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THINK HARD BEFORE YOU CHANGE YOUR OIL!

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You gotta change your oil! We can’t believe how many riders change their oil about once a year and think it’s okay.

It is okay if your ride is a garage sculpture and you only ride it a few miles a year and never get it submerged in wet, sloppy muck or water.

However, if you’re reading this, it probably means you’re an avid enthusiast and are probably using your ride a lot – and likely challenging yourself with some pretty radical riding conditions. Just change it!

Alright, since you’re going to change your oil more frequently now, do both your wallet and your machine a big favor and think hard about the kind of oil you should be using.

The el-cheapo brand from the grocery store just isn’t going to cut it if you’re riding in extreme conditions.

We suggest at the bare minimum you buy a brand name SAE approved 4-stroke oil and if your riding a lot of mud and water, change it every couple of weeks.

Contamination is a big issue and you’d be surprised how badly moisture can mess up the lube qualities of not just tranny and diff-oil, but motor oil as well.

Dry, dusty conditions can bring havoc to your oil, too – especially if your air filter isn’t in great condition or serviced regularly.

If you don’t have EFI, over-choking and flooding your engine will contaminate the oil quickly, too – and in winter or cold weather all engines, EFI ones included, are washing more gasoline down into your crankcase than in ideal warm temps.

Ethanol fuel can be a factor, too – especially in damp, cold weather.

If you really want to max out your engine’s life span, use a high quality synthetic oil.

These products have the ability to transport more contaminants into your filter and will outlive conventional mineral based oils by at least two to one.

Their lubrication capacity is much higher and your engine will stay cleaner internally and wear on valve gear, piston rings, wrist pins and bearings will be greatly reduced.

Hey, if you’re lazy or cheap and don’t want to do oil changes very often, then at least use a synthetic. Your mill will say thank you.

Check out www.amsoil.com to get some very good tech info.

CAN-AM RACERS DOMINATE MOUNTAINEER RUN GNCC

Can-Am racers earned a podium sweep with the Maverick 1000R in the XC1 Modified SxS class and won all four ATV 4×4 classes at round seven of the AMSOIL Grand National Cross Country series in Masontown, W.Va.

Can-Am DS 450 racers also won both the Pro and Pro-Am classes at the third round of the New England ATV Motocross series in Pennsylvania.

“We had an outstanding weekend at the Mountaineer Run GNCC in West Virginia and in the New England series. Earning a historic sweep in the XC1 Modified SxS class, winning the 4×4 Pro class and also both Pro-level NEATV-MX classes was perfect,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “During their push toward winning a GNCC championship, our Maverick pilots continue to showcase their merits and those of their Can-Am vehicles.”

GNCC – Round 7

The Rocky Mountain ATV / MC Mountaineer Run GNCC was held at a rocky, dusty Marvin’s Mountain Top in Masontown, W.Va. This stop, considered the halfway point for the season, hosted round seven of the 13-round GNCC ATV series and round three of the six-leg GNCC SxS National Championship. Can-Am competed in the 10 a.m. ATV racing session Saturday, May 24, as well as the side-by-side portion of the series later in the afternoon.

Maverick 1000R side-by-side racers made Can-Am GNCC history, as they earned the first sweep in the XC1 Modified class podium. Chaney Racing / Turnkey / Can-Am pilot and Ohio native Kyle Chaney won the round and was joined on the podium by fellow Can-Am Maverick pilots and Ohio-based racers Tim Farr and Larry Hendershot Jr., both of JB Racing / Can-Am.

Chaney, who started in row two, soon caught the first row and, with the time adjustment in his favor, was battling for the win. Once he took over the physical lead, Chaney drove smart and took his first victory of 2014. He now owns the class points lead after three rounds of racing. Farr is currently third in the standings. Hendershot earned a third-place finish and his first podium of 2014. Maverick pilot Zac Zakowski finished ninth.

