Growing up I had friends that thought the noisier the exhaust, the higher the horsepower.

For a time I bought into this way of thinking and removed the exhaust silencer from my 1981 Kawasaki KM100 then ran the woods around my Grandmother’s home like Evel Knievel.

I loved how it sounded and used to pretend I had a jet pack strapped to the back of my motorcycle. Unfortunately that’s how the neighbors described the noise to my Grandmother too.

At eleven years old, my mechanical knowledge on the subject was fairly limited. It wasn’t until my friend who was a bit older helped me figure out that most engines need a little back pressure to build power.

He managed to help me revert the silencer back into the stock exhaust, which helped me get the performance I wanted and also allowed me to tear up the trails without attracting negative attention.

Looking back I think the educational gaps aren’t that much different between riders then and riders today. I often see young riders at the local OHV trails that still think louder means faster.

All a loud pipe means is that for future generations the trails will be recognized as a nuisance filled area, which will simply create problems for the riding community.

It is possible to get more performance out of an aftermarket exhaust without it deafening the community or rattling the windows of the home around where you ride.

Detractors of our sport are always looking for ways to bring it down. So we need to understand and pass onto our kids that the noise made by loud aftermarket pipes today can be silenced by our government tomorrow.

If we want to have a place to ride in the future, we have to respect our surroundings today and noise levels is a good place to start.

WINNER: Polaris RZR XP 900

Clearly Polaris knows the side-x-side biz and knows exactly what its doing every time it releases a new model. Case in point: The RZR 900 XP.

This rendition of the RZR is a complete departure from the former 800 and 800S (still being offered). Polaris took big risks changing the game to such a degree and it has paid off.

This vehicle was so perfectly timed for launch and so amazingly well-engineered it made former models look obsolete. It is rumored that Polaris side-x-side brain-trust can actually levitate large objects as well.

If you’re wondering how we feel about the XP 900 we’ll say it succinctly – this is the stinking-most radical, unbelievable dirt-bound off road vehicle we’ve ever been exposed to. It is positively sick to drive and will leave you giggling and in need of a change of shorts.

The all-new purpose built mill screams, the chassis can rail holes and moguls deep enough to park a truck in and the thing flies like a 737.

If we had a gold plated BIC, we’d give it to the RZR XP 900. We don’t, so the current BIC will have to suffice.

RUNNERS UP:

Arctic Cat Wildcat

We know – you’re wondering why the Wildcat didn’t get the BIC. After all, it looks like it might have the RZR 900 covered, right? Unfortunately, we can only provide rudimentary ride impressions do date.

However, we can tell you after checking out its tight design features at the intro in Barstow last fall, sitting in it, drooling over it, we are impressed and expect to be dazzled during our long-term evaluations.

Polaris 800 RZR-S

The arrival of the RZR-S was perfect timing in terms of seeding the market with the reality of a factory-built, consumer available high performance side-x-side.

The RZR-S in our opinion is (at least until we complete long-term testing of the Wildcat) the second best Hardcore UTV and it is an incomparable bargain.

Yes, the 900 is insane, but you might want to check out the “S” and be honest with yourself: its more than most hairy-chested men can handle.

I’m still amazed that even today not everyone is concerned with safety.

I visit some very large and extremely popular ride areas all across America and there’s always at least one or more off-roader with no regard for their own safety and quite frankly its disturbing.

Injury or death caused by negligence or as a result of not wearing proper safety gear become statistics that provide ammunition to use against our sport.

Some people argue that its personal choice and these people have the freedom to do what they want, but the thought of my child being hurt because I did not take the time to teach him how to ride properly or provide proper safety gear or worse yet, being hurt because of someone else’s ignorance scares me. I can affect my child’s life forever by just setting a good example.

I spend a great deal of my time riding ATVs and side-x-sides and man I can tell you, I just don’t know what people are thinking sometimes. Impairment from drugs or alcohol has no place on the trails alongside powersports equipment. We practice zero tolerance when we ride and that’s something I will instill in my children and you should too.

We need to always remember that our children are watching our every move. If we act irresponsibly it gives them the green light to do the same. If we make smart decisions, they’ll get on board just as easily.

Be safe and lead by example.

During a long conversation with a cylinder head tech from the world of NHRA and Nascar the other night, I recalled just how many times I have spent wild amounts of cash on things I just really didn’t need.

As we talked, I mentioned that during my first ATV race I had rushed to do too much at one time at the track and as a result, the engine of my trusty, bone stock Suzuki Z400 suffered.

I was in such a hurry at the track that I had forgotten to wire one little bolt that held back the life-blood for the motor and so only halfway around a 12-mile loop my engine quit leaving me stranded in the middle of the Florida marsh by myself waiting for the track sweeper to come get me.

I remember sitting there trying to convince myself that this would be a great time to build the most powerful motor on the line. What I failed to realize was just how useless that could be in the real world of cross-country racing. I was even advised against it when the cross-country quad was towed into the trailer by one of my racing buddies.

However, as stubborn as I was, I went ahead and built a quality motor for around $1800 and at my first race back I found out quick that my stock suspension simply couldn’t handle the extra power and worse yet, neither could I.

My money would have been better spent if I had rebuilt the stock motor, then upgraded my suspension. My ATV would have handled much better on the course and been a lot more capable getting me to the finish line.

Here’s the lesson I learned that day. If you have an ill-handling ATV, adding more power is simply going to hinder performance that much further.

Learning lessons on the go can be frustrating and costly, but sometimes simply listening to someone with experience can be even harder.

As I grow wiser, advice from seasoned racers is something I now always take into consideration.

WINNER: Can-Am Outlander 1000

This represents a change in our coveted BIC awards for the first time in a couple years!

Awarding the BIC for Best Big Bore to the new G2 Outlander 1000 was not difficult and here’s why: This is the most outrageous and powerful ATV ever built. We suspect it could give a full-on race ready 450 pure sport a very good run.

Okay, now we’ve got the power issue out of the way, there are other reasons beyond horsepower that earned the Outlander 1000 BIC status this year.

The all-new G2 chassis featuring anti-dive front double A-arm geometry and a completely re-invented twin torsion arm rear IRS is not just an improvement nor is it just capable; it is clearly the best handling and best riding ATV BRP has ever produced.

The G2 brings the Can-Am’s ride quality into close contention with the Polaris Sportsman XP chassis – its that good.

The former limited compliance of the rear suspension and the somewhat choppy front end of the old chassis has vanished and has been replaced with supple, controllable and exceptionally comfortable ride compliance.

Even the squealing from the old inboard brakes has disappeared now that the brakes are moved outboard.

The 1000 Outlander is a worthy BIC winner this year.

RUNNERS UP

Polaris Sportsman XP 850

This chassis sets the standard for both ride quality and predictable handling in the big bore segment.

This year the 850 received a 15-percent power injection from a reinvented intake system.

While we’ve never thought the XP needed more jam, with Can-Am’s OL 1000 taking the BIC largely on its imposing power, its probably a good move on Polaris’ part.

Clearly the XP is a winner in our books as a result of its incomparable ergonomics and exceptional suspension calibration.

Can-Am Outlander 800

Yeah, we know. we already gave the BIC to the outlander 1000! Here’s the deal, the “old” Outlander 800 was a worthy ride and immensely powerful in its own right.

With the new G2 platform wrapped around this proven, torquey, melodious engine, Can-Am is taking no prisoners in this segment.

We’ll be watching sales over the next year to see what effect two fire-breathing Big Bores have on Can-am’s already rising market share.