Thumper Racing LT-Z470 - Four Machines, 21 Miles And 24 Hours

Night Vision 101Unless you're a cat, the key to riding at night is lights-whether mounted on your vehicle, helmet or both. Our 24-hour gave us an excellent opportunity to sample the variety on the market with all four machines sporting a different setup, even though three of the four sported some kind of Baja Designs unit. The fourth was a newcomer to the lighting scene, Trail Tech (360/687-4530; www.trailtech.net) with an HID system on the Duncan TRX. Baja Designs (800/422-5292; www.bajadesigns.com) is one of the big players in the lighting arena. Its systems are almost synonymous with night riding and are usually coupled with a helmet-mounted light that allows the rider to look ahead in turns and see if the engine cuts out as in a crash. There are two main helmet light options on the market that we've used and like: NiteRider (800/466-8366; www.niterider.com) and Cyclops Motorsports (800/624-0278; cyclopsmotorsports.com). We used NiteRider's Cannibal adjustable HID unit in the 24-hour, but the company makes two other helmet lights, the HeadHunter II and the mini-rider-friendly DesertRat. For a two-light experience with either the Cannibal or HeadHunter II, there's the SkullSplitter Kit that allows the two lights to run off one battery and the rider to have spot and flood at the same time. NiteRider also makes chassis-mounted systems, the twin 40-watt halogen HellCat and the twin 80-watt HID Hellfire. We also used the 35-watt halogen Night Light from Cyclops. Initially, the company offered only a stator-powered system, which is great for most night riders who aren't switching bikes or in a race with multiple riders. But Cyclops now has several battery pack lighting hookups as well. Besides the 35-watt bulb, the company has a 50-watt bulb that turns night into day and just introduced an HID system as well. While the NiteRider lights are chin mounted, the Cyclops attaches via heavy-duty hook-and-loop to the top of the helmet. Both companies' products are sealed and virtually indestructible and complement any bike light.

If you head to these companies' web sites, you will no doubt notice this is one area where quality costs. But not just any illumination device will do. What kind and how many often is a case of how fast you travel along the trail and, thus, how far down a trail you need to see. Now that we've spun your mind with plenty of options, let's cover some basic facts that are often overlooked. Baja Designs' master of lights, Tex Mitchell, explained to us that it's not so much about quantity but rather quality. That translates into not just bolting on the biggest high-dollar flood light because it's no guarantee that you will successfully light up the night. Having the right kind of lights and properly aimed is key, or you just have expensive weights on the front end. Effective lighting depends less on brightness (candlepower) or even the amount of potential light output (Lumens). With all 35-watt, 4200 HID lightbulbs producing the same amount of Lumens, it's a matter of getting that illumination where you need it.

It's all about beam patterns-there are two main kinds: driving lights (or euro beam) and pencil lights (or spot beam). Driving lights are used for 75 percent of off-road driving conditions. This pattern is designed to offer good peripheral vision and excellent distance while providing ample light both high and low to compensate for the up-and-down pitch of the vehicle. Imagine being able to see where you need to even while your vehicle climbs, descends, turns, jumps and bounces. Illuminating farther down the trail is the job of the pencil lights and its longer and narrower beam pattern. This is the light for high-speed running. Ideally, a spot will provide the optimum distance without any annoying hot spot and have some adjustment to the beam pattern to compensate for specific driving conditions. Combining both the driving and pencil beams provides the best overall off-road light distribution.

Besides overall patterns, there is quality of the light as well. A good off-road light provides smooth light distribution without sharp cutoffs or hot spots. A sharp cutoff is where the light drops off dramatically, creating a horizontal or vertical line into darkness. Add in the quad's pitch and roll, and this harsh barrier affects your ability to see. A hot spot is an intense concentration of light in a small area. These can be very distracting on the trail because your eyes tend to focus on just that bouncing bright spot of light in front of you.