“The fields were super dusty. The rocks were pretty treacherous, you really had to drive smart to keep everything intact,” said Chaney. “Three Can-Am Maverick vehicles on the podium speaks for itself; it’s a great day for my team and for Can-Am.”

Can-Am Maverick 1000R side-by-side pilot Marcus Pratt (Jack’s Excavating II / Can-Am) scored a strong second-place finish in the XC2 Limited ranks and ninth overall in the side-by-side session at the Mountaineer Run. He’s currently third in the class in points, just three points out of first. Travalena Racing took fourth in its Can-Am. Novice Limited class racer Blake McDaniel (Crash Addict / Can-Am) earned second place.

Can-Am 4×4 racers secured four class wins and eight total podiums at the Mountaineer Run. Kevin Trantham led the way on his Can-Am X-Team Renegade 800R X xc, winning the 4×4 Pro class for the third time this year. Trantham, who also earned third on the 10 a.m. overall podium, ran in the top three the entire race before finally taking the lead on the final lap. ATV Parts Plus / Can-Am racer Bryan Buckhannon, who took third in the class, joined Trantham on the podium.

Trantham leads Buckhannon by 12 points heading into round eight. Rob Smith (BNR / Can-Am), who grabbed the holeshot and led lap one, took fourth and is third in the standings. Can-Am 4×4 pilots Tanner Bowles (4×4 A/B), Nick Eichelberger (4×4 C) and Nick Mase (4×4 Novice) also won their classes.

NEATV-MX – Round 3

Can-Am DS 450 racer Joel Hetrick (JB Racing / Can-Am) won three of four Pro-level motos at round three of the NEATV-MX series at Hurricane Hills MX in Clifford, Pa. He won the Pro class with a 1-1 sweep and was third in the Pro-Am ranks with a 6-1 scorecard. BCS Performance / Can-Am Pro Josh Creamer took second in the Pro class and won the Pro-Am class. Defending NEATV-MX Pro class champion Travis Moore was third in Pro-Am.

“My Can-Am DS 450 ran great today, handled well and pulled up the big hills; it propelled me to the win,” said Hetrick. “The win last week at High Point gave me a lot more confidence heading into this (local) race, but also for the rest of the ATV MX season.”

For more information on 2014 Can-Am racing, the contingency program and all amateur racer support programs, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU MODIFY?

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We get asked this a lot. With so much cool aftermarket stuff available right now, it’s tempting to go overboard buying goodies that don’t really much change the way your ATV or SxS works.

If your ride is bone stock and you’re happy with it, that’s great! Today’s ATVs and side-x-sides are pretty well equipped from the factory and calibrations are surprisingly precise.

However, when things start to wear out – things like tires, clutch parts and shocks, it just makes sense to look at replacements offering more than what you had before.

Here’s a couple of suggestions we’ve found make good sense:

First, the best thing you’ll ever do to your off-road vehicle is to upgrade the tires. You need to figure out which tires offer the max traction for the way you ride, though.

If you’re scaling rocks and riding hard surfaces most of the time, don’t buy mud tires. Check out tires with strong sidewalls and good side-grip.

On the other hand, if you live in a quagmire and need big-time bite, there are a lot of great tire choices that will likely outlive your former stockers’ service life and perform incredibly well in the deep goo.

Here’s another thing about round things on your wheeler: If your rims are bent, egged-out or dinged, get new ones when you replace the tires!

If your CVT is wearing out, it’s a great time to order up a replacement kit that gives you better power – this is especially true if you’ve done the above tire upgrade. Aftermarket companies have a good handle on what you’ll need and can be a big help.

The biggest deal with shocks is to buy replacements that offer more adjustability. You can buy aftermarket dampers that offer easy compression and rebound adjustability and once you’ve found your personal set-up, they will make a huge difference in your level of enjoyment of your ride.

An upgrade to gas or gas cell shocks from hydraulics will make a night-day difference, too.

