70 Mile ATV Ride

[Mac66]

Oh how cool! Wish someone would throw something like that around here... Cool ride. Did they even take that Sherp off the trailer, those things are supposed to be able go anywhere. Bummer is they cost about a quarter million dollars.

Tom Mac that YZ490 is sexy, mine was a 1980 YZ 125= I loved that bike/rode it every night after work and all weekend long (well, til I got a girlfriend).

Didn't realize it was a Sherp. No they didn't run it, at least when I was there.

[Mac66]

Just signed up for the 2023 Fun Fest. Missed it last year because we were in Iceland.

[David]

That sounds like it would be a lot of fun!

[Bmyers]

70 miles, makes my butt sore thinking about it. Guess I'm getting soft in my old age.

When I first met my future wife, I asked her to go three-wheeler riding with me. Her mom said no, that I might be some creep that was trying to get her into the woods and take advantage of her (not sure how her mom knew me, I hadn't met her yet).

Anyway, we ended up going to the movies instead.

[Mac66]

I've done some ATV riding with my wife on the Hatfield McCoy trails in W. Virginia and at Black Mountain trails in Ky. Not to mention some trails in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Used to belong to an ATV club which did group rides in those places. It wasn't unusual to do 100 miles in a day. But that was 20+ years ago and the whole riding climate changed when side x side UTVs became popular.

There are trail systems in northern Michigan you could ride for 400+ miles if you wanted to. They are within riding distance of my woods house connected by county roads.

[Mac66]

One thing (just one?) I've learned while riding in the summer is that helmets are hot. I've always used a full helmet then a motorcross helmet when riding duel sport off road. You kinda need something to protect your face while whipping through the woods. In winter a full face with a closing visor is needed, like a snowmobile helmet. However riding the ATV and mini bikes in warm weather is kinda a different thing than riding on the road or ripping through the woods at high speed. For ATVs and Mini bikes you don't typically go very fast so you just need something legal. So I was looking for something a little lighter and cooler to wear when off property.

I admit that I rarely use a helmet when riding on the property checking the fields, blinds and trail cameras. Perfectly legal to do so on private property. But going off property you need a helmet. Our ride with family over July 4th weekend pressed upon me that I needed some new helmets.

Went to Amazon and ordered a couple half helmets. Got the best reviewed ones for the cheapest price. All I was looking for was something to met DOT standards. Picked up these beauties...okay they are a little sappy (an eagle ripping through your head...really? ) but I can paint them over if need be. Frankly, I don't really care what they look like.

[Gnepig]

YEAH, Murica!.. You know you'll rock those cool lids and be the envy of everyone who sees you. Now you need the fingerless gloves.

[Mac66]

I'm back from the ride. Probably 150 machines of all types, mostly fixed up Polaris, CanAm, side by sides (sxs) Maybe a dozen ATVs, no motorcycles this year and one modern full size Bronco.

Lot of talk about the Bronco on whether it was appropriate or not since everything else was either SXSs or ATVs. It is an ORV (off road vehicle) ride and a Bronco is an off road vehicle when it wants to be. The course was all back roads and the full size state ORV routes and forest roads so it did okay. Other riders are concerned that opening up the ride to full size vehicles will turn it into a Jeep rally thing. Personally I don't care one way or another other than what I will discuss below.

In MI, the ORV tracks are categorized single track (for motorcycles) ORV Trails for vehicles up to 50" wide and ORV Routes for vehicles over 50". Motorcycles can ride on anything. ATVs and smaller side by sides (Polaris Rzor, etc) can ride trails and routes. Full size 4x4s (jeeps, bronco and any other 4x4s) can only ride on routes. Most side by sides are over 50" wide.

So I was on my Polaris X2 500 Sportsman which is a two rider machine (rear seat folds up into the bed)

My wife was able to join me this year and we had a lot of fun until we didn't. About half way through I had a flat. I was running original tires on my 2006 X2. Although there is a lot of tread left 16 year old tires wear out (dry rot) and the side wall split. We were doing a section of moguls and when we finished and got back on flat ground the right front tire went flat. I filled it up with my pump, rode it about 100 yards and it went flat again. Finally crawled up under it and notice the inner side wall was split and any air put it was coming out. Lots of other riders offered help and tools and suggestions but we ended up calling my brother who came and got my wife who went and got the truck.

Wearing the cool eagle helmets on the state forest roads. Very dusty, you absolutely needed goggles and face protection. Temp were in the mid 70s on Sat during the ride, very comfortable. But why oh why do people wear black helmets to bake your brains in the summer sun? These helmets were a lot more comfortable/cooler than full face or full size helmets but I'm still thinking of painting them some shade of white or light color. It was 90 degrees today, it would have been brutal baking in the sun if the ride was today.

Even so, this ride is run like a scavenger hunt where you score points for completing activities at different stops along the way. It was fun while it lasted.

Nerf gun competition


ATVs vs. SXS
There is a reason why the off road world went to side by sides. They are much easier to drive/ride. I was really exhausted riding my ATV. Doing moguls, washboards, whoops, switchbacks, loops etc takes a lot of arm/leg strength and energy. Much easier to sit and turn a steering wheel. My wife suggested we look at side x sides for next year. Not to mention I ain't getting any younger. My arms and legs were sore this morning.

I have been looking at UTVs (utility vehicles). Kind of like little farm trucks. Most have dump beds in the back and carry 2 people. Just about all the companies make them. Most are 4 wheel drive and can double as off road vehicles. I think SxSs started out as UTVs and split into utility vehicle and sport vehicle types. The sport ones are more like dune buggies and range in price from about $15-40K. The UTs range in price from about $10-20K.

As far as I can tell there are 4 companies that make 50" wide UTVs, Honda, Polaris, Can Am and CFMoto (which is chinese) There were several CFmoto machines on the ride this year. CFMoto as well as the others also make full size and 4 seater UTVs.

So the UTV I've been looking at is a two seater made by a Chinese company (Hisun) under various names for just about all the hardware outlets, Family Farm & Home, Walmart, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Rural King, Lowes, etc, etc. It comes with more accessories and is cheaper than the Hondas, Polaris, Yamahas, CanAm etc. It's also less of dune buggy type thing and more of a utility vehicle.

Of course you get what you pay for and I tend to be cheap but this last ride has got me rethinking what to get.

[Bmyers]

Wow, that sounds and looks like so much fun.

[Mac66]

Wow, that sounds and looks like so much fun.

My wife thought it was fun, of course she was just riding, I was doing all the work. Includes a pulled pork lunch (late lunch as we typically get back around 2-3 pm. Everybody gets a T-shirt, a prize and eligible for the grand prize. Not to mention you meet a lot a nice people and see a lot of cool machines.

We are already planning on going next year, trying to talk my brother into getting a UTV to ride as well, now that he lives (recently moved to his lake house) near our woods house.

Just looked up this years numbers, 156 vehicles. 383 people.

Oh, and I just ordered a set of new tires. If one is dry rotted and went, the others aren't far behind.