Home Blog Page 144

Taylor-Dunn Offers a New Way to Move People, Equipment and Materials

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (May 25, 2017) – Taylor-Dunn® is expanding its utility vehicle offerings with the company’s first co-produced vehicle with Polaris®. The new G-100 is packed with the durability, comfort and safety features needed to get the job done.

When it comes to moving people and equipment, Taylor-Dunn is known for providing unique solutions with optimal performance. The new G-100 utility vehicle brings plenty of power and performance for every outdoor work task.

Durability
The G-100 UTV boasts a proven liquid-cooled, Electronic Fuel Injected Polaris Pro-Star® 32 horsepower gasoline motor, with plenty of power and torque for hauling and towing goods. Also standard on the G-100 is a locking differential, MacPherson Strut front suspension with 9-inches of travel and dual a-arm independent rear suspension with 10-inches of travel. Taylor-Dunn backs the new vehicle with a 2-year factory warranty.

Safety
This new machine puts safety first with a standard Roll Over Protection System (ROPS) cage, 3-point safety belts for both driver and rider and a factory-installed polyurethane roof and windshield. Four-wheel hydraulic disk brakes allow for quick stopping power when needed. Optional accessories such as beacon lights and reverse warning alarm will increase visibility.

Productivity
The G-100 has a 1,000 lb payload and 1,500 lb towing capacity, and an 8.8 gallon fuel tank which limits the need for fuel stops. This new utility vehicle accepts almost all Polaris® Lock & Ride™ accessories, allowing you to customize the vehicle to meet the demands of any job.

“We’re excited about the options this new vehicle brings to our customers,” says Tim Everett, vice-president, sales and marketing for Taylor-Dunn. The G-100 is the perfect landscaping vehicle for schools and universities, parks and recreation, cemeteries and farming applications, just to name a few.

The new G-100 is available at select Taylor-Dunn dealers beginning May 25, 2017. Check out all of the specs at Taylor-Dunn.com.

About Taylor-Dunn
Founded in 1949, Taylor-Dunn, a Polaris Industries Inc. subsidiary, is a leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial vehicles. For over sixty-five years, Taylor-Dunn’s burden carriers, personnel carriers, stockchasers, electric carts, and tow tractors have been the dominant solution for customers in a broad range of industrial, commercial, and ground-support markets. Taylor-Dunn’s guiding principle is to provide application-specific solutions that are tough, rugged, and dependable. Find more info at www.taylor-dunn.com

About Polaris
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports and commercial vehicle leader with annual 2016 sales of $4.5 billion. Polaris Commercial provides the largest offering of work vehicle solutions, serving facilities managers, maintenance managers and workers with the Polaris GEM® electric vehicle, BRUTUS® and RANGER® utility vehicles and Taylor-Dunn® electric, gas, diesel and LPG-powered machines. Polaris work vehicles provide the power, productivity and dependability to get the job done.

2017 POLARIS ACE 900 XC

0

Never willing to rest on its laurels, Polaris has upped the wager another notch by bringing a very sexy 900 XC into the game. It is the only 900 ACE available this model year and the idea behind it is pretty visceral, really. It hinges on this: Give performance buyers what they want: Performance.

The product planners started with a jump to 78-hp for the 875cc ProStar parallel twin. This mill uses dual overhead cams cycling 4-valves per cylinder. EFI delivers fuel to the combustion chambers and it all runs through a Polaris CVT to a selectable AWD/2WD transfer case.

Power is always a good thing, but here’s where it gets interesting: Polaris widened out the XC’s stance to 59-inches – that’s 11-inches wider than the 570 and it netted an increase in wheel travel to 12.3 inches up front and 12.6 in the rear. Besides this, the XC has big 27-inch GBC Commander tires on slick looking cast aluminum wheels resulting in a big boost in ground clearance. Those tires are monsters and add about five rating points to the looks of this ACE. This is a very aggressive chassis layout and obviously, is not intended for simply coasting down a trail gingerly while smelling the roses.

Just to leave no doubt about the ACE 900 XC’s performance intentions, Polaris added a full set of Walker Evans Needle compression clicker adjustable shocks. These are serious dampers and offer the adjustability to tune the ACE’s ride perfectly despite the weight or riding style of the driver or the type of terrain or speed you might be running over it.

