ATR Caleb Moore Polaris RZR Backflip Attempt

Caleb Moore along with All Terrain Research team will be attempting the first ever UTV back-flip in a Polaris RZR. The backflip attempt is scheduled for November 2nd at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Xperience set for week of SEMA at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Caleb Moore had approached ATR with the concept of how to backflip a Polaris RZR and the team immediately got to work designing the ramp and custom UTV based on Caleb’s concept.

“We had always thought that a backflip could be done with a UTV, when Caleb came to us with his idea we jumped on board right away and started coming up with design ideas,” said ATR’s owner Jeremy Bratcher.

Over the course of several months Caleb Moore and All Terrain Research collaborated to fabricate a monstrous freestyle ramp and one of the wildest UTVs ever designed. The stage is set for this stunt to be performed in front of thousands of people at the Lucas Oil Off-Road Xperience in Las Vegas, NV November 2nd. It is time to put this Polaris RZR 30 ft in the air and upside down with the ATR Polaris RZR Backflip Project performed by Caleb Moore!

Click here to view the embedded video.

For more information, photos, and video about the Polaris RZR Backflip Project visit RZRForums.net

Well a lot of time, effort and resources were spent over the last couple of months, all of which culminated on June 26th, 2011.

I headed for Colorado Springs with a set of Hoosier tires, my race gear and some tool boxes. The newly finished RZR-X drove through the night from Lake Havasu City and met me just in time for tech inspection on Tuesday June 21st. This was the first time I had seen the RZR-X completed with it’s new cage, doors and top and boy did it look good!

MCX-USA, Makin’ Trax Suspension and myself spent the next three test days on the mountain doing our best to dial everything in. Each day we seemed to make big improvements in the tire set up, tuning and suspension. We even spent the afternoons out at PPIR testing different CVT belt sizes and addressing the cooling system. Even though we never had an overheat issue on any of the practice days or even when hot-lapping the RZR-X for 15 minutes straight, we still wanted to try and cover all of our bases. We cut out all the excess plastic in front of the radiator, hard wired the fan, added an electric fan to the oil cooler and hard wired it as well. Bases covered, ready for race day or at least we thought.

After reviewing our practice times and being just seconds off some of the fastest Super Stock cars, we couldn’t wait for race day and we were excited about our chances!

Race day rolls around and while there was no moisture in sight, it was super windy and hot. It wasn’t just warm it was down right hot! It was creeping up to triple digits at the bottom of the mountain and just about as warm at the start line. I was hoping to run somewhere before noon, but with all the wrecks and stoppages I didn’t get to go off until mid-afternoon.

Between the heat and the adrenaline I was ready to go! I finally got the green flag and I was off to the races. I smoked the bottom section and managed to shave off 14 seconds off my best practice time. While there was some good blue-groove in sections the dirt was still super loose! It was a handful to keep the RZR-X on the road and moving fast in a straight line. There was even one hairpin that I pushed straight through! Luckily there was room for error and I managed to salvage the turn without loosing too much time. I made it through the dirt section successfully and proceeded to run a solid line through the W’s.

Everything seemed to be going really well and there were no signs of slowing down. Well, that was just before the last turn approaching Devil’s Playground. Just as I come out of the turn the engine flutters and falls on it’s face. I pumped the gas, as if that was going to help and suddenly it picked back up for a few hundred yards. I thought maybe it was just a glitch until it finally stalled down to a complete stop. I couldn’t believe it. I just sat there in shock for several minutes trying to start it with no avail. I was just sick! Things were going so well and I was so close to the finish line. I had my fastest section ahead of me and I could taste the 11′s!

I couldn’t stand the thought of being towed down the mountain so after about an hour I decided to try and start it up. And wallah! It fired right back up like nothing had happened. I was dumbfounded.

