ATVConnection.com

By and large magazines devoted to ATV racing have been few and far between. Sure a few pages are often set aside in the glossy rags to highlight a national or two but it’s a far cry from the personality-rich, lifestyle oriented literature enjoyed by many other powersports. To such complaints, we’ve always answered, “Check out ATV Insider Magazine”.

After a few years of laying low, it appears as though the boys of ATV Insider aren’t only back but back with a mission.

Having just released their Spring 2013 issue with the first SxS / UTV on the cover featuring Holz Racing / Polaris’ Beau Baron driving his Polaris RZR XP 900 SxS / UTV. With the ever growing popularity of SxS Racing, ATV Insider has decided to change its name to ATV & SxS Insider as we continue to expand our focus to also include the best of SxS Racing.

There many features in the premier issue ATV & SxS Insider that we are excited about including recaps of the opening rounds of 2013 GNCC Racing season, WORCS Racing Series, Mtn. Dew AMA ATV Pro Motocross Series. There is also an depth look at the WORCS SxS Racing that seems to grow in numbers each round.

Of course, there is also the fan favorites which include the ATV & SxS Exposed section and PULSE photos featuring Chris Borich, 2013 Arctic Cat Wildcat X 1000 SxS / UTV, GNCC XC1 Pro ATV Racer Johnny Gallagher, GNCC SxS Racing, WORCS Pro ATV Racer Robbie Mitchell, 2013 Polaris RZR XP 900 Jagged X Edition, and a special tribute to Josh “The Animal” Frederick.

The ATV & SxS Insider Spring issue will be available this weekend at WORCS Sand Hollow in Hurricane, Utah and at select racing events throughout the United States including the Big Buck GNCC in Union, SC, Mtn. Dew AMA ATV MX Ballance MX in Oakland, KY, AMA MAXC River Run in Bloomfield, IN, KCCR Hardwicks Creek in Clay City, KY, and numerous other events around the country.

To subscribe to ATV Insider please visit their site and be sure to like their Facebook page.

Set your TiVos, DVRs, iPads and for us old schoolers- the VCRs and Sony Walkmans because the award-winning, off-road TV show Destination Polaris is back on the air.

After a brief hiatus, Destination Polaris has returned to national television on the Fox Sports Networks beginning April 7, 2013. Broadcast in more than 70 million homes, Destination Polaris can be seen each Sunday, at 11:30 am (all times local) and Thursdays at 3:30 pm (all times local). Check your local listings for additional airings.

“We’re extremely thrilled to be moving to the Fox Sports Networks,” said host Jared Christie. “The show has a whole new look, feel and vibe to it that we think viewers are really going to like.”

Destination Polaris can be seen on Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Florida, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Wisconsin and MSG Plus.

For more information on Destination Polaris including air times, videos, blogs click here.

Every year in February, hoards of industry insiders flock to Indianapolis for the annual Dealer Expo. The Expo promises the latest and greatest aftermarket wares for the ATV & UTV industry, from tire manufacturers to snow plows and everything in-between. This was the first time ATVESCAPE headed to Indy for the Dealer Show, and it didn’t fail to give us plenty of items to drool over!  The weather was cold with blowing snow and highs in the mid 20′s and 30′s, but that did not deter people from descending upon Indy for the event.

Most of the ATV and UTV tire manufacturers showed up with custom builds, and the latest tires they have released. ITP, STI, CST, Maxxis, Sedona, Kenda, and GBC all had a presence at the show with displays of all of their tires. Clearly the market is demanding more tire offerings specifically designed for the UTV market, and all of the tire manufacturers we saw are releasing more tires that fit the bill. More and more 8-ply rated tires are being created to fill the needs of a reliable UTV/SxS tire offering the performance owners are asking for.  There is no shortage of aftermarket wheels either, with wheel manufactures offering more patterns and styles than ever in more finishes than ever.  The bottom line is, if you want to accent your machine, or want better more reliable tires for your rig, then you have PLENTY to choose from.

Next would be the aftermarket companies offering anything and everything you could need for your ATV or UTV. WARN, KFI, and Superwinch had booths showing off not only their winches, but also their snow plows, skid plates, cab enclosures, lights, and more. They also provided several custom ATVs and UTVs with their products strapped to them. WARN had two custom rigs including a Kawasaki Teryx4 and a Can-Am Maverick. KFI had a Polaris Ranger and RZR and Yamaha Grizzzly, and Kolpin offered up a Polaris Ranger with their new cab enclosures in tow. Kolpin had all sorts of accessories including the cab enclosures, luggage, gun boots, plows, roofs, and more. High Lifter brought some lift kits, Outlaw tires, and hi-clearance A-arms. Our friends at Tiger Tail showed off a bolt on tow hitch for their recently released adjustable Tiger Tail mount. As you can see, there was no shortage of things to stare at.

Finally, to wrap things, Bad Boy mowers was there showing off their brand new Intimidator UTV. You can read more about it here Bad Boy Mowers Introduce The New Intimidator UTV The huge inflatable bull dog could be seen from across the room beckoning the masses to take a look at their booth. We are going to have the opportunity to test the Intimidator in three weeks at the High Lifter Mud Nationals, and will then report back as to what we think. A long term test will hopefully be close to follow.

In summary, the Indy Dealer Expo is everything we had heard, offering a little bit of everything from the ATV and UTV industry. There is no shortage of things to see, and the show offers a glimpse at where the industry is going.

Dear ATVC:
A while back you did a piece on airless tires. What’s going on with those? Any word on them coming to ATVs soon?

Funny you should ask- It just so happens one of the leading companies behind the airless tire movement happens to specialize in ATVs. Polaris in fact purchased a company called Resilient Technologies – which had originally developed the airless tires for military use.

According to our sources, Polaris has been so impressed by the testing of the technology that they want to make it available to the public by 2014.

The fact that they can’t go flat, offer better bump compliance and are actually quieter than pneumatic air tires makes them very appealing for off-road applications.

The biggest inhibitor at present is cost. Estimates are putting these bad boys at around a grand each- and the tread is said to last no longer than the rubber and belt stuff we use now. However, as items become mass produced, the cost generally goes down. We suspect that by the time OEMs start adopting these airless tires, they’ll be considerably more affordable. Perhaps even no more than we currently pay for air-filled tires.

Got questions for us? Ask them here!

Racing enthusiasts now can keep up to date on all their favorite Polaris Factory Racers and racing news on the new Polaris Off-Road Racing Web Site.

This new site includes includes information on upcoming races, racer bios, news, contingency information and videos.