Nite Rider's Shannon# Scott echoed the importance of aiming. Both NiteRider and Cyclops helmet lights are designed to adjust where the beam is landing on the trail. As spots, you want them to project ahead a good 30-plus feet. Check out the photo of the helmet on page 94, you'll notice that the light is actually pitched upward a few degrees. Scott told us that the more aggressive the rider, the more his head is tilted down and the more severe the angle is for the light. For the vertical plane, the light should be aligned roughly straight out, as seen from above. On the Cyclops, this translates into placement on the top rear or sides of the helmet to let the beam light the trail where you're heading and not where you are. Scott told us he can tell when a rider has his light improperly aimed because he'll be riding with his head tilted back. As we mentioned before, helmet lights are good enhancements to the broad beams from stock or aftermarket driving lights. Before heading out on a nocturnal trail adventure or racing, sit on your machine in the typical riding position you'll be in with all the lights activated and spend the time to get the beams aligned. The driving light (sometimes called a floodlight) should paint a broad swath of light across the ground in something like a horizontal oval. Your spot/pencil beam light should be projecting a circular pattern in the middle of this oval, and the two combined should create a diamondlike pattern. The helmet-mounted spot should enhance this picture and hit at the forward edge of the chassis-mounted lights' pattern. When all are in harmony, you're ready to hit the trail and see what the rest of us are blathering on about.

OpinionsBrad BowlinNot your standard opinion, we asked our resident sport-ute master to tell us what he thought after letting him sample one of the 24-hour machines...he was the pit boss for IMS/Roll Design.

I've become a convert! Being, primarily, a utility trail rider, I was at odds after being selected to participate in the first ATV Rider 24-hour test. You see, all the machines would be sport quads, performance sport quads to be exact, and my experience on late-model sport quads is limited at best. I like checking out the modifications and such, but never really cared to rip on one because, well, I'm a ute man. After spending two days blasting around the test circuit on these machines, my stance has officially changed. I love these things! I now know why people sink untold thousands of dollars modifying these rockets; they are a blast! Don't get me wrong, I still love riding 4x4s, but my horizon has definitely been expanded. The stock quads I rode were fun, but the modified quads escape words. The engine work, suspension mods, ergo changes (seat, grips, pegs) and various other tweaks make something good into something phenomenal! Some may be intimidated by a race-bred sport monster because of the misconception that they are harder to ride. In reality, the modifications make these machines far more forgiving, especially when the rider makes a mistake. Hit a jump or whoop section wrong and, odds are, the suspension will suck it up and keep grinning. Begin a hill in the wrong gear, and the extra power will let you throttle your way up with no worries.

Sean FinleyBecause the ATVs are so different, it is kind of an apples-to-oranges comparison to try to pick a "best trail ATV," so I based my input on what I would select to ride the fairly technical trails that we did the test on. Based on overall trail performance, here are my comments and the order in which I would select the ATVs.

1. Duncan HondaThe loop we had set up is very similar to what you would find at a typical WORCS or local Grand Prix in California. That pulled out my racer instincts even though we were not racing. Two things would make me choose the Duncan quad over the IMS machine. First, the Duncan motor just pulled harder over a broader range. It could be lugged but could also be revved and would pull hard and predictably either way. Second, I liked the traction of the ITP Holeshot tires. On a minor note, the slightly taller seat on the Duncan machine provided a more open seating position but still allowed me to move around on the ATV, unlike the even taller IMS Quad Tech seat. The Roll/Elka suspension was really good and, overall, this bike made me want to ride fast, which plays into my racing roots.

2. IMS/Roll HondaIt was amazing to me how two Hondas sharing a lot of similar modifications could perform so differently. The IMS engine preferred to be short-shifted compared to the Duncan motor. It seemed to have a little better bottom-end performance (which might actually be an advantage in tighter trails), but I prefer an engine to pull over a wider range so I can shift less. I could not tell a major difference in the suspension performance of the two Roll/Elka bikes but the brand-new ITP Trac Star radial tires make a major difference in absorbing the bumps. My only complaint was that on the loose, dry and hard Gorman trails, the overall traction was not as good as the Holeshots'. For long trail rides, the smoother ride of the radials are worth it, but if you are looking for racing performance (in these conditions, anyway), the Holeshots are the better choice.

3. Alba Raptor 700ROn the tight trails we used for this event, the Raptor was at a disadvantage to the smaller, more nimble Hondas. The quad is a total rocket that begs for open territory, and that is exactly what owner Corey Hove has been using his Yamaha for. In fact, this ATV had over 700 desert racing miles on it already. The Elka shocks and Alba front end worked well, but for the tight trails, it would have been better off a little narrower on both the front and rear. The Elka rear shock seemed to need a little more tuning to work as well as the two Hondas. The engine was mostly stock with just a high-flow air filter and an Alba exhaust with a very nice quiet end-cap mounted up. Based on no engine mods, I am guessing this might be a relatively inexpensive total cost.