I got back down to the bottom and after talking it over with everyone we found some melted split loom on top of the motor. This is when we realized that the motor got hot enough to vaporize the fuel lines and lock the motor up. Since it was uncommonly hot on the mountain and we never were able to make a full run up the mountain until race day, we didn’t show any signs of this beforehand. So unfortunately I had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Even with everything that happened we still made a huge impression on the mountain! Everyday the RZR-X was getting complements and drawing crowds. Most of the people on the practice days were astonished with my practice times and the race officials even moved me from the motorcycles/quad group up to the cars! Fan Fest was also a huge hit and if the RZR-X had one picture taken, it probably had a thousand.

Since I did make it so far up the mountain it gave me a good idea what my time would have been. So from the start line to basically where the RZR vapor locked was 8:45! My practice time from that very section to the finish line was a 3:05 and that was from a standing stop. I honestly believe with those two numbers that I would have run an 11:50 or better!

All and all I knew that we did everything we could and we honestly didn’t leave anything on the table. I guess that’s why they call it racing, otherwise it would probably just be known as winning. I’m also lucky that I didn’t have a diver error or wreck. After seeing all the busted up vehicles and the flight-for-life helicopter carry people out, I realized I had a lot to be grateful for!

Well that’s enough talk for now! Watch the embedded video below or I recommend visiting YouTube through the link so you can watch the run in a larger window and in 1080p!

Click here to view the embedded video.

As if last years PPIHC wasn’t enough, Doug Siddens a.k.a 4Nines is back to make yet another big splash!

This year, with a lot of help from MCX-USA Doug’s 2009 Polaris RZR-S has been chopped, stretched, slammed and stuffed with a 998cc Yamaha Apex motor. All of that AND it’s being force-fed by an MCX intercooled turbo system.

More info on this build can be found here: http://www.rzrforums.net/pits/51297-2011-ppihc-build.html

The video you’re about to see is what 260 all-wheel drive horsepower looks like when shoehorned into a lightweight side by side. The feeling? Well, nothing short of insane. When the boost hits it’s almost like you’re ripping a hole through reality! And the best part, that was just the break-in. Race day plans are to run closer to, if not more than 300 horsepower and crank up the top end speed to 100 mph!

Last years build resulted in 100 all-wheel drive horsepower and laid down a time of 14:03. Very respectable since the top speed last year was at best 75 mph. Needless to say, this year with about 3x the horsepower and more than 20 mph faster top speed, the RZR-X should lay down and impressive time. One that will hopefully put this UTV with fast company!

June 26th, 2011 is race day, so save the date and check back here for more news and info.

Without further adieu, I bring to you the Pikes Peak RZR-X!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well another successful TeryxForums.net Presidents Day Dune Ride is in the books! This year had an even better turnout than the last, more prizes and awesome t-shirts for all those that attended!

A big thanks to all those who participated and to the following people who helped make it happen:

• Jim – bummer about your ride, but you always have a smile on your face and keep everyone in great spirits. Your rig won’t be down long. You’re the wizard behind these events! Thanks!
• Chad – It takes a lot of work to get those raffle prizes, you are the man (or monkey…OMFG!!!)
• Schannon – The shirts were awesome and the carne is the best! Always good seeing you…bring your rig up to Phx and I’ll take you riding.
• The ride leaders – My first driving trip to Glamis and you gave me both a great time sprinkled with some pucker moments!
• Everyone who shows up (in both body and spirit), without the support of the members, we couldn’t put these events together.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For more pictures, info and videos from the event, please visit the following URL: http://www.teryxforums.net/rides-events/12281-2011-dune-ride-photos-post-up-your-photos.html

Video and images coming into today from the Arctic Cat media event that took place yesterday. While most of us thought they were just releasing their new 2010 snowmobiles, Arctic Cat decided to slide under the rader a possible all new UTV/SXS!

Here’s what we know so far:

“Uses the 1000 motor as the current prowler 1000, but in an HO version. It’s an all tube chassis just like a sand rail. Power steering. In the words of the arctic cat guy who built it ‘by far, the most travel in the industry’. It is so bad azz, you have see it to believe it. Pretty much a two seat, long travel short sand car. Oh, and the is price under $15,000.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come on over to ProwlerForums.net or ArcticChat.com to discuss this exciting news!