As it is, you can lean on the XC really hard in corners and there’s ample power to break the rear wheels loose and get the tail out so you can oversteer through apexes in perfect, predictable control.

Speaking of which, this thing will puree those rear meats in 2WD on straightaways, snapping you from corner to corner like there’s a big elastic band attached to the front bumper and generate enough fun to put Disneyland out of business. At the same time, in 4WD you can attack steep uphills on loose dirt and know for sure that 900 has the grunt and those big GBCs have the bite to catapult you up and over the crest without a worry in the world.

Is the ACE XC for everyone? A better question would be: Is the ACE, period, for everyone? We think the answer is being worked out in Polaris showrooms and demonstrated on off-road trails. Riding any ACE is an eye-opening experience that delivers major gearhead satisfaction.

There are ATV people and there are SxS people. Yes, and now there are ACE people. Sales are proving there’s much more crossover between the three venues than you’d think. Products like the radical, aggressive ACE XC seal the deal.

TEST RIDE: Yamaha YXZ1000R SS

0

Luke evaluates Yamaha’s YXZ 1000 SS with paddle shifters and an automatic clutch!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Can-Am 4×4 Pro ATV Racers Post 1-2 Finish

Can-Am Renegade X xc ATV racer Kevin Cunningham, the defending 4×4 Pro class champion, won the 4×4 Pro class and 10 a.m. session overall this past weekend at a mud-soaked X Factor Grand National Cross Country event held in Peru, Ind. Cunningham used the horsepower and 4×4 capabilities of his Can-Am Renegade ATV to his advantage in the mud, winning by more than a minute. With his five wins and six podium finishes in six GNCC rounds this year, Cunningham owns a sizable 38-point lead heading into round seven of the GNCC ATV series. 
 
Bryan Buckhannon finished second on his Can-Am Outlander 4×4 behind Cunningham, giving Can-Am a 1-2 finish at the X Factor race. In fact, it’s the fourth time this year that Can-Am 4×4 racers have garnered the top two finishing spots in the 4×4 Pro class this season. Buckhannon’s five podiums in five rounds (he missed round four due to a race in Europe) have him sitting in third place, only one point behind second place.
 
Can-Am 4×4 racers also swept the both the 4×4 A and 4×4 Senior (40+) classes, and scored 1-2 finishes in the 4×4 B and 4×4 C ranks. Can-Am racers currently own the points lead in three of these classes.  
 
The Can-Am ATV and side-by-side racing team travels May 27-28, to The John Penton GNCC in Millfield, Ohio, which is round seven for the ATV series and round three for the UTV series.

**All photos by Can-Am**
 
Racing scenes photographed during an organized, closed-course race involving highly skilled operators under controlled conditions. 

MAVERICK X3 MAX

0

When introduced last fall, the Maverick X3 upped the ante on the entire Pure Sport segment. It is revolutionary in so many areas of comparison, not the least of which is its ultra sleek, low slung and aggressive profile.

The low-slung profile of the X3 is not just sizzle, it’s engineering steak that’s a direct response to the original Mav’s upright, too-tall posture. The lowered center of gravity that includes a radically re-invented cockpit and more reclined driver positioning is without equal right now.

Wouldn’t you know it, Can Am has taken the X3 and it’s radical ergonomics and styling to the Max.

The 4-seater X3 Max appears somewhat automotive, actually sort of SUV-ish from the side. 165 inches overall with a 135-inch wheelbase. With 22 inches of travel, front and rear, this vehicle, in this long wheelbase, 4-place edition is simply amazing in whoops, bumps, transitions and gnarly terrain at any speed.

The capability of this Max takes the archetypical Pure Sport SxS genre to a new and unequaled level of speed and control on off-road surfaces.

Yes, the Max rendition of the X3 is actually a fairly simple chassis lengthening exercise of nearly three feet – 34 inches actually. This extension of the Max looks neither awkward nor obtuse but rather balanced and athletic. In our opinion, from some angles the profile of the X3 Max is actually more appealing than the 2-seater X3.

The Max’s rear seat comfort is excellent. Is it better than all other 4-seater pure sports we’ve encountered to date? Because the Max is almost 3 feet longer than the 2-seater, there’s not only more room, there’s comfortable room for the rear passengers. Riding in the rear of the new X3 Max is not a prison sentence – it’s a spacious place to take in everything off-roading has to offer.

