ATVConnection.com

As far as we can tell, there are two types of people in the world: UTV racing addicts and those who haven’t tried it yet. There is just something about the combination of open-air competition reminiscent of ATV racing coupled to the interior security associated with auto racing that makes taking a side-by-side to the track absolutely infectious.

We wanted to assemble a little guide to make your first UTV race the start of something very special. The trouble is UTVs come from the factory in many shapes, sizes and styles and lately you can add “many different states of tune” to that list as well. In other words, while our guide offers some generalized modifications you may wish to target to maximize your UTV’s performance potential, realize that some editions of popular models actually come stock with more than what you would need to get underway. Use your own judgment on which, if any, mods apply to you.

1) Exhaust

We almost always begin with exhaust when looking for performance gains. Why? Well a few reasons. First of all most factory stuff is restricted to meet stringent sound requirements. A choked up exhaust robs an engine of performance by restricting its ability to breathe. Additionally OEMs have to try to meet a price point when selecting materials with which to build components. You can often save precious pounds by simply switching to an aluminum or carbon exhaust. It is not uncommon to gain an additional 5-horsepower and a speed advantage of 4mph just by going with a slip-on system.

2) Intake

Just like with the exhaust side of things, gains that can be made by simply allowing an engine to breathe more effectively are not to be taken lightly. If you can swing it, aftermarket intake/ airboxes are literally designed to flow more air. However, even in keeping a tight budget, simply tossing the stock air filter in favor for an aftermarket unit from the likes of K&N or Twin Air (to mention a few) can often yield healthy power gains while cutting down on servicing in the process. Combine this mod with an aftermarket exhaust for maximum performance potential.

3) Shock Treatment

Fortunately these days more and more UTVs are wisely coming from the dealer with quality suspension from the likes of Fox and Ohlins. However, this wasn’t always the case and there are many that still use generic coil-overs. Performance riding/ track use can find the limitations of such shocks real quick! Fortunately the aftermarket UTV suspension scene is alive and well. Fully adjustable units from companies like Elka allow you to dial in the performance you seek for the individual track conditions in question.

4) Clutching

Getting off the line is a very important factor in all racing and in the case of an automatic UTV, a clutch kit can be invaluable. It can also be crucial in keeping your engine from staying buried in the rev limiter especially after having made other modifications.

5) Gearing

Unless you’re doing some wide-open desert racing, you may find it very beneficial to gear down your UTV. Just how does one gear down an automatic CVT transmission? The easiest way is to run slightly smaller tires believe it or not. However, since some tracks require more ground clearance than others, you may want to mount smaller tires on a spare set of rims so that swapping to meet race-conditions is a possibility.

6) Beadlocks

If you’re considering doing any sort of tire/ wheel modification, beadlocks are a good place to start. Not only are they better able to withstand harsher impacts, they offer protection against pinch-flatting while allowing you to run tire pressures way lower than normal.

7) Safety Bits

This one has all to do with the requirements of the sanctioning body in question and how your machine came set up from the dealer but fire extinguishers, 5-point harnesses, reinforced roll cages: check out your race organization’s requirements for participation.

Dear ATVC:

I recently got into ATV riding in the Oregon dunes and discovered what has to be the most insane ATV ever created, the Yamaha Banshee.

Are there mistakes on the spec sheets or what? How is it possible that the liquid cooled reed valve 350 parallel twin cylinder is putting out only 35 (stock) horsepower?

No that’s not a misprint; the answer is lack of technological progression. The Yamaha Banshee was released as a 1987 model year back in 86 and really hadn’t been updated throughout its life cycle (which ended in the United States in 2006).

Not only that but the engine was notoriously restricted at the OEM level to meet sound and pollution restrictions. Fortunately due to its abnormally long (and unchanged) history, countless tuners throughout the world have mastered extracting hidden ponies from the stock engine and the aftermarket for the model is absolutely enormous.

Additionally deceiving is the way a 2-stroke (like the Banshee) delivers its power compared to the more linear spread of a modern 4-stroke. 2-Strokes typically deliver acceleration in a relatively short RPM range across each gear which is felt in the saddle like a harsh surge of forward momentum.

Finally, remember that the Banshee’s unique engine wasn’t actually originally designed for ATV use, having been lifted from Yamaha’s RZ350 street bike- which, oddly enough, had a power valve (the Banshee’s variation does not)- this omission is credited with making the power spread even tighter and the “hit” harder in each gear.

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Dear ATVC:

I was prepping my ATV for sand use when a friend of mine said certain components are designed to be effective in certain type of sand. I’ve never heard of this before and noticed that nowhere on manufacturer info does it say what products work with what kind of sand. Is there any truth to this or is sand sand?

Believe it or not, your friend is right on this one. Although in all fairness, sand classification isn’t usually as cut and dry (no pun intended) as to demand different strength sand-resisting components.

If you’re wondering about the science behind this- it’s as simple as this: Sand is simply rock that’s been worn down by the elements (mostly by water) over time. Since not all rock is equally hard, neither is all sand equally abrasive. In that line of thinking, it’s probably a good thing there aren’t enough diamonds in the world to create entire deserts worth of dust.

While manufacturers typically don’t go through the effort of developing components designed for various grades of sand harshness, they do typically build gear to resist a wide variety of sand types to compensate. Generally speaking, the harder the sand particles, the quicker the wear rate.

Bonus fact: Some of the hardest sand on earth is found in the Australian outback.

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Dear ATVC:

I have a sport quad that I plan to ride this winter. Trouble is here in Ohio we often get snowfall that forces months of parking my machine in the garage. Do you know if sand paddle tires would work for shredding snow? If so which ones would you recommend?

