It seems that everything from tire sizes to engine displacement numbers are fudged just a little bit throughout the ATV/UTV industry.

A recent tire evaluation revealed that many ATV tires were indeed smaller in size than the printed numbers On the sidewall.

Further investigation led me to discover that not only were the tires more than 1-inch smaller, some were not even close to the stated size and nearly 1.75-inches smaller than indicated!

We see this with engine designations all the time too. A 459cc motor is marketed as a 500 or even a 951cc as a 1000. Its not a sin to do this and I think most buyers are aware of it. Just note its happening and further makes my point.

Any OEM or aftermarket manufacturer will always say it has the best product – ask anyone at their company. They can’t all be the best, but this is what marketing is all about.

The reality is someone will buy that product, be disappointed because it didn’t meet expectations promised in the promos and then word will spread. Don’t believe me? Check out any online forum!

If a company has a great product, then by all means be proud of it. However, I also think factual marketing could make it better.

If the manufacturers of these fine products were a bit more truthful in their marketing and the customers took it upon themselves to research these products before buying, I think we could find an even playing field here somewhere and make a lot more people happy.

There are basically two types of 4-wheel drive available on ATVs these days.

The first is part-time 4WD like you see on Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Arctic Cat and Kawasaki.

With these systems, you can select whether or not you want to be in 4×4 by flipping a switch.

There’s also a diff-lock switch that enables the front wheels to be locked so power is transmitted evenly left to right. This is great technology and definitely is capable of getting the job done.

An alternative and widely used system is full-time 4-wheel drive and this setup is used by Polaris and Can-Am.

Full-time or All-Wheel Drive means you can leave the vehicle in 4×4 mode all the time or you can select to leave it in 2WD.

There’s no penalty through the handlebars with increased effort when you’re in 4×4.

Can-Am, uses a viscous coupling (trade name: Visco-Lock) that senses when 4WD is needed, automatically engages it and then automatically locks up the front left and right wheels for maximum traction.

The Polaris system operates nearly exactly the same except it doesn’t use a viscous coupling. Polaris uses a mechanical “hilliard” system in the front differential to automatically select 4WD and also to apply locking to the front differential.

The system can sense when more traction is required and it allows both automatic differential locking and auto 4WD selection on the fly.

From a pure user-friendliness perspective, the Polaris and Can-Am 4×4 systems are pretty cool.

No fear going into a mud hole that you may have forgotten to engage 4WD and now you’ll lose momentum. Just nail the throttle and hang on – you’re guaranteed to be in the correct mode.

We really like the part-time systems out there and they are so refined nowadays, you’d almost have to be an idiot to mess things up with them.

However, full-time 4WD is just too good to ignore.

If you could dream up your ultimate ATV or side-x-side what would your design look like?

Would it be low-slung like the Polaris RZR line or maybe a little more like the original Yamaha Rhino?

Would it have a 60-65-inch width or maybe a little narrower at 50-55-inches to fit down most trails?

Personally, I want something that my family can enjoy and when they’ve had enough, I can take out and rock the trails myself. This is exactly where 4-seater side-x-sides like the RZR 4 simply shine.

I have to wonder whether the manufacturers will streamline their current lines to cater more to the enthusiast buying patterns and you can bet there will be more powerful engines available as we move forward.

I recently chatted with a few friends who think Polaris could eliminate the 50-inch RZR 800 because of the overwhelming popularity of the RZR XP900.

Personally, I’m not convinced. Polaris is currently filling the needs for just about every segment of the market. Eliminating this engine size doesn’t make sense, but perhaps a new engine might show its face to replace it sooner than later. Perhaps one based on the ProStar series similar to that available in the XP900 or RZR 570.

The power to weight ratio for the lower yet super powerful displacement of the 570 throws a bit more credibility into this train of thought. The question remains whether the masterminds behind the RZR lineup would make this bold move.

Knowing Polaris as we do, we have to think they’re probably already working on something.

We’ve talked about how easy it is for an ATV or side-x-side to be stolen if the proper precautions are not taken, which makes it easy to see how important insurance could be.

Yes, its a wise decision to insure your ride against theft, but its equally important to have some personal assurance for incidences on the trail.

After extensive research on SPOT, I finally invested in one of these personal protection device and its wide variety of emergency options.

I felt like the price of the initial product was fair and then began to worry about the extra money it cost to actually have the device operable.

It wasn’t until I went to a foreign country to cover a race that I really thought about just how much protection this little gem offered.

If I were to get injured and there was no one to help, I could press a small button and in a matter of time there would be local officials on site to help me.

The fact that my total initial investment was less than $250 is a small price to pay for security during a life or death situation.

In addition to that I would be flown out of a foreign country and transported to my home state hospital for an additional $12 per year.

These costs are legitimate concerns that many think are too expensive to invest in until they’re are in a position where they may need this type of assurance.

Sometimes a small ding to your finances is worth it if it keeps you and your family close to help the event of an emergency.

Find more at international.findmespot.com

Certainly, there’s no argument about the prominence of high performance side by sides and the way the marketplace is in a fever about them.

One problem with this relatively new segment is there are not enough used ones out there, especially ones in good condition, to provide an entry-level buyer with the opportunity to get into the segment. How do you find a good used RZR for cheap bucks?

Sure, there are some used two and three-year-old RZRs out there – usually owned by riders who have moved up to a new XP900 or have switched brands to the Wildcat. However, these are usually snapped up rapidly and end up being as rare as hen’s teeth – and still pretty pricey.

Polaris has an answer. With the RZR 570 you get a brand new SxS with a warranty and much of the updated tech you’ll find in the XP900.

This RZR is very light (only 970 lbs – 300-plus lbs lighter than some competitors), has a low, transverse mounted, super torquey 567cc EFI single and is priced at a very reasonable $9,999.00 US.

Sure, it only comes with steel wheels and its narrow 50-inch width is both a good thing and a bad thing depending on where and how you want to ride.

The point is, you can upgrade to different wheels and tires and make modifications and still have a very reasonably priced, impressive performing performance SxS.

The bonus is that you still have a really good chassis under you and a power-to-weight ratio that puts you into the range of some side by sides with 200ccs more displacement.