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Forum
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Help Build The Ultimate Winter ATV
Hello everybody.
Just picked up a Polaris Sportsman 550 X2, with the intent of building the ultimate wintertime quad for an upcoming story. I ordered it with a few Pure Polaris accessories: windshield, winch, plow, rear dual-compartment cargo box - but I plan to take this project ATV much further.
Any ideas or things you'd like to see tested? I'm hoping to try ITP's new studded tires (instead of tracks - this isn't a power steering quad, and I want to wait for an EPS-equipped machine before our next track kit test), and want to have a heated seat/grips. Beyond that, I'm hoping to make a great machine for winter trail rides, ice fishing, and clearing snow. It should be fun - I love to ride quads in the snow.
Let me know what you think!
Tom
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trkaiser
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11/09/09 11:15am |
Utility/4x4
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RE: 2010 Toyota 4Runner Intro
In conjunction with the launch of its 2010 4Runner, Toyota has launched the Trail Tracker web site. It's open to the public and allows anyone to upload and download detailed trail information - at www.trailtracker.com.
Just checked it out and it looks handy, although tailored to off-road trucks of course. It's a nice benefit for anyone looking for a good off-road trail in unfamiliar territory.
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trkaiser
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11/05/09 07:38am |
ATV Forum
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Riding in Moab
So I'd been told many, many times that someday I "absolutely had to make it out to Moab" to ride - and I'd seen plenty of YouTube videos of crazy rock crawling. Well, I've finally made it, as our whole crew was out there last week for this year's ATV Trials event.
We had all the manufacturers out there for three full days of testing, and we were able to explore three very different areas while we were out there. There was snow in the LaSalle Mountains, a very intense rock section in the Pritchett Canyon and had a great ride alongside Kane Creek.
Obviously there's a lot, lot more to the area, and I hope to make it back some day. Have any of you been out to Moab? How about Utah in general? There are some really cool places, like the Richfield and Marysvale areas. If so, what are your favorite areas to ride?
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trkaiser
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11/03/09 08:06am |
Trail/Travel
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RE: 2010 Toyota 4Runner Intro
I'm with you - it would've been such fun weather to bomb around off-road in that thing, but we were on a private resort and they apparently had a bad experience when hosting an automotive intro a few years back. Apparently some foreign journalists were just tearing around, drifting through corners and rolled a vehicle on their property. It was a really nice ranch, and they didn't want us destroying it. If only there were no consequences...
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trkaiser
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10/23/09 08:20am |
ATV Forum
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RE: 2010 Toyota 4Runner Intro
Yes, it's still a body-on frame design. Just finished the full review, and that's definitely a theme - with all these crossovers hitting the market, many automakers are abandoning body-on-frame SUVs. No more Trailblazer, the next Explorer will be car-based, etc...
It's a very cool truck. I really enjoyed it, and like the looks of it.
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trkaiser
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10/20/09 03:44pm |
ATV Forum
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RE: All-New ATVMagOnline.com - What do you think?
Well Mr. Fox, I appreciate your feedback. I don't know how important I am, but I can tell you that we publish a forum post in every issue of ATV Magazine as part of our Table of Contents - specifically the web site portion of the TOC. We've also used a few forum postings in our Mailbox section in previous issues.
I'm not sure what other things you've seen us say that haven't come to pass, but let me know if you think of them. Building a new site was one thing, and getting a new forum is another - but we're working on it - and any feedback is helpful, and hopefully not a waste of time.
Also, I think a pizza and beer party in Vegas sounds great. I'm just waiting to see if we can do it at the Bellagio or the Venetian.
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trkaiser
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10/20/09 11:49am |
ATV Forum
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2010 Toyota 4Runner Intro
Hello everybody,
Just got back from Toyota's launch for the new 2010 4Runner SUV in Santa Barbara, CA. Tons of rain prevented us from doing as much off-roading as we planned, but we spent an entire day piloting the handsome new rig around the hills of south-central California.
It's a pretty sweet SUV - designed for off-roaders more than soccer moms. Some of its off-road technology, especially on the Trail version, is amazing. We'll have a full review in the upcoming Buyer's Guide issue of ATV Magazine.