A few months ago, www.teryxforums.net held the Long Travel Shootout at the Superstition riding area. This was my first true experience of what a SideXside long travel suspension was capable of. Although they were not in attendance, Scott Mears and Jimmy Owens of XmF offer a complete +5 kit for the Teryx. I had been in contact with them for a while and they offered up a kit for review, so I plan to review their latest offering to the sideXside market.

Their kit has an adjustable camber and +o forward on the front arms allows this kit to corner with ease. XmF claims 15.5” of wheel travel front and rear and use the Walker Evans 16 way adjustable remote reservoir shocks. I loaded up the Teryx and headed out to Phoenix for the install. The rain was racing me to the shop, but I reached the shop just in time to avoid the rain delays that can lock down the freeways of Phoenix. I have only talked with Scott on the phone about his products and the various possibilities of a full fabrication shop, to which he could answer any and all questions. Jimmy Owens, co-owner of the shop, was also on hand to help with the install.

I pulled the car off the trailer and into the shop, right up onto jack stands and we were in business! We pulled the tires, spacers and were ready to tear into the stock sport suspension. Next, we pulled the front brake calipers off. When it was time to pull the front spindles, the driver side front axle nut was so tight that their impact wrench wouldn’t even budge it. Scott broke out the old torch and, after some more persuasion, he coaxed the nut off. The rest of the install went smoothly, and, other than the axle nut and the greasy mess that the axles make, the entire install was textbook.

We broke for lunch and went to a local pizza joint for a slice. Chatting with the guys, they said they started business in 2004 manufacturing tubing benders. With the mass influx of the SideXside market they decided to build some Long travel kits for the Yamaha Rhino, which was successful enough to bring us to today and the XmF we all know and most of us have at least one piece of their Billet somewhere on our cars. “The most popular item we sell is the Billet aluminum panoramic mirror,” Scott said. I can attest to this as I have one on my car and it is a great mirror. Back at the shop we buttoned up the install, bleeding the breaks and setting the ride height we were in business.

Specifications:

• Arms are 5” wider than stock per side
• Wheelbase – + 0” forward + 1 1/4” back
• Camber adjustable – up to 2 degrees in the front arms
• Wheel travel 15.5” Front and Rear
• Shocks – Walker Evan remote reservoir 16 way adjustable
• Billet aluminum reservoir mounts
• Axles – XMF 4340 Heat Treated center less ground and powder coated
• Recommended tire size is 25” with Aftermarket 12” wheel with 5-2 offset

I took it out to the Buttercup Dunes on Sunday and gave it the proverbial Flogging and it sure responded beautifully to everything I threw at it in the shop settings. I added one click on each of the rear shocks due to bottoming out on a few G outs in the bowls and this seemed to solve the problem nicely. It was a pleasure meeting and working on the car with Jimmy and Scott, and I look forward to giving their suspension another workout!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Snowflake, AZ – Brian Bush of Rotax Your Rhino, and Greg Frantz of Lonestar Racing remain the Whiplash Racing series points leaders after bring home a second place at “The Race”

“We worked on the car tirelessly in the weeks prior to the race and barely made it in time to pre-run the night before. The car was completely rewired, and we installed a new cooling system from TCP Performance hours before leaving. We were lucky to make it”

Starting on the poll, the team was given a 30 second lead over second place. The Rotax Your Rhino/ Lonestar Racing machine handled the sweeping course with ease. The water temperatures were better than they had ever been in previous races which lead to Brian being able to drive the car harder. Only 2 of 28 total cars were able to pass the two in the 140 mile race. A R1 powered Rhino got passed them, as did a “Baja Pro” car while they were pitting for fuel.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“All in all, we had a great time and are completely happy to have finished this tough race. Bringing home second in class and third overall is just icing on the cake!”