We’ll be making more suggestions so stay tuned.

TRICKED OUT SIDE-X-SIDES

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Over the last few years we’ve taken on several different mod-projects involving everyday side-by-sides.

These heavily accessorized vehicles we’ve featured both on TV and in DirtTrax Magazine showed vast improvements in traction, engine-tranny performance and handling with the addition of key aftermarket kits and goodies.

There’s been one very interesting conclusion from some of these projects. In many of them the target was to get the same kinds of performance results from a semi-utility SxS like a Commander, Prowler or Ranger as you can now get from a Wildcat, Maverick or RZR.

Our conclusion is, although those sport-utes were hugely improved with various widening-kits, trick wheels and tires and sophisticated shocks, those aforementioned pure performance rides flat-out performed better out-of-the-box than the modified ones did.

This brings us to a very stunning conclusion: Before you spend big bucks amping up the performance of your trail utility SxS, you should seriously consider just upgrading to an all-out performance targeted one.

In fact, you’d be way ahead of the curve if you just took the dough you were going to spend on aftermarket stuff and add it to the new Wildcat, Ranger or Maverick you’ve purchased.

Don’t get us wrong; there are real benefits to upping the performance of a sport-ute. You can make the handling and ride way better with a switch-up to better tires and shocks.

What you should consider is what you want to end up with. If utility is still a big part of your enjoyment of a SxS, then the advantage of having load-carrying and towing capabilities combined with the above mods makes good sense. Just don’t expect high speed performance on the level of a pure-performance SxS – especially one you’ve spent some aftermarket money on.

It all come s down to how you define “performance”. If it’s all-out desert and dirt running, you need to think hard about what you’re buying before you press hard on a sales contract.

CAN-AM’S JOEL HETRICK WINS HIGH POINT MX NATIONAL

Can-Am DS 450 ATV Pro Joel Hetrick notched his first Pro class win of the year Saturday at round three of the 2014 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship series held in Mount Morris, Pa. Can-Am DS 450 racers Jeffrey Rastrelli and Ronnie Higgerson also went 1-2 in the Pro-Am class Sunday at the renowned High Point Raceway.

“Can-Am DS 450 racers had a solid weekend for us, winning both the Pro and Pro-Am classes at the High Point National,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “I’m thrilled to see Joel Hetrick earn the Pro class win. He’s been battling out front all year and is very deserving of this impressive victory. Jeffrey Rastrelli has been showing great speed all year and his 1-1 sweep in the Pro-Am ranks proves it. Both he and Can-Am racer Ronnie Higgerson will battle all season long for that top spot.”

After a long, six-week break after round two, Pro and amateur ATV racers converged upon the picturesque High Point Raceway for round three, the Maxxis ATV Stampede, of the ATV MX National series. Can-Am DS 450 Pros had respectable finishes at the first two rounds, having earned four top-five finishes and one overall podium. However, they had yet to find the top stair on the podium. JB Racing / DWT / Mtn. Dew Live Wire / Can-Am Pro Joel Hetrick had been the closest, earning third at the opening round. However, Hetrick more than fixed that issue as he first took the ATVriders.com Fastest Qualifier award and followed that up with his first Pro Moto overall victory aboard a Can-Am since winning at Budds Creek in 2012.

“My weekend started out really good when I got the fastest qualifier. I had a good start in the first moto and was able to take second and then I was able to follow that up with a win. It was a great feeling to get that win and put my Can-Am on top of the podium,” said Hetrick. “We worked really hard for this. It makes it really special because this is my home state.”

Hetrick came out of the gate in fourth in Moto 1, but after two laps passed fellow DS 450 Pro Josh Creamer for third place. From there, Hetrick put the hammer down and aimed for the second-place racer. He moved into second by lap six and pushed hard all the way to the finish. Hetrick paired his Moto 1 finish with an impressive victory in Moto 2. He was in third place after two laps, but just two laps later took over the lead. Despite a clutching issue later on in the moto that kept his ATV in fourth gear, Hetrick managed to stay out front and take the overall victory.

