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- August 16 2006
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Short Attention Span
Every time I sit down to write this column, I type out a few lines and read them, then I immediately delete them. I don’t know if it’s because I have A.D.D. or something, but I always lock up whenever I have to write my editorial. I honestly think it’s because there’s just so much to talk about that I don’t know where to begin. So with that in mind, I’m just going ramble on about whatever comes to my mind first. Hopefully no shiny object will roll past my desk and distract me…
Time for a celebration: Did you know that we’re officially one year old now? You’ll have to excuse us while we bust out the party hats and kick back a few cold ones! When we started this magazine a little over a year ago, it was our goal to produce the highest-quality quad magazine on the market. Judging from the overwhelming response we’ve received from our readers, I think we’re on the right track. We’d like to thank all our faithful readers out there for their support! And hang tight-if you like what you’ve seen so far, you haven’t seen anything yet. We’re just getting warmed up over here.
More new machines than ever: As you flip through this issue, you’ll see a bunch of new quads from a variety of manufacturers. BRP (now officially known as Can-Am) have some really wild new quads and are rumored to have even more on the way. Suzuki is also set to drop a few new models on us with the LTR-90 and the KingQuad 450, and Yamaha has updated its Grizzly with a new 800cc engine-man does it look mean! The buzz in the industry is that some really significant cutting-edge technology is right around the corner, too. This is an awesome time to be a quad rider! I’m constantly amazed at how the machines of today look and feel. The first quad I ever rode was actually the first one ever made-the 1984 Suzuki LT125, and things sure have changed drastically since then!
Sense of adventure: Have you ever ridden in a tropical paradise before? A few issues back, some of our lucky crew here at the mag went island hopping in Hawaii during a week-long trip (how I missed out on going on that ride still escapes me!). Well, our resident travel guru Mike Calabro just returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic. You won’t want to miss his epic pics starting on page TK. And I’ll drop a little teaser of what’s in store for all you adventure seekers in our next issue…think quads, lions, and elephants.
More Mud: Now that I’ve rambled on about all this other stuff, I realize that I could probably write two columns about the High Lifter Mud Nationals. The Mud Nats has to be the craziest event I’ve ever been to in my life. I think it may even top Thanksgiving at Glamis. Jason Coffel and the crew over at High Lifter put on an amazing show. If you have a 4×4 and like riding in the mud, you have to clear your calendar between March 28th and April 1st, 2007 so you can head over to the Mud Creek Park in Jacksonville, Texas. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.
4×4s: Last but not least, we have a huge feature on 4×4s in this issue. More to the point, what specific problems certain machines out there are having. After reading and participating in plenty of online forum posts (thanks again to the gang over at the High Lifter forums), we called literally hundreds of dealerships around the country to talk to their head mechanics about the 4×4s featured in the article. The results might just surprise you.
More in this issue
Since I talked about pretty much everything major that’s going on in this issue, I’d like to steer you towards some of the less “glamorous” work that deserves recognition in the mag. Think of them as the unsung heroes who help make this the best mag out there! The Hinson Racing crew shows you how to install a new clutch on page TK. Want to know about all the latest happenings across the country? Check out our Regional Events calendar on page TK. Looking for some new wheels for your sport quad? Turn to page TTK for the latest, greatest wheels. And for a glimpse into the future, turn to page TK and check out what the world of quad riding might look like 20 years down the road.
Enjoy the issue!
- March 07 2006
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Go out and play in the sand!
Even though it was nearly 15 years ago, I can still vividly remember my first trip to the sand dunes. I had just started at the magazine ATV Action when my coworker Bill Lanphier invited me on a long weekend trip out to the Pismo dunes. I couldn’t wait-I grew up in a small town back East and was accustomed to riding through densely wooded trails and in abandoned construction pits. I had only read about riding in the dunes in magazines, and was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. I figured it was going to be a blast (as almost all quad rides are), but I didn’t realize just how intense it was going to be.
We got to Pismo early in the morning. By the time we arrived, I was pretty sure that Bill was getting tired of all my questions about riding in the sand. We found a suitable camping spot near the beach and quickly unloaded our machines. We were both eager to replace the seat time in his van with some quality time aboard our quads.
I’ll never forget following Bill into the dunes and dropping down the face of what seemed like this massive wall of sand (at least I thought it was massive until I visited the towering dunes at Dumont a few months later!). The first time I ripped through a bowl wide open, I was blown away at the sensation of the G-forces pulling against me the faster I went. I also had that anxious feeling each time I’d approach the lip of a tall dune, trying to judge just the right speed, because I didn’t know how far the drop would be on the other side. I was quickly beginning to see what all the hype was about. It’s like riding a never-ending rollercoaster, only you have control over where it goes.
As the sun set, we headed back to camp and revisited the day’s events in front of a campfire. I thought it was a great first day at the dunes, but it wasn’t over yet. There was a full moon that night and Bill told me to fire up the machines because we were going out again. I thought he was kidding. Ride out there at night? Those feelings I mentioned earlier-they were all doubled in the darkness. I was blown away with how cool it was, but I still felt a bit sketched-out riding up the face of a dune only to have the sand disappear in front of my headlight as I crested the top!
