This is where I came into the picture during development of the new Quadmax Sport. Countless hours had been spent on the track and many changes had already taken place. Unfortunately for the rubber artist, this means another day of monotony at the bench with his knives. From a distance the tires appear to be off the shelf, but with a closer look you will see minor lines left behind by the carving knife. My timing couldn't have been better, giving me the opportunity to sample the final test units before they were molded. I was not quite sure what to expect of a hand-carved tire but I was extremely impressed with the performance of the pre-Quadmax Sport. I almost hated to rip it up on the MX track-which was designed exclusively for ATVs-knowing just how much work had gone into creating these one-off tires. Then again, that's why multiple sets are carved, making this possible.
The multitude of surfaces and tracks that Dunlop somehow managed to squeeze into just over 100 acres was extremely impressive. There's a road course with all the bells and whistles that shares a few turns with a supermoto track, three motocross tracks, a woods course and several miles of trails neatly confined within the narrow borders. This sounds overwhelming, but with a staff of only six including two mechanics, there is more than enough space for everyone to get their own area testing area. I arrived on an extremely busy day while both testing and a commercial were being filmed-a good opportunity to see just what the facility was capable of with all the extra bodies running around like busy ants. The mechanics were diligently wrenching as the test riders played dual roles as tester and movie star. A helicopter even flew overhead with a cameraman hanging from a harness while we staged and shot pictures for this story.
The day was filled with excitement, dust and controlled chaos just as you would expect of a day in the life of an ATV Rider reporter. After testing was complete and Dunlop had received my stamp of approval (as if it were needed), we loaded up in a Prowler and explored the trails at the back of the property. This area was originally designed for the testing of truck tires and is now perfect for ATVs. Challenging ravines and obstacles were not easily avoided and made up the ideal place to put UTV tires to the test. But as I said, testing was over and it was time to have some fun. We kicked around until the sun was setting and managed to keep our machines on all fours before returning them to their garage in one piece. I'm eagerly awaiting more new releases from Dunlophoping to have the opportunity to return for another day of playing. Oops. I mean testing.