Creamer (BCS Performance / Can-Am) finished with a solid 4-4 scorecard at High Point to stay in the fourth-place position in the Pro class point standings. His teammate, Ronnie Higgerson tallied 10-6 moto finishes to earn a career-best sixth overall and give Can-Am three racers in the top 10. Can-Am currently has four riders in the top 10 spots within the Pro class point standings after three rounds of racing. Hetrick is in third place just 18 points out of first. Creamer (4th), Jeffrey Rastrelli (7th) and Higgerson (8th) are also in the top 10.

Rastrelli had another solid run in the Pro-Am class. After taking second overall to Higgerson at round two, Rastrelli (JB Racing / Can-Am) took the High Point overall with a 1-1 sweep. Despite missing round one, he’s still in third place and only 13 points behind Higgerson, the class point’s leader. Higgerson, who took second, earned his second straight podium finish and currently holds a nine-point lead heading into round four. William “Duck” Lloyd was 10th aboard his JB Racing / Can-Am.

“I had decent starts and I was able to take both Pro-Am moto wins. My Can-Am was running really fast and I just had a really good day,” said Rastrelli.

For more information on 2014 Can-Am racing, the contingency program and all amateur racer support programs, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

DREW BREES LATEST CELEB TO RIDE CAN-AM SPYDER

Professional football star quarterback Drew Brees recently found the ultimate contract loophole to experience the ultimate ride as he “retired” for one day for the exhilaration, stability, and control of the Can-Am Spyder.

Brees goes the extra mile to ride the Can-Am Spyder with an innovative and highly entertaining work-around to his professional contract restrictions, all captured in a video online at CanAmSpyder.com and featured in a national ad campaign launching in May.

“The Can-Am Spyder is awesome because you can get the rush of open air riding while the Y- frame design and seven automotive technologies give a ton of stability and control,” said Brees.

In addition to Brees’ video, BRP and the quarterback are teaming up to give one lucky winner an all-expenses paid trip to a pro football game in New Orleans where Brees will personally meet and greet the winner. The contest is run on the official Can-Am Spyder Facebook page until August 31. Fans can also visit a local dealer to enter the contest.

“Thousands of our fans have experienced the exhilarating open-air ride of the Can-Am Spyder while enjoying its stability and control, and we are very pleased to count Drew Brees as another who has experienced the excitement of the Can-Am Spyder,” said Tom Riley, director, Global Marketing for Can-Am Spyder.

This highly entertaining video and ad campaign starring Drew Brees is the latest release in a new, innovative high profile campaign showing the exhilaration, stability and control of the Can- am Spyder. Drew Brees joins Mark Messier, NHL Hall of Famer and six-time Stanley Cup Ski-Doo Champion, and Danica Patrick, stock car racer, whose own Can-Am Spyder rides have been Lynx featured in videos available to view now.

Combining a Y-frame design with seven state-of-the-art automobile technologies and Rotax engine, the Can-Am Spyder delivers riders the incredible exhilaration of open-air, open-road riding with a greater sense of stability, control and confidence. Released in 2007, the Can-Am Spyder includes three distinct platforms.

The Spyder RS sport line represents the machine for the rider who has a passion for a vehicle as stunning through the curves as it is to the eye.

The sport-touring line represents the optimum combination of comfort and sportiness with the Spyder ST, and the touring new Spyder RT line that comes in 2014 with a completely new Rotax 1330 ACE in-line triple engine mated to a new six-speed transmission (available in manual and semi-automatic versions) to deliver the ultimate in touring performance and comfort.