We had to ask around to answer this one- not because we don’t get our fair share of snow around here but because in all honesty, we’ve never thought to slap on a pair of dune tires for cold weather romping. Here’s what we discovered:

If you’re going to be riding in light powdery snow, absolutely. The single treat groove in the front and paddled rear tires should prove extremely effective at keeping your machine atop the snow (rather than digging in and hanging up).

The bad news is that unlike desert riding, where sand is a given, winter has a way of throwing curveballs when it comes to conditions: Deep snow, heavy stuff, ice and slush are all better suited to the closer-spaced knobs of all-purpose ATV tire patterns. So unless you plan on mounting paddles onto spare rims so that you can swap them quickly depending on the conditions, your plan may be more work than its worth.

That said it appears you have a lot of more viable alternatives to constant tire swapping: Among these are full fledged tracks, snow paddle wraps that cover your standard tires, and many brands (like the Maxxis 4-Snow) actually offer dedicated ATV snow tires that split the difference between a full paddle and a general purpose tire.

You’ve got a little time to do your research before Old Man Winter arrives.

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Warn Industries introduced the first winches designed specifically for powersports applications back in 1988. Ever since then, the company has offered industry-leading winches for both ATVs and Side x Sides, as well as other vehicles. Now the Oregon-based company is ready to offer consumers two new lines of powersports winches for a total of 12 products across two lines: The WARN ProVantage and WARN Vantage series.

WARN ProVantage Winches: Premium parts, market-leading features

Those looking for the ultimate powersports winch need look no further than the WARN ProVantage lineup. Available in capacities ranging from 2,500 lbs. to 4,500 lbs. and a choice of durable aircraft-grade wire rope or lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic rope, these winches are built using premium components and offer market-leading performance and features.

ProVantage winches features a powerful permanent magnet motor, a smooth, reliable three-stage planetary gear train and metal gear housing, an easy-to-use clutch control dial, full sealing to keep the elements out, a patented roller disc brake for excellent control while winching, and a corrosion-resistant black powder-coated finish with a unique black hook and tie rods. These winches have a Limited Lifetime warranty on mechanical parts and a three-year warranty on electrical components.

ProVantage 2500 and 2500-S

2,500 lb. capacity—great for ATVs
ProVantage 2500: 50’ of 3/16” aircraft-grade wire rope and unique plow roller fairlead for reduced rope wear.
ProVantage 2500-S: 50’ of 3/16” lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic rope and attractive double powder-coated hawse fairlead.
Mini rocker control switch with plug for corded remote (remote sold separately).
New Black-Out finish provides superior corrosion resistance

ProVantage 3500 and 3500-S

3,500 lb. capacity—ideal for heavier ATVs as well as Side x Sides
ProVantage 3500: 50’ of 3/16” aircraft-grade wire rope and unique plow roller fairlead for reduced rope wear.
ProVantage 3600-S: 50’ of 3/16” lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic rope with attractive double powder-coated hawse fairlead.
Corded remote and mini-rocker control switch with integrated socket.
New Black-Out finish provides superior corrosion resistance

ProVantage 4500 and 4500-S

4,500 lb. capacity—the highest in the WARN powersports lineup—and specific for Side x Sides.
ProVantage 4500: 55’ of 7/32” aircraft-grade wire rope (the longest in the WARN powersports winch lineup) with unique plow roller fairlead for reduced rope wear.
ProVantage 4500-S: 50’ of 7/32” lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic rope with attractive double-powder-coated hawse fairlead.
Includes illuminated dash-mounted control switch and corded remote.
New Black-Out finish provides superior corrosion resistance

WARN Vantage Winches: Affordability meets class-leading performance

WARN Vantage powersports winches offer class-leading performance, affordability, and capacities from 2,000 lbs. to 4,000 lbs. All WARN Vantage winches are available with either durable aircraft-grade wire rope, or lightweight easy-to-handle synthetic rope. Features include fully sealed permanent-magnet motors and planetary drivetrains, high-strength composite gear housings, and a five-year warranty on mechanical components, and a one-year warranty on electrical items.

Vantage 2000 and 2000-S

2,000 lb. capacity—great for smaller ATVs.
Differential planetary gear train provides excellent performance and a self-locking brake.
Vantage 2000: 50’ of 5/32” aircraft-grade wire rope with roller fairlead
Vantage 2000-S: 50’ of 5/32” lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic rope with powder-coated hawse fairlead.
Includes handlebar-mounted mini rocker control.

Vantage 3000 and 3000-S

3,000 lb. capacity—great for bigger ATVs and Side x Sides.
Reliable three-stage planetary gear train and mechanical spring brake for great control.
Vantage 3000: 50’ of 3/16” aircraft-grade wire rope with roller fairlead
Vantage 3000-S: 50’ of 3/16” lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic rope with powder-coated hawse fairlead.
Includes handlebar-mounted mini rocker switch and corded remote control.

Vantage 4000 and 4000-S

4,000 lb. pulling capacity—specifically designed for the extra weight of a Side x Side.
Reliable three-stage planetary gear train and mechanical spring brake for great control.
Vantage 4000: 55’ of 7/32” aircraft-grade wire rope and a roller fairlead.
Vantage 4000-S: 50’ of 7/32” lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic rope and a powder-coated hawse fairlead.
Includes dash-mounted control switch and corded remote.

About Warn Industries

Warn Industries is the world’s most recognized brand in off-road products such as hub locks and vehicle recovery winches. The company designs, manufactures and markets a full line of off-road equipment and accessories that enhance the performance of four-wheel-drive and powersport vehicles. Warn Industries has employees in and around Portland, Ore., Livonia, Mich., and the Netherlands.