4. Thumper LT-Z470The Thumper Racing big-bore kit and FMF Q exhaust brought the outgunned LT-Z400 motor into the competitive range with the Hondas (the Raptor would still accelerate better than any of these). The engine performance was really good and very predictable. The Works Performance shocks worked decently in the front, but the rear had some fading issues that showed up about 12 hours into the event (the reason 24 hours is a great endurance test). This was the only quad using stock A-arms, and the narrower width was actually an advantage on most of the loop and not much of a disadvantage on the wider/faster sections. For recreational trail riding or GNCC events, this would work just fine. But for more open, faster racing, the wider track is a must.

Thad Josey4. Thumper Racing LT-Z470Best known for building bike motors, Thumper was successful at building a usable but not overbearing enhancement to the Z400's motor. The power was smooth and helped bridge the gap between the stock Z400 and its 450cc competitors. This would be the perfect trail rider's type of power. The Works suspension was a definite improvement from the stock suspension, but was outmatched by its long-travel competitors in the deep whoops. The shocks did add additional cushion for the rough trail but could only be pushed so hard before the quad began getting out of shape. My biggest issue with this quad was the twist throttle; even though many quad riders do ride twist, those without a bike background may have issues with it. This drops the points in my book because I could not ride as aggressively as I wanted.

3. Alba Raptor 700RThe Alba Raptor 700 motor was strong, smooth and pulled through every gear with plenty of power. Climbing up and over the large mountainous terrain was not a problem because you could tap third gear and lug your way through the trails. The long-travel Alba A-arms paired with Elka's Elite shocks performed well but could have used a little extra attention on dialing them in. Pushing through the whoops hard was not a problem until you began to push extremely hard. The rear end would begin to kick and buck the quad out of control. In the tight technical trails, I didn't trust its ability to turn quickly and hold its ground. Conversely, push it hard through the wide-open desert trails and this quad would stay planted, and it offered plenty of stability.

2. IMS/Roll TRX450RIMS/Roll kept things simple by adding a much-needed HRC kit paired with Duncan Racing's Fat Boy pipe. This combination would turn out to be a trail rider's dream come true; the power was smooth yet extremely fast. The long-travel IMS/Roll Design arms paired with Elka's Elite shocks seemed to be dialed in with a fast-paced trail rider in mind. Whether pounding through the whoops or tackling technical sections at a slower pace, the IMS/Roll suspension setup, along with the larger Quad Tech seat left me comfortable and enjoying the ride. The IMS/Roll nerfs and heel guards were fantastic at protecting your boots from grabbing the rear tire or even catching them on a rock while providing great comfort. Getting to be one of the first to do laps on ITP's new radial trail tires made this TRX that much more exciting to ride. The radials seemed to allow more give from the harsh terrain and granted the Honda extremely accurate steering. The sole downside is that the tread on the tires only lasted about 12 hours before being replaced.

1. Duncan Racing TRX450RLoren Duncan's magical touch on the Honda made it a favorite of several of the faster riders. Not that it was a full-on race engine, but it was an excellent trail motor with a racy twist. Although similar to the IMS/Roll motor, Duncan Racing's had a peppier feel, and I felt that it lugged a bit stronger through all portions of the track. When it came to suspension setup, this quad was dialed in to near perfection. The long-travel Roll Design arms paired with Elka's Elite shocks gave me the greatest confidence. The harder you pushed, the smoother the deep whoops became, allowing you to use the motor that Duncan built. As for the accuracy of steering, both the IMS/Roll and the Duncan machines stuck in at low and high speeds, even though they used two different types of ITP tires. The IMS/Roll Pro-Pegs mounted up on the Duncan quad helped to hold your feet to the quad with its gnarly peg spikes. It's hard to use any other after riding these.

Mike Newsom1. IMS/Roll Honda 450RBefore I was even out of the pits, the IMS Honda felt as if it was set up to my exact specifications, with bar height and general ergonomics perfect for extended periods of riding in any environment. The comfortable big desert seat complemented the suspension that functioned well at all speeds, soaking up the abuse from the deep whoops as trail conditions worsened. IMS chose to keep the Honda engine fairly stock with just an HRC kit and Duncan Racing pipe. Power was delivered smoothly, keeping rider fatigue to a minimum, yet was still plentiful enough to keep the front end light through the rough portions of the track. IMS certainly succeeded in building the ultimate trail ATV within the budget allotted. Competing against this machine would prove to be difficult under any budget.