BRP (TSX: DOO) is a global leader in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of powersports vehicles and propulsion systems. Its portfolio includes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Can-Am all-terrain and side-by-side vehicles, Can-am roadsters, Evinrude outboard engines and Rotax engines for karts, motorcycles and recreational aircraft as well as inboard jet propulsion systems for boats. BRP supports its line of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and clothing business. With annual sales of over CA$3 billion from 105 countries, the Company employs approximately 7,100 people worldwide.

www.brp.com

CAN-AM MAVERICK RACER WINS 12 HOURS OF LA TUQUE

Can-Am Maverick 1000R drivers finished first and second in the Open side-by-side class and overall at the 12 Hours of La Tuque endurance race in Quebec, Canada.

Maverick pilots also swept the UTV Open class podium this past weekend at round three of the American Woods Racing Championship Series (AWRCS) in Pennsylvania.

“It was a great racing weekend for Can-Am and the Maverick 1000R. We posted a 1-2 finish in the extremely difficult 12 Hours of La Tuque with Can-Am X-Team drivers Martin Horik and Yani Desjardins and swept the AWRCS side-by-side class podium. We also had two great performances from our DS 450 racers at La Tuque,” said Jeff Leclerc, Racing Project Leader, Can-Am. “The Can-Am Maverick continues to prove it’s a great choice for challenging racing conditions that demand the very best from both man and machine.”

12 Hours of La Tuque

The 12 Hours of La Tuque is four-day event featuring vendors, concerts and endurance races for ATVs, motorcycles and side-by-side vehicles hosted in the Haute-Mauricie region near La Tuque, Quebec, Canada.

The side-by-side competitors ran two separate one-hour sessions to determine the overall winner. Can-Am Maverick 1000R side-by-side racers had a very memorable 2014 12 Hours of La Tuque, taking first and second overall and in the Open 851-1000cc (SxS) class.

Martin Horik (OCTANE / Can-Am) completed a total of 69 laps over the two sessions in a time of 02:03:05.797 to put his Can-Am X-Team Maverick 1000R vehicle on top of the Open 851-1000cc class podium and the SxS overall. Horik completed 35 laps during the first session to take a very close second.

However, in session two, he completed one more lap (34) than the competition to win the event. Can-Am X-Team Maverick pilot, Yani Desjardins, took second overall and in the class. Desjardins, last year’s overall winner, won the first portion of the race, but took second in session two to earn second behind Horik.

“It was a tough race and tough track. It was a pristine track to start, but it got really rutted and whooped out,” said Horik. “The Maverick did great out there. It is the most competitive side-by-side out there right now. I have a lot of friends who have made the switch to the Can-Am, so to me, that says it all.”

Can-Am also earned a hard-fought podium finish in the ATV race. The Can-Am Elka PLX Sport team of Mathieu Deroy, Keven Vachon and Bobby Desjardins took second overall in the three-session ATV General race with a Can-Am DS 450. The team, which completed a total of 232 circuits over the three, four-hour sessions (including one at night), won the first session and was in the running for the overall until a mechanical issue slowed their pursuit during the final session.

They finished in the top three in each session, but ended up eight laps behind the eventual winner and took second. Can-Am DS 450 racer Martin Lafontaine also won the Iron Man class (solo participant) and took ninth overall. He completed 196 laps during the 12 hours of racing to ensure him a top-10 finish.

AWRCS – Round 3

Can-Am Maverick 1000R X xc side-by-side pilot Dave Plavi (Crash Addict / PARCS / Can-Am) lead every lap but one at round three of AWRCS in Red Bank, Pa. It was the first AWRCS UTV Open class and UTV overall win for Plavi, who started racing with a Maverick last year and was runner-up in the standings. The victory pushed Plavi to sixth in the current UTV Open class standings.

JB Racing / Can-Am racer Larry Hendershot, the defending AWRCS UTV Open class champion, and co-pilot Pat McGuire put in a good race to finish second in the class and overall. They took the lead on lap four, but Plavi regained the lead on the fifth-and-final-lap. The second-place finish was good to keep them out front of the class points lead heading into the next round. Jack’s Excavating / Can-Am Maverick driver Marcus Pratt finished third to make it an all Can-Am podium.