2010 Podiums:
2nd place Stupid Cupid @ Speedworld
1st place Slickrock 150 @ Page, Az
1st place Prescott Valley Firecracker
2nd place @ “The Race
4th place @ Firbird

Team Sponsors:
Rotax Your Rhino – Lonestar Racing – RhinoForums.net
TCP Performance – Seizmik – PCI Race Radios – PRP Seats – Rigid Industries – UTV Inc –  Pittbull Tires – Muzzys – Dragonfire Racing – Mr. RPM – Banners Plus – Unisteer – Dalton Industries – UTV Offroad Magazine – AZ Amsoil – Fox Racing Shocks – HJC Helmets

Special Thanks: Stacey Jordan, Bob Nolan, Mike Bigley, Dave @ DGP Photography

In this ever changing world, the option to have a utility vehicle to meet a wide array of demands is more appealing than ever. Purchasing a vehicle purely as a toy might fit a few, but imagine a functional machine that also packs enough punch for weekend fun! Kawasaki’s motto for the Teryx has been, “Unleash your inner outlaw” and it will do just that. So, when faced with the ultimate showdown between work and play, the Teryx should be your weapon of choice for this duel! When the dust settles and the fun begins, the Kawasaki Teryx will be your Huckleberry.

So what better place to test the Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI 4×4 Sport than in the great Southwest! Where there are miles of wide open places, dusty trails, rugged terrain and scattered old ghost towns. Any outlaw should feel at home here and we put the Teryx through the ringer to see if it did just that.

Our test Teryx Sport is considered as the hot rod of the Kawasaki RUV (Recreation Utility Vehicle) family, but don’t let the Sport badge fool you. This workhorse has a tilting cargo bed that has a 500-pound capacity and its reinforced bed frame offers maximum rigidity for excellent durability. Don’t think the bed is just for hard labor, it also makes for a pretty nice table or seat for tailgating while out on the trail or around the campfire. This feature was very popular, especially around other UTV owners in the gang as they were left standing while I had the luxury to kick back and relax. Another big utility oriented feature that comes standard on the Teryx is the full size 2” receiver hitch. This sounds like a no brainer, but there are other UTV’s on the market that come with a puny 1 1/4” receiver. With the Teryx you can quickly connect any 2” sized hitch that you might have laying around from your car or truck and tow up to 1,300 lbs of sweat equity or even your most prized possession. 1,300 lbs is a significant amount, but at the heart of this trusty steed is a 749cc SOHC, liquid-cooled, four-valve-per-cylinder fuel-injected, 90-degree, four-stroke V-twin engine. This air ingesting, gasoline pumping power plant will give you enough giddy-up-and-go to scoot through the country or pull those hefty loads with ease. Pulling might be one thing, but stopping is another! The dual front 200mm disc brakes are clinched by rigid-mount 27mm twin-piston calipers and provide powerful, fade-free braking. The rear brakes are sealed in an oil-bathed multi-disc system that provides worry free braking in almost any condition. Since the rear brakes are sealed to outside contaminants, there is less maintenance and reliable braking while in the dirt, muck or snow.

Whether you’re talking utility or sport, a solid 4wheel drive system is a must. Kawasaki has done a great job of integrating an adjustable and durable 4 wheel drive system into this platform.  There is a conveniently located 4WD switch on the dash for moderate duty.  Also, there is a variable front differential lever next to the gear shifter to distribute torque equally to the front wheels for maximum traction. The rear gear case keeps the rear wheels locked and turning together for maximum forward thrust and performance. All of this combined with lightweight alloy wheels, 26” tall Maxxis tires and multi-adjustable gas-charged shocks, make for a smooth ride across a wide array of rough, off-road terrain. The Teryx also boasts 11.6 inches of ground clearance and a width of 58.5 inches. This wide track provides for a stable ride while cornering on uneven terrain, but is still narrow enough to fit in a standard pickup truck bed, a win-win!