2. Duncan Honda 450RDuncan built its entry to accommodate a more aggressive riding style. For a novice or intermediate ATV rider, the Duncan machine was probably too stiff-lower speeds were a bit more brutal on the rider. Increase the speed, and the machine really began to show its colors. The ride became smooth, and the whoops just seemed to disappear right out from under me. For the engine treatment, Duncan installed its shop-designed cam, which gave the machine a strong hit while maintaining the smooth, rider-friendly power. Duncan set up the machine to just my style of riding without getting too extreme and creating the race feel that would be difficult to ride for a 24-hour event. Being set up very similar to the IMS/Roll TRX made it difficult to determine my overall machine. But the plusher seat on the IMS machine won me over.

3. Alba Raptor 700RThe only 700cc ATV in the test was the Alba Yamaha Raptor. The big bore of the Raptor provided extremely smooth power that pulled across the rpm range. Rider comfort was superb on the larger machine, making extended time easy on the body. Suspension was forgiving at low to mid speed, but was difficult to read at higher speeds and unforgiving when surprises popped up in the trail. When diving into high-speed turns, the machine pushed and made consistent turning impossible. With tires only inches from cliffs that would require a parachute to survive, speeds which were easily maintained on the Hondas proved to be a bit scary on the Raptor.

4. Thumper Racing LT-Z470Competing with newer, larger-displacement machines was the Thumper LT-Z470. The Suzuki Z400 is known for having an indestructible engine, but I was a bit worried about the 470cc machine surviving the punishment from a constant 24-hour ride in the rugged desert terrain. Power from the machine was strong-taming the power-robbing, monster hillclimb. Using only about half the allotted budget given to the teams, Thumper's machine remained fairly stock other than the Works shocks. Suspension was inadequate for the terrain, but the shocks did hold up to the end. To my amazement, the motor continued to thump through the entire event, and I have no doubt the machine could have continued its constant run through another 24 hours. I know who to call for my big-bore needs in the future!

Bryan Nylander1. IMS/Roll Design TRX450RWith entries from two companies that work pretty closely together, we were a bit apprehensive about having twins in the test. However, those fears were erased as soon as we saw the Hondas. Riding them further separated out the identities. Whereas the Duncan TRX was a racer in trail clothing, the IMS machine is best described as trail friendly yet race capable. Now the fast guys disagree, but I favored the IMS over the Duncan for a couple of reasons. One was the powerband-it was a bottom-end, short-shifting smooth blend that worked well for the tight technical sections but still had enough on tap to make the scenery blur as needed. I think the suspension was minutely different, though the ITP radials and their suppleness might deserve some of the credit here. Overall, this was my favorite of the test, and I could spend all day riding it. I'd even entertain the idea of racing it.

2. Duncan Racing TRX450RA racer at heart, this Honda was a handful when the pace was slow-like starting. Bumping up the idle might have cured some of its stalling tendencies. But get it up to cruise speed and it ate up the trail nasties pretty well. That's what I did on my second outing with this girl, and our relationship was much better. Whoops were not scary and I figured out that mid to high was where this engine liked to perform. Small stuff, though, made the front too busy-enough to reach down and dial the GPR stabilizer to a higher setting as the handlebar danced. However, I have never had so much fun riding at night as I did on the Duncan machine. The IMS creation was very close, and the two were more like fraternal twins-similar appearance but slightly different personalities. My biggest beef with this Honda was its bark. I really detest spending time on a machine that makes my ears ring. The Duncan motor is so strong that a quiet pipe would not hinder this thing on the trails at all. In a closed-course setting it would be fine, but not on public trails.

3. Thumper Racing LT-Z470This quad had a sweet motor held back by suspension. I can't say it any simpler. The twist throttle was actually easy to use and standing on the machine was comfortable. And almost a requirement as the trail and the Works shocks deteriorated in smoothness over the 24 hours. The only entry without a widened track, the Suzuki held its own and really shined in the tight brush but suffered in the wide-open spaces and the frequent whoops and high-speed corners, requiring more body English to keep it planted on all four wheels. The engine was standard Thumper quality and retained the Z400 love of revving but produced more power everywhere than the stock motor.

