By Lance Schwartz

2013 John Deere Gator RSX850i
MSRP: $12,999 - RSX850i; $14,999 - RSX850i Trail; $15,499 - RSX850i Sport
Final Thoughts + Key Specs at a Glance

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This infamous quote from the 1980 film “The Shining” used to seem like a great metaphor to describe the John Deere Gator UTV lineup. In years past, Gators were notoriously hard workers around the farm, but they certainly never gained respect as a class-leading trail machine. All of that changed in 2013 with the introduction of John Deere’s Gator RSX850i. [ Read Full Post ]

By Rick Sosebee

Many do-it-yourself ATV and UTV owners change the exhaust on their vehicles, and for good reason: a better exhaust system will create much more power. But changing the exhaust on a carbureted machine brings on some secondary issues that need to be addressed in order to keep the engine running properly.

The exhaust pipe on your quad is tuned specifically for the machine. Not to mention, it is also custom shaped in the pattern needed to fit your machine without interfering with any other components. If this pipe or its silencer is altered in any way, (whether it is bent in an accident or manipulated by you) it can impact the engine's performance.

Here are some tips for tweaking your ATV or UTV exhaust: [ Read Full Post ]

By Lance Schwartz

2013 Suzuki King Quad 400ASi
MSRP: $6,499-Flame Red & Terra Green; $6,899-True Timber XD3 Camo
Final Thoughts + Key Specs at a Glance

I had the opportunity to spend two epic days aboard the 2013 Suzuki King Quad 400 ASi in a place nearly too beautiful to describe. My journey took me across California’s Mojave Desert, where the sand and rock miraculously transform into the gorgeous marble peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. At 10,000 feet, the high elevation was the perfect place to test out many of the 400 ASi’s key features. [ Read Full Post ]

By Peter B. Mathiesen

Unless you own anti-fog goggles (and even those can fog up) it doesn't take much body warmth to put you into a fuzzy state of out-of-focus. The combination of heat rising up from your shirt or down from your helmet can create some seriously steamy vision. Add high humidity to the mix, and it can become a challenge just trying to wear one of the most fundamental pieces of safety gear. [ Read Full Post ]

By Rick Sosebee

Preplanning your route will pay high dividends when you take the first ride to your deer spot on opening day. The last thing you need when trying to sneak through the forest before sunrise is the sound of snapping branches and dragging fenders. There are more people in the woods on opening day of deer season than any other time of the year, and it doesn’t take a mature buck long to figure out where the humans are. By quietly sneaking in and out of the woods, you’ll have a better chance of keeping big bucks in the area for a longer period of time. 

So, here are a few tips for getting the course laid out during the offseason to insure a quiet and safe ride to your stand or blind once the season starts.

1. Trim Low Branches: Pack a small pair of pruning shears in your ATV toolbox. When you go out riding or scouting take time to clear away any branches at head-height (or a little above your seated position height on the ATV) so you don’t get stuck with a stick in the dark. [ Read Full Post ]

By Mike Calabro

Riding in the snow is tons of fun. The snow fills in all of the deep ruts and smoothes out the ride — it feels like a whole new ATV experience. I love the feeling of blasting through pillowy-soft snow banks. But all this fun can get ruined once the snow gets too deep. Instead of exploring the winter wonderland you spend all of your time getting stuck. That is when tracks come in.

[ATV Build Project: A Quad for All Seasons]

 
The principal design advantage of tracked-over wheeled vehicles is that they are in contact with a larger surface area, and as a result exert a much lower force per unit area on the ground being traversed than a conventional wheeled vehicle of the same weight. 

[ Read Full Post ]