I tell everyone who’s into quads that if you haven’t ridden in sand dunes somewhere, you truly don’t know what you’re missing. For more info on how and where to start your own sand memories, turn to page TK.
We also have plenty of other goods packed in this issue. You won’t want to miss our Colorado adventure on page TK, or our tests on the revolutionary new Yamaha Wolverine (page TK) and Honda 450R (page TK). Or, if you’re in the market to get your young ones out on the trail, check out our kid’s quad comparison on page TK.
Enjoy the issue!
- November 23 2005
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I got a little tweaked the other day. My friend boldly claimed that the sport segment of the ATV market wasn’t as strong as it used to be “back in the day.” First off, let me tell you that my friend is an idiot, and second, his version of “back in the day” dates back to 1991, when Miami Vice was all the rage. I just simply sat there and shook my head in confusion.
“What cave have you been living in?” I asked. “Not only are there more sport quads today than ever before, but they’re also a million times better,” I explained. Today’s sport quads have better suspension, better engines, and the fit and finish is superior compared to older models.
Case in point-flip through this magazine you’re currently holding. You’ll find some of the hottest sport quads to have ever hit the dirt! On page XX, check out the pictures of the highly anticipated Suzuki Quadracer…yes, it’s finally here and it’s badass! Then turn the page and check out Honda’s revamped 450R. It may look like last-year’s model, but don’t let the familiar looks deceive you-there are plenty of changes lurking underneath that modified plastic. We also have a first ride aboard Yamaha’s new YFZ450-the word “new” barely scratches the surface. The YFZ returns for 2006 with 80 changes! That number simply astounds me. You see, “back in the day,” manufacturers rarely touched a machine during its life cycle. Not much, if anything at all, changed from year to year.
And if that’s not enough sport for you, we also have a big-bore sport quad shootout in this issue. The Bombardier DS650, Kawasaki KFX700, and Yamaha Raptor 700R go head-to-head to determine which high-horsepower monster reigns supreme.
But before you go thinking that it’s all about sport quads in this issue, hang tight-we’ve also got a ton of other goodies that you won’t want to miss! Our first-ever Holiday Buyer’s Guide includes some of the latest, greatest products that will max out your credit cards faster than you can say “jingle bells.” And for all you tech heads, you’ll certainly want to check out the “101 Tech Tips” article. There are so many nuggets of useful info in there that it will make your head and your wrenches spin.
Enjoy the issue!
- November 18 2005
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Ever heard the expression, “the good old days”? Well, for us ATVers, it’s hard to imagine that times are going to get any better than they are right now. There are more cutting-edge sport quads than ever before, more advanced big-bore 4×4s, and manufacturers are offering more high-quality products than ever. Yes, it’s definitely a good time to be a quad enthusiast.
I was reminded of that fact many times while working on this, our second issue. Quad Photo Editor Keith Mulligan and I traveled to Alaska for an epic adventure that neither of us will soon forget (page TK). We had an absolute blast. Within days of that trip, we turned around and headed back across the country to eastern Pennsylvania to ride some of today’s most advanced 4×4s for our comprehensive V-Twin 4×4s shootout (page TK).
Times are also good now as far as exposure to the sport goes. Sure, you’ll see the occasional quad commercial on TV, but we really hadn’t seen that breakthrough moment yet. Until now, that is. Recently the Great Outdoor Games provided millions of households across the country the opportunity to get a taste of what quad racing is all about! ABC and ESPN aired two different types of quad competition-a 4×4 Terracross event and a motocross race featuring many of today’s elite quad racers. ESPN also ran plenty of features about the quad events on their website-a little slice of cyberspace that attracts millions of people daily. After the event was over, ESPN ran a poll on its website asking its viewers if they’d like to see more quad action on TV. The results were overwhelmingly positive in favor of seeing more quads! For more info on how the quad guys and gals did at the Great Outdoor Games, turn to page TK.
So maybe I was wrong. Maybe these “good old days” are about to get even better.
- November 08 2005
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Welcome to the first issue of Quad Off-Road Magazine. Our entire staff is committed to bringing the ATV world a better magazine. On second thought, scratch that-we’re not planning on making a better magazine, we’re going to make the best one out there!
We’re starting fresh; you won’t find any stale ideas or outdated thinking anywhere between our covers. Quad Off-Road Magazine will be the go-to magazine for comprehensive tests and shootouts, and we’ll bring you along on epic adventures and show you how to get the most out of your machine. We want to help you enjoy the ATV experience to the fullest.
In this issue we’ll take you on an incredible journey through Baja California, Mexico, on some of the most challenging trails in existence (Viva Baja, page XX). We’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of the top factory motocross machines and what it feels like to grab a thumbfull of its throttle (Factory Ride: Tim Farr’s Honda, page XX). If you’re looking to purchase your first ATV on a budget, check out our sport quad shootout, (250 Sport Shootout, page XX), and we’ll tell you which machine that costs less than $4k is the best on the market. And last, but not least, we’ve got mud-plenty of mud (Mud People, page XX).
We hope you enjoy your new magazine as much as we enjoyed putting it together! If you have any suggestions, ideas, or stories, drop us a line.
Quad Off-Road Magazine
1421 Edinger Ave. Suite D
Tustin, CA 92780
quadoffroadmag@aol.com
John Howell
Editor
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