4. Alba Raptor 700RTwo words for this machine: speed demon. Although I was surprised to learn after the test the Alba Raptor already had 700 miles of desert racing under its belt, it was not hard to believe. It flew down the trail and was happiest in the wide open and straight. The brakes were too weak for my comfort level, and at times I thought it needed a drag chute to halt the flight. I also think the rear sag was too great and that accentuated the wide and high front some and inhibited its turning prowess. The front floated over obstacles, but the rear didn't demonstrate the same agility. Handling aside, the motor was the big thrill throughout the powerband and it only had a high-flow air filter kit and an Alba pipe that exhaled at a cool 92 decibels! Seeing such performance from a quiet pipe really made me happy, but the setup just didn't fit my riding style.

Dick BurlesonI have been participating in the Dirt Rider (motorcycle) 24-hour test for years and basically knew what to expect during the ATV Rider event. What I didn't know was how I personally would react to a 24-hour test on sport ATVs. I am a motorcycle racer at heart but have been riding and testing ATVs for Moose Racing for the last five years, so I can ride decently and would classify myself as experienced but not at a pro level. Because of my background, I prefer a twist throttle and didn't really expect my wrist to stand up for that amount of riding. Surprisingly, both my wrist and thumb came through OK. Overall, I had a great time and learned a lot about the different units and design philosophies of companies.

My favorite of the bunch was the IMS Honda 450. While not a full race-spec, pro quad, it had long A-arms and high-level Elka suspension all around. The ride was firm and controlled, yet still pretty comfortable on my back and arms. Its engine was crisp and barky, with good bottom, mid and top power that was easy to use but still very fast. The unit was equipped with brand-new ITP sport radial tires, which supplied a very smooth ride and had good traction early in the test. But they wore out pretty fast, and during my 1 a.m. stint, they felt like Supermoto slicks. My only big complaint was that the noise level out of the Duncan exhaust was loud and barky. Regardless of the fact that it passed the static rpm sound-level test, in the real world of riding, it was just plain too loud.

Placing number two on my list was the Duncan Racing Honda 450 unit. Like the IMS TRX, it had the same extended A-arms and Elka suspension, but was set up much racier. While it could seemingly handle anything suspension-wise, it was too stiff and jittery for my level. The cockpit was good, urging me to ride aggressively and with good ability to move around. Its engine was also more racy and harder to use-more prone to stalling and had less bottom, but more top power than the IMS unit. The Duncan exhaust system was also way too loud in the real world of dynamic riding.

Third on my list was the Thumper Racing Suzuki. This quad, was a much lower-cost setup, with standard A-arms and Works Performance shocks that couldn't compete with the others for pure suspension and ride quality. Mostly the rear shock couldn't absorb the square edges and kicked the back around. The big-bore motor was good, with decent bottom, mid and top power and a reasonable sound level from the FMF system. The riding position was good, and with stock width, the unit was easy to get through the tighter trails than the rest.

In fourth came the Yamaha Raptor 700 from Alba. With the strongest engine output of the bunch as its highlight, the chassis setup was noticeably different from the other three. The seat was low, the gas tank and the handlebar were also high with extended A-arms that were wider than the Hondas. In fact, it felt very high and wide in the front, reminding me of one of those three-wheeled French cars. In combination with a very stout steering damper setting, the thing was hard to get through the tighter trails and urged me to sit most of the time. The seating position also limited my ability to slide side to side, making body English harder to apply. While the front suspension soaked up most everything and was reasonably comfortable to ride, the rear was kicky and not balanced to the front. The exhaust level was acceptable, yet it had a huge intake noise. Despite its stunning motor performance, the chassis was pretty far off for me and kept the unit down on my list.

Overall, it was very interesting to see the different setups and how they worked. It was obvious that while engine performance is very important, chassis setup is really critical to handling, getting the power to the ground and having fun while riding. The three units with extended suspension definitely had better absorbing ability and control than the basically stock setup, but at a substantial dollar cost. Engine tuning is also very important and, as on motorcycles, usable power delivery is very important for anyone less than a top pro-level racer. As brought to the test, the IMS unit had the best overall combination of strong, usable engine power and competent yet comfortable chassis setup of the bunch. This pioneer 24-hour ATV test was actually more fun for me than the previous week's Dirt Rider 24-hour test, in part because we had fewer units to test, but also because I learned a lot about the differing setup philosophies and how they translate into overall performance. Can't wait for next year!