If there was a compromise in the way the Max worked in terrain then it might make the X3 Max less desirable, however, it’s more adept in high speed terrain and rough off-road excursions than the 2-seater X3.

Is the Max less fun on trails? Possibly, if the trail gets tight. Is the three feet of Max meat and its resultant 400 extra pounds something you should be concerned about? That’s a tough question. If we had to argue there’s a good case to say the 2- seater should be faster, by how much faster we’re not able to quantify right now. However, the answer to that question is high on our agenda.

Polaris Rampage Military Vehicle

0

AJ introduces us to the amphibious military vehicle produced by Polaris in conjunction with the Canadian military called the Rampage that can traverse nearly anything.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH TRIPLES?

What’s with 3-cylinder engines? Aren’t triples supposed to be more complicated, with more parts and increased weight?

Yet, Yamaha with its YXZ triple, is knocking the ball out of the park and, Can-Am has turned heads both on these shores and internationally (see article this issue) with its X3 triple.

Owners tell us, and our test riders will quickly attest, their smoothness and vibration-free performance is a genuine attraction. A 3-cylinder engine’s exhaust cadence is real ear candy, too.

The first 3-cylinder SxS we experienced was in John Deere’s utility focused XUV825i, using an Asian-built Chery EFI triple.

We absolutely loved its engine-tranny and power steering combo and quickly put it at the top of our list for desirable all-purpose Side x Sides. The silky smoothness of that engine did it for us.

It wasn’t long before the same engine was available in Kawasaki’s Mule PRO FXT and it, too, is a bastion of engine smoothness and velvety operation.

RZRs Fill Pro Podium at WORCS Round 8

Polaris RZRs filled the podium and took the top four spots in the SxS Pro class at WORCS Round 8, at Iron Mine Race Park, in Cedar City, Utah. RZRs also took the top two podium spots in the SxS Pro Stock class.

In the SxS Pro class, Randy Romo got his first win of the season with Polaris Factory Racer Ryan Piplic taking second. Corbin Leaverton finished third. Piplic’s second-place finish moved him to second in the standings for the class with Polaris Factory Racer Cody Bradbury in third.

In Pro Stock, Polaris Factory Racers Beau Baron and Cody Bradbury would finish one, two. Baron sits in second-place in the series for the class, five points out of first with Bradbury in third.

WORCS Round 9 is June 16-18, Glen Helen Raceway, in Devore, Calif.

Ryan Piplic is sponsored by Polaris RZR, Maxxis, Fox, Longtravel Industries, 50 Caliber Racing, Method Race Wheels, Super ATV, Rugged Radios, Black Rhino Performance, Tire Blocks, Beard Seats, Anti Gravity Batteries and RAD Custom Graphics.

Beau Baron is sponsored by Polaris RZR, CST Tires, Holz Racing Products, Sparks Racing, Elka Suspension, DWT Racing, Tire Blocks and Shoei Helmets.

Cody Bradbury is sponsored by Polaris RZR, Wholesale Capital, Walker Evans Racing, Holz Racing Products, Team Bradco, GBC Motorsports, DASA Racing, Gates, Grant Products, Temecula Motorsports, Magik SC and Suspension Direct, Inc.

Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader that has been fueling the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts for more than 60 years. With annual 2016 sales of $4.5 billion, Polaris’ innovative, high-quality product line-up includes the RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; the Sportsman® and Polaris ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; Indian Motorcycle® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, Switchback® and RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories, along with a growing aftermarket portfolio, including Transamerican Auto Parts. Polaris’ presence in adjacent markets globally include military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Minnesota, Polaris serves more than 100 countries across the globe.

Visit polaris.com for more information.

Polaris General Performance Upgrade Part IV

0

After some serious upgrades to our Polaris General, AJ gets in out on the ground to see what kind of a difference all these upgrades make to the performance of an already high-performance vehicle.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Riding the Rubicon Trail with Dustin Nelson

0

In this segment of DIRT TRAX CLASSICS, Luke and Vern head to the beautiful state of California to witness Yamaha sponsored racer Dustin Nelson race ATVs at the infamous Glen Helen Raceway.

Then, the three riders head over to the legendary Rubicon Trail located west of Lake Tahoe to traverse through some incredibly technical terrain on board Yamaha Grizzly’s.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!