For more information on 2014 Can-Am racing, the contingency program and all amateur racer support programs, please visit www.can-amxteam.com.

A GRAND SLAM FOR CFMOTO CANADA AT LA TUQUE

With three (3) winning CFMOTO pilots on the podium, the official CFMOTO FACTORY RACING TEAM adds to last year’s 1st and 2nd place wins with a commanding performance at the 12 Hours Endurance of La Tuque where four (4) CFMOTO ZFORCE 800 were in competition.

SIDE-BY-SIDE RACE

In retrospect, the competition consisted of two (2) rounds of one (1) hour each, drivers traveling at an average speed of 80 km/hr on a very demanding course, testing the capabilities of both drivers and their respective vehicles.

Challenged by rain, mud and a demanding course, the durability of the CFMOTO ZFORCE 800 was clearly demonstrated as all four (4) ZFORCE 800 completed the grueling event taking 1st,2nd,3rd and 4th place., only 11 of the 22 registered side x sides were able to finish, providing further testimony to the fortitude of the CFMOTO ZFORCE and RACING TEAM.

FINAL RESULTS & INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE

In addition to the resounding wins in the 850cc and under category, the 800cc ZFORCE also performed vigorously in the 1000cc category by seriously challenging the larger displacement competitors and finishing with a convincing 6th place. R

iding first time for the CFMOTO FACTORY RACING TEAM, French TV and Sports personality Alexandre Dubanne well represented CFMOTO FRANCE by taking 2nd place. More than 22 side-by-sides were in the race this year compared to 12 back in 2013 which clearly indicates that side-by-side are more popular then ever in the Powersport industry!

“I am very proud to be a major sponsor of the race event and proud of the results. We have had a great event, with the commanding presence of the CFMOTO Racing Team and the CFMOTO brand, including our partnership with La Capitale and the participating CFMOTO dealers who provided demo rides to the attendees. I would like to congratulate the CFMOTO drivers that put on a good show for the crowd. I also would like to thank the La Tuque team for a well organized event, and our sponsors ELKA, CVTECH and KIMPEX and we look forward to next year’s race”, said Carl Patoine, President of CFMOTO Canada.

THE WINNERS

Position # 1 : Ken McDonald (CFMOTO Racing Team)
Position # 2 : Alexandre Debanne (CFMOTO Racing Team)
Position # 3 : Jason Thorne (CFMOTO Racing Team)
Position # 4 : Patrick Bray (CFMOTO Racing Team)

CFMOTO RACING TEAM: RIDER BIOS

Jason Thorne, Ontario

Freestyle champion Jason Thorne got his first bike when he was 5 years old. He turned pro at the age of 16. A celebrity and crowd favourite, Jason was on the first ever freestyle outdoor contest broadcasted on Fox Sports Net “Moto Survival Tour” and also on Pay Per View, TSN, Speedvision, M80 and many local stations. Print coverage includes Motocross Action, RacerX, MX Machine, MXP, IMX, PRN, Motocross Journal and numerous newspapers.

Alexandre Debanne, France

Alexandre is an emblematic figure of both television and radio arts in France. In fact, he hosted many variety shows on TF1 and TV5 and has been one of the main figures of the NRJ radio network for many years. Over the years, Mr. Debanne has participated in numerous international caliber sport competitions. Alexandre has been passionate about Powersports since his childhood and it is with enthusiasm that he has accepted the invitation made by CFMOTO Canada.

Patrick Bray, Ontario

Patrick has been racing his whole life, starting on motocross bikes at a young age. Success came fast and early for this talented racer, including wins in the Arena Cross Winter Series and Spring Summer Fall series in the amateur 125 cc class. With over 20 years’ experience of motocross racing, Patrick has expanded his portfolio across numerous sports, recently winning power boat poker runs across Canada and the USA.