Check out a photo gallery of some of the pics from our test at http://tinyurl.com/n2peju - or you can just go to atvmagblog.com or atvmagonline.com and click Photos.
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trkaiser
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10/20/09 08:11am |
ATV Forum
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Autumn-Winter ATV Trail Closures
Just a quick question to ask what kind of trail closures you face in your area during the autumn-winter seasons. We're located in the Twin Cities, and spend a lot of time riding in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin this time of year - and we always seem to encounter different rules. Most public trails in Minnesota are open April 1-November 1, while Wisconsin's ATV season is much more varied. In Wisconsin, certain areas are closed from late fall through spring, where others are guided by "Frozen Ground" rules that offer a limited fall ATV riding season.
So, I'm wondering what ATV trail closures are like where you ride this time of year. Let me know!
Tom
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trkaiser
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10/20/09 07:32am |
Trail/Travel
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RE: All-New ATVMagOnline.com - What do you think?
Hey Camo Fox - glad you like the new design. I'm with you guys, we definitely want a better forum and are currently investigating how to go about this. What, exactly, would you like to see - aside from a better, easier and more reliable forum platform? Any input would be great as we tear into this one...
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trkaiser
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10/19/09 12:54pm |
ATV Forum
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All-New ATVMagOnline.com - What do you think?
Looking for even more ATV content in a more organized, modern format? Of course you are – and that’s why we’ve unveiled the all-new ATVMagOnline.com – ATV Magazine’s brand-new web site. While the design is a big change, the real differences lie in the content organization and the integration of our blog site (atvmagblog.com), photo galleries and new navigation tabs to keep things like how-to, destination, racing and event coverage all in separate, searchable categories.
Looking for information on a specific quad? You can read all of our reviews, comparison stories and even access our annual Buyer’s Guide information about any ATV on the market one of two ways:
1. Type the name of the ATV in the search bar at the top of the site. For example, type “Suzuki King Quad 750? and you’ll see all the recent stories we’ve done on the King Quad, as well as buyer’s guide information with specs, our opinions and pricing information.
2. Mouse over the ATV tab, go to Manufaturer, choose a maker and you’ll see every story related to that brand – all the stories, product tests, build projects and the buyer’s guide specs.
The goal is to make it easier to research, buy or sell your quad, and to make it easy to find your favorite stories in the mag.
We’ve also better integrated our blog, photo galleries and video content – each with their own main button on the ATVMagOnline.com navigation bar. Click Photo to see the latest editor photo galleries, or to send us your own riding pics. Just make sure you and your riders are wearing a helmet and riding safe! Watching our video content is also much easier – just click Video and you’ll see all of our ATV 360 episodes and video clips all in one spot. You can also upload your own videos for the world to see.
The new ATVMagOnline.com is all part of our effort to be the very best ATV magazine in the business – with thorough, accurate testing, interesting travel stories, helpful how-to stories, timely industry news, entertaining ATV 360 video episodes and the best web site that allows our readers and site viewers to interact with the rest of the ATV Magazine community.
We’re always open to feedback and suggestions – let us know what you think!
- Tom Kaiser
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trkaiser
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10/19/09 10:43am |
ATV Forum
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RE: Thundercat Build Project
Check out some of our photography from the test of our Thundercat, alongside a custom T-cat built by Rocky Cutsforth at Rox Speed FX, with the help of Arctic Cat's Kale Wainer. The full story should be appearing in the upcoming buyer's guide issue of ATV Mag. For the photos, visit our blog site at www.atvmagblog.com - and click on photos.
Let me know what you think!
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trkaiser
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09/04/09 07:33am |
Utility/4x4
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RE: Thundercat Build Project
I've got a pic that shows one side with HID and the other as standard. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll send it your way - tkaiser@affinitygroup.com.
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trkaiser
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08/26/09 10:29am |
Utility/4x4
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RE: Thundercat Build Project
Agreed, the stocker is already pretty darn quick. The Bluhm Enterprises light kit was $199 - and I've been told it's much higher quality and longer lasting than some of those $100 kits. So far it's held up to plenty of riding and mud. With xenon high beams and the HID on the low beams (since they're always on with a T-cat), it's pretty amazing how much light it puts out.