Packed to the gills or parked on a hill? Not to worry, the Teryx also comes equipped with a parking brake.  You will never yank the gear selector and cringe at the sound of grinding cogs! There is also a safety built into the parking brake when it is engaged. This is a feature that keeps the operator in-tune with the vehicle and extends the life of the parking brake.

Another creature comfort that the Teryx excels in is the seating position. The seating position enables you to clearly see all the obstacles in front, on the side and directly behind. It’s ideal for ingress and egress and there is no wasted time by “crawling” into the vehicle. The seats themselves lack a little if you’re sport oriented, but they do the trick for utility minded folks. Same goes for the non-tilting steering wheel. The fixed position isn’t bad for my 6’1 frame, however it could be awkward for others and should be adjustable in the sport model. Storage is another plus. There is a lot of accessible space in it compared to the competition. The glove box on the passenger side is large, seals well and is easy to reach. The slide-away cup holder is a neat feature as it is centrally located, high up on the dash and can be stowed away when not in use.

The digital display is nicely organized and is easy to read. It’s standard on all models and allows you to keep track of the following vitals:

• digital speedometer (mph or kph)
• clock
• dual trip meters
• 2WD/4WD indicator
• water temperature and fuel-injection warning indicators
• digital fuel gauge
• hour meter
• parking brake indicator
• CVT belt warning
• neutral and reverse indicators
• low oil pressure warning lights

Hopefully, one would never have to lift the hood, but in the event that this is needed, the Teryx will accommodate. A hinged, forward-tilting front hood and headlight assembly make accessing the front of the vehicle a breeze! This makes for effortless access to the radiator and front suspension components for maintenance and suspension tuning. The hood and the rest of the exterior bodywork is constructed of Thermoplastic Olefin, which has a high-gloss finish and is more scratch resistant than polyethylene. So it has utility, sport and looks – a triple threat!

With all these great appointments and features, the Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI 4×4 Sport is well rounded and is worthy of the UTV name that it is synonymous with. It is a true Utility Terrain Vehicle that can be used for work, sport or just plain fun! If all the above features aren’t enough, Kawasaki has an entire lineup of useful accessories that can be purchased on Kawasaki’s website or ordered and installed at your local dealer.

So enough talk, it’s time to see the 2010 Kawasaki Teryx sport in action! Kickback, relax and enjoy the following video in High-Definition clarity:

Have more questions? Please visit us over at TeryxForums.net for all discussions pertaining to the Kawasaki Teryx!

The Lonestar Racing SR1 Team had a very interesting weekend, packed with highs and lows. They were welcomed into one of the nicest race tracks in the U.S., Miller Motorsports Park. This facility is 1st class, complete with asphalt pits, garages, huge covered grandstands, on site race fuel station, showering facilities, indoor race control complete with timing monitors, and the list goes on. Things were a little disorganized as this was the 1st event LOORRS has put on at this park, so it was to be expected. Once they finally got their pits set up after having to move it twice, LSR team put in a brand new clutch into the car, because it was slipping on the last testing session.

After the first practice session, LSR realized this was going to be a tough weekend. The track was one of the biggest they had been on, but they added a lot of obstacles to keep the speeds down, and the excitement up. With only a few short hours before the next session, Greg decided that some shock changes were in major need, so the crew began to make some pretty major changes to handle the very different track. With about 15 minutes to spare, Greg headed out for 2nd practice. The changes really helped the car perform. Greg was able to power through the rhythm section, and hammer down through the larger whoop section, and get enough speed out of the corners to clear some of the doubles on the front stretch. While looking for some different lines, Greg hit a finger in the S section, and that kicked up the back of the car, and sent it into a violent cartwheel that flipped the car end over end about 4 or 5 times. Amazingly, Greg walked away without a scratch, let alone any soreness thanks to his Simpson Safety gear and Jet Trim seating that kept him locked in place. The car on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. The front right side of the car took most of the punishment, as it destroyed a wheel, spindle, brake rotor, tie rod end, brake line, uni-ball stud, and ball joint. The front bumper, upper shock mount, and body mounts got bent, along with the back bumper. Overall, the car was in really good shape with all things considered.

