and riding style, and gathered at Minnesota’s spectacular Iron Range OHV Park, a former iron ore mine converted into a DNR-funded off-road ride park. With opaque, crimson puddles stained by iron dust, massive hills made of tailings (a sharp, rocky mining byproduct), aggressive rock crawls, deep mud bogs and high-speed trails, we had all the terrain needed for a full, thorough test.

Day 1
After three and a half hours in the trucks, we made it up to the Iron Range and unloaded our machines. We explored the park’s trails, and quickly got to work strapping 400 (and in some cases, 800) pounds of salt bags in the cargo beds for a test of suspension, stability, ease-of-use, power and traction in very uneven terrain. This was an ideal way to see how well each of these vehicles can work, and the results were very illuminating.

No Photoshoppin' - this is what the mud looks like at the Iron Range OHV Park.

Some machines crashed their undercarriages brutally on rocks, while others bounded over the course like it was hauling a weightless load of feathers. That’s a nice analogy there isn’t it? Good thing this is a blog.

We also used our first day for time-consuming stuff like detail photography, figuring out the labyrinthian trails of the park and choosing testing loops that we could drive with our photographer and video guy the next day. It was fun, and crisp mid 60s temperatures gave us a nice taste of autumn. I’m ready. It’s time.

That evening we grabbed dinner at a restaurant in Gilbert, and then explored the nightlife in nearby Virginia, Minnesota – one of the largest cities on the Iron Range — population of approximately 8,500. The culture up there is thoroughly reminiscent of my childhood home in northern Wisconsin — beautiful scenery, friendly people, small towns that could use an economic boost and entertaining pubs on nearly every corner.

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Dirt Blog: Pismo RZR Adventure Changes Everything

Last week, I had a life changing experience, and so did my bride.

We were in California on a part-vacation, part-work trip. It started in and ended in San Francisco, but in between we put more than 1,200 miles on the rental car working our way down, then up the California coast. Alcatraz, the Monterey Acquarium, Hollywood Boulevard – we pretty much lived the life of the tourist family in California.

The Polaris RZR 4 cruised up the faces of dunes with ease.

Smack dab the middle of this Prusak Family Adventure (think of the Griswolds, except with a Hyundai Elantra rental instead of the “family truckster” wood panel station wagon that Chevy Chase drove) was a stop at my own equivalent to Wally World in the National Lampoon movie: the Pismo Beach OHV riding area. Longtime friends and co-workers like Jerrod Kelley and Bill Lanphier had spoken of this cool sand dune riding area right up against the Pacific Ocean for years, but I had yet to experience it. [Read more]

SxS debate, CPSC to Regulate ROV Utility Vehicles

ROV (Recreational Offroad Vehicle), Side by Side, SxS – how ever you want to say it you know what I am talking about.  The CPSC is at it again, conjuring up rules and regulations concerning these machines.  I have read the entire CPSC memo and here are my opinions on the bullet points presented in the memo.  The regulations center primarily around the “questionable” stability of these machines, as tested using two tests used to evaluate stability and handling characteristics of automobiles and trucks.lateral stability tests (SSF) static stability factor, vehicle handling test (SAE J266, dealing with under steering and over steering).  The CPSC also made recommendations on passenger retention systems and  as well as  technology to encourage use,  I am assuming they mean starter interlock devices and 4 point harnesses. [Read more]

DragonFire Racing Black Magic Long Travel Suspension System

DragonFire Racing Black Magic System

Introducing Black Magic by DragonFire Racing. DragonFire Racing says it offers the “most state-of-the-art suspension systems in the SxS market.

Black Magic suspension systems feature lightweight chromoly-plated boxed A-arms, 300M axles, and Fox and Elka coil-over shocks. Suspension travel is in excess of 13 inches per kit. This is a direct replacement kit, often utilizing remote rear and front shock towers to provide the proper shock ratios and structural support necessary for the increased travel. [Read more]

Redline Riot Side-By-Side

FIRST TEST: REDLINE RIOT 750 UTV
Pushing the Sport Envelope

Story by Bill “WBGO” Lanphier

While there are several UTVs to choose from, things have been decidedly lopsided. There are plenty of pure utility and sport/utility UTVs on the market, but, until now, only one pure-sport model, Polaris’ Razr. Now, enter the Riot.
Redline Performance, based in Minnesota, already had a head start on smaller but sporty roll-cage vehicles with its Revolt, a single-seater cosmetically reminiscent of Honda’s discontinued Pilot, and powered by a lightweight, Weber 749cc liquid-cooled four-stroke twin with EFI and a CVT (fully automatic) tranny. A turbo version of this motor is used in a Polaris snowmobile and is claimed to produce 140 horses. Yeow! FOR THE COMPLETE STORY, YOU’LL NEED TO GET THE SPRING 2009 Issue of UTV Magazine.

The Redline Riot Sport Terrain Vehicle (STV) -image courtesy of Redline

RIOT Side x Side
Redline TS750
Specifications

Model Name- RIOT
Model Number-1RLSR175FA
Engine-Weber Motors 749cc, liquid-cooled, 4-cycle, parallel twin cylinder, SOHC, 72hp
Chassis-Powder coated tubular space frame w/ 5-point harness
Body-Molded TPO body panels
Lubrication-Dry sump
Oil Capacity-3 qts / 2.84 ltr
Fueling-Port Injected EFI – Walbro EMS
Fuel Capacity-8.5 gal / 32 ltr
Coolant Capacity-1.5 gal / 5.7 ltr
Alternator-350 watt
Starting/Battery-Electric/12V – 30AH
Transmission-Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) w/ Redline Proprietary F/N/R gearbox
Drive-Two-wheel shaft, rear wheel drive
Front Suspension-Double A-arm
10 in (25 cm) Fox Air shocks
18 in (46 cm) of true travel
Optional: 10 in (25 cm) Elka or
Elka Elite coil over shocks
Rear Suspension-Swingarm
10 in (25 cm) Fox Air shocks
16.5 in (42 cm) of true travel
Optional: 10 in (25 cm) Elka or
Elka Elite coil over shocks
Tires – Front/Rear-26 x 8.0 – 12 / 26 x 10.0 – 12
Gauges-Tachometer / Speedometer / Odometer
Wheelbase-84 in / 213 cm
Length/Width/Height-115 in / 68 in / 66 in
292 cm / 173 cm / 168 cm
Dry Weight-1078 lbs / 490 kg
Cargo box -2.8 cu ft / 79.3 L

For more info on the RIOT or the Redline Revolt, visit www.1redline.com or log on to www.atvmagonline.com.