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trkaiser
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08/26/09 08:00am |
Utility/4x4
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RE: Thundercat Build Project
Now that the Thundercat is officially done, I can tell you that it's so insanely fast that it's quite a handful, but very, very fun. It will lay down a patch on asphalt with no trouble at all.
Check out the ATV 360 video on the build in this next week's episode. Then, after Labor Day, I'll be getting together with Arctic Cat's Kale Wainer to see how their own T-cat build compares to ours. Look for the story in an upcoming issue of ATV Mag.
- Tom
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trkaiser
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08/25/09 02:04pm |
Utility/4x4
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RE: WTF , no more ATVsport?
Yes, the July issue of ATV Sport was our last. It was a terribly difficult decision. Sport subscribers will now receive ATV Magazine for the duration of their subscription, and we are now doing sport quad testing in every issue of ATV Magazine.
The sport quad market has taken an enormous hit in this downturn and it just wasn't sustainable without more advertiser support. While we won't be doing racing coverage in ATV Magazine, we're still interested in the market, have long-term sport test machines and will be doing sport stories.
I'd always like to hear any ideas, thoughts or suggestions - tkaiser@affinitygroup.com.
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trkaiser
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08/04/09 07:55am |
ATV Forum
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July ATV Sport Full Articles Up On ATVSport.com
Just as it sounds, the full version of our feature articles from the July '09 issue of ATV Sport are uploaded in full at www.atvsport.com. I particularly recommend the Mojave Desert adventure.
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trkaiser
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07/16/09 07:23am |
Sport/Performance
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RE: Greatest ATV Hunting/Fishing Trip
Re-posted comment from ATVmagblog.com:
Big Bear Outlet - Pheasant hunting in Southeast Washington is always good!
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trkaiser
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07/09/09 07:34am |
ATV Forum
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RE: Greatest ATV Hunting/Fishing Trip
Re-posted comment from ATVmagblog.com:
Nate - I think you should look in Utah for sure. Let us know if you are out here and we can take you on a good ATV ride with some good hunting
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trkaiser
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07/09/09 07:33am |
ATV Forum
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Greatest ATV Hunting/Fishing Trip
Our upcoming September issue of ATV Magazine (mails out July 14th, newsstands August 4th) is our annual hunting issue and it's packed with great stories, including a hunting-type build project on our new camo Grizzly 550 with power steering.
Putting it together, we spent a lot of time thinking about the greatest ATV hunting and/or fishing destinations - where a quad is a part of the journey, and not just for driving across a parking lot.
We've done turkey hunting in Oklahoma, lots of deer hunting and the Sept. issue has a great feature on bear hunting in Canada. But, what's the greatest ATV hunting or fishing trip you've been on? Or, do you have one you've always wanted to do, but haven't found the time for?
I'm hoping to put together a fly-fishing trip in western Montana with the president of St. Croix Rods, Paul Schluter. He's an old friend, and it's a great excuse to try some awesome, top-end rods.
We're always looking for our next destination. What's your ultimate ATV hunting or fishing trip?
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trkaiser
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07/06/09 07:55am |
ATV Forum
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Most/Least Durable ATV Brands
Just got back from a great trip riding out in the Black Hills National Forest near Sturgis, SD. If you've never been, I highly recommend the trails and town. The area is rider friendly and really trying to attract tourists, but the trails are what's so great - very similar to northern Idaho.
Anyway, I rode the new Polaris Sportsman XP 850 while I was out there and one of my guides made several comments about how the XP would probably break down on the trip. I hear this kind of stuff wherever we go across the country: this brand, or that brand, is nothing but a piece of junk.
Everybody's got their favorite and (in most cases) least favorite ATV brands. Trying to move past just OPINIONS, which brands do you all feel are good or bad in terms of long-term durability? Do you have an ATV that's got nine lives, or tales of ones that saw a premature death? I'm not looking to start a bash fest, but rather personal experiences with machines.
Thank you - and let the games begin...
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trkaiser
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06/17/09 02:36pm |
ATV Forum
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