Ask the Editors Week of June 06 2011

 

Hello ATV Connection readers, welcome to our latest feature! Due to the rising popularity of the Ask the Editor forum, we have decided to expand the idea and post responses to the homepage.

For those of you who are new to this, basically, if you have an ATV related question, you can ask our editors for help/advice. Create a forum account if you don’t already have one, then create a new thread in our Ask the Editor section. It’s easy and fun!

So, without further ado, here are this week’s questions…

Dear ATVC,

I have a 1987 Honda TRX 125 (wife’s) that is tore down for a rebuild (top end is trash). I am looking for info that someone has done an easy motor retrofit that has some more umppphhh!

I am not looking to chop or modify the frame. Don’t care about the reverse or electric start. I looked thru my piles of ATC 185/200 stuff and that will not interchange. I realize that one can only do so much with a 4-stroke 125 so I hope to find someone that may have done an easy motor swap with a CL or SL or other motor.

Blacksheep1875

First the bad news- we contacted every Honda specialist in our proverbial Rolodex and came up with absolutely no one who has successfully managed to perform the engine swap you have in mind. In fact, without extensive modifications to the frame, the only swaps that we could confirm were those that actually dumped the rightful TRX engine (which had been damaged beyond repair) with the older Honda ATC 125m mill (resulting in even less power).

In your case, we would give serious thought, considering you already have the machine torn down, about having the cylinder bored, installing oversized piston and rings, updating the exhaust, adjusting the carburetor’s jetting to reflect these modifications and finally altering the gearing (remember adding teeth to the rear sprocket will provide a bit more punch at the cost of top speed while taking rear teeth away will result in less grunt but a higher top end maximum).

There’s no getting around the fact that a 25-year-old 125 will never be made into a fire-breather, but considering the lack of data out there on a successful motor-swap, tapping the stock engine for all it’s worth sounds like your best option.

Dear ATVC:

Does anyone know where to look for the job of testing four-wheelers like those guys who get the latest and greatest equipment to put to the test?

450r_killer

Well, we have really good news in that the Internet has created a path to becoming a moto-journalist that simply was not an option a few short years ago. To product-test ATVs and accessories, two key skills are necessary: Solid writing ability and photography proficiency.

Read, read, then read some more. The most effective way to become a strong writer is to absorb as much professional writing as possible. Know the market and the products you wish to test inside and out.

Hone your ability to churn out a decent article every chance you can by writing up product reviews of items you already own. You really can’t afford to be anything less than your own worst critic when it comes to the quality of your writing. Once you are satisfied with the quality of your work, create a portfolio, or better still, start a blog as a place to showcase your material.

Every time you pitch an idea to a publication, you’ll need to prove to the editor that you’re qualified for the job. Links to your blog make this step much more approachable.

Additionally invest in a decent digital camera and begin taking photos to accompany your editorial output. Again this is where having a blog can be invaluable, as it allows you the opportunity to upload photos you’ve taken and integrate them within your product reviews.

Take a photo class if necessary, get photography books from the library, learn proper photographic composition and lighting techniques; whatever it takes. Manufacturers want exposure to their products and it’s up to you to prove that you’re up to the task.
Once you’ve built up a strong repertoire of publication-worthy articles in your blog, begin querying ATV magazines and professional web sites with potential product review ideas. It isn’t a quick and easy road, but with some hard work and dedication, it is possible to get a break in the industry these days without having to rely on knowing somebody or having internal connections.

Finally, and just so you know, journalists and publications do not get to keep the machines appearing in product tests. They belong to the respective manufacturers and are returned to them once testing/ photographing is concluded.

Do you have a question? Submit it by clicking here!