Ken McDonald, Quebec

Ken is the producer and leading reporters of ‘’Histoires de sentiers’’ and ‘’Show de motos’’ both broadcast on RDS (TSN) for many years. Passionate about everything related to ATV/Side-by-side/Snowmobile/Motorcycle, nothing escapes his thirst for performance. He won the competition of La Tuque last year driving a SNYPER 800EX and this year, Ken will defend his title!

ABOUT CFMOTO CANADA – Distributed in over 70 countries and regions, CFMOTO develops and manufactures world class, high quality All Terrain Vehicles, Utility Vehicles, Motorcycles, Scooters, Boat and Powersports Engines. Founded in 1989, CFMOTO is a leader in the field of liquid cooled engine design and production for motorcycles and quads worldwide. CFMOTO possesses an annual production capacity of 800,000 engines and 600,000 vehicles.

In Canada, CFMOTO products are distributed by CMI, whose headquarters are in Quebec. As a partner in R&D, CMI has contributed to the development of features that ensure reliability and a competitive edge for the demanding Canadian terrain and the discerning customer. CMI has an extensive network of quality dealerships throughout the country. To provide outstanding service to its many dealerships so that they may, in turn, cater to the needs of their many customers, CMI has established a number of vehicle and parts warehouses in several provinces across Canada.

www.cfmoto.ca

HOW GOOD IS YOUR SUSPENSION?

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We hear a lot of riders complaining about dissatisfaction with how their performance SxS or ATV rides.

The fact is most of these vehicles are equipped with pretty sophisticated shock packages featuring compression and rebound damping adjustability and decent spring adjustability.

Here’s the truth: It doesn’t matter what kind of shocks you’ve got – if they aren’t set up right you’re going to be snookered when it comes to ride results.

Hey, there’s no shame in not knowing how to set up your suspension. We know some pretty savvy riders who have had their settings so far from accurate, their vehicle just rode like junk.

Unfortunately, with all this adjustment available you can have one facet set up correctly and screw up the final result by having another setting wrong.

One of the most common mistakes is for riders to crank up dampening settings so high (to avoid bottoming) their shocks feel like they’re full of cement.

Another mistake is to have too much rebound dampening, thinking that because there are ten clicker settings, of course I should just go to the max. Nope, won’t work.

In the current issue of DirtTrax, we start at the beginning in an attempt to help you understand how springs and shocks interact to deliver the best possible ride results.

Once you understand what’s happening under there, you can tailor your ride specifically to the type of riding you do most. You’ll find some specific set-up tips that will completely change the way your vehicle works.

There’s one caveat, however. You need to be really honest with yourself how hard you ride.

Sometimes ego just makes you want to get those settings cranked pro-desert-rider high. Not good.

What’s better? An Outlander or A Brute Force?

Dear Motorhead:

I love the show. You guys are the best. I recently purchased a new 2014 Can-Am Outlander Max XT 1000 and was wondering how reliable these bikes seem to be.

It was purchased for 2 up riding, hunting, hauling wood for the camp and so on and according to my friends who are all Brute Force riders, the Outlanders are disposable machines and it want last.

What kind of mileage can I expect out of this bike before major issues start? I have a remote cabin where I spend a lot of time so reliability means a lot.

Thanks!

Perry

Thanks for your email and we appreciate your kind remarks!

Okay, it’s time to start riding with some different people. Can-Am ATV’s are tough, reliable and perform extremely well. BTW – have you had a drag race with your Buddies yet? You own the fastest and most powerful production Sport Utility ATV in the biz.

The 1000 Rotax engine is strong and reliable, the CVT system is durable, the chassis is well-built and performs really well in ruts, bumps and high speed riding.

You’ve got a great ATV – stop listening to your Buds and enjoy your Can-Am!

Motorhead Mark