Luckily, between LSR and Weller Racing, they had enough spares to get Greg back on the track for Saturday’s qualifying and Main event. Greg qualified in 2nd position for Saturday, so he was able to enjoy another start from the front of the pack. After the green flag, he quickly realized he was getting brake fluid all over his feet, from a leaking reservoir cap. Not knowing how much longer he could go, he kept pushing. In second place with only a few laps to go, Corry Weller spun out in front of him, and he almost plowed straight into her, but luckily, he was able to glance off the side of her and continue into 1st place. Unfortunately, the hit ripped off Corry’s front wheel putting her out of the race. He was able to secure 1st place for Saturday’s main!

Sunday was time to do it all over again. In qualifying, Greg was only able to put in 1 lap before broken motor mount bolts caused him to pull off the track. So it was again time to start at the back of the pack for the main. Starting in last place, he was able to work himself into 4th pretty quickly, and battled with Tyler Herzog for a few laps, getting into 3rd place, and getting knocked sideways and having to fight back to get into 3rd for the competition yellow. The car was running perfect, and was fast through the rough sections where others couldn’t run as hard. Within 2 laps, he passed Doug Mittag for 2nd place, again behind Corry Weller. He was on Corry’s bumper for 2 more laps and went for the pass in the rhythm section. Unfortunately, he had just a little too much speed, and caused him to fly out of control, hit a jump sideways, bounced off a water barrier, and back onto the track loosing some ground. The car was shaking violently from the rear end, and was leaning very hard into corners, so with good communication from his spotters, he was able to keep it in 2nd place for the remainder of the race. After taking a quick look at the car after the race, it suffered from a rear wheel half full of dirt from hitting a jump sideways, and caused a rear sway bar link to break, so damage was minor, but felt a lot worse.

So to conclude the weekend, after thinking our chances were slim with a broken car in the beginning, the LSR race team battled through getting the car back into race form, and got on the podium with a 1st and 2nd place in just the 3rd weekend of the series. Combined with a couple cars that did not show up will drastically help move them up in the points after such a successful weekend.

The LSR team would like to thank all of their sponsors for supplying them with flawless parts that can take the abuse of a super rough track. At the end of the race, Greg said his arms and hands were so tired, he could barely remove his gloves, he was so worn out!

LSR is very confident that they will be getting top finishes for the rest of the season, and hopefully can get up into the battle for the championship!

Next race is at Glen Helen, in Southern California, the weekend of August 6th. Make sure to come out and see all the action!

Here are some links to some of the videos:

This one is from the Lucas Oil Regionals, that LSR got 2nd in as well, at Speedworld in AZ from a couple weekends ago.

Well its official! Doug Siddens, in his 2009 Polaris RZR-S, is the first person ever to drive a UTV at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb!

On June 27th, 2010, Doug was the only UTV in the Powersports Exhibition class. Not only did he finish first in his class, but he also beat out over 40% of the 152 competitors on race day with his time of 14:03.

Just reaching the top of this monumental mountain is a mechanical feat within itself. To do it in the time he did is more than respectable. There were also some other variables on race day that make this run even that much more notable. For one, it was snowing about the last three miles of the climb, and two, Doug has no professional racing experience. Not bad for a small town guy with no factory backing and an entire Powersport resting on his shoulders!

But you don’t have to hop in your RZR and try to visualize what Doug’s historic run was like, as he captured it all thanks to several ContourHD camcorders. So load up the beautiful HD version of the video below, turn the sound up and enjoy a ride up the gnarliest hill climb in the world!

If any of this racing talk has gotten you in the mood then come on over and talk with us at UTVRacing.com!

Also, a big thanks goes out to offroadwire.com for the great action photos!