ATV Products And Accessories - Thrashed

Performance Carbon Products YFZ450 Frame Guards
I don't know about you, but scratching the fresh powdercoat on my newly painted frame really irritates me. You try and keep your new quad looking good, but sometimes feel as if it's an impossible task. The two areas of the frame where your boots scrub while you grip tight for extra traction through rough terrain concerns me most. Although it's too late for me to prevent a scratched frame, it wasn't too late to keep the scratching action from continuing to destroy my frame. If you've just purchased a new Yamaha YFZ450, or other brands for that matter, it might be a good idea to check into this protective product that I've so happily come across. And if these scratches have already invaded your frame, well, at least you can cover them up and prevent further damage.

While seeking out a cure for this irritating problem, I came across a great product by Performance Carbon Products. These guys have developed carbon-fiber frame guards that do a great job protecting the side of your frame. Mounting them up took about 15 minutes and was a fairly easy task. The most difficult portion of installing these guards is that it requires the removal of the left rear footpeg bolt. Once mounted, I quickly found out that the carbon composite molding is durable and able to withstand almost any punishment that can be thrown at it. And to top it off, the guards actually add a great look to your machine for $139.70. -Thad Josey

Bottom Line: They are lightweight, look great and, best of all, cover and prevent the continuous scratching of my nicely powdercoated frame.
Performance Carbon Products: 951/509-7865;
www.pccarbon.com

Braking USA ATV Wave Rotor
I'm continuously blasting through water and thick mud as that's the terrain that the Southeast has to offer. Over time, I've noticed that my stock rotors have begun to wear and eventually lose their aggressive hard-stopping power, especially during long rides. A few months back when my stockers were on their last leg, I decided to mount up a set of Braking USA wave rotors. They are constructed from a high-quality stainless steel and supposedly clean out packed-in mud and grit by way of their unique shape and profile. In order to get some long, hard test hours in on these new rotors, I held out a few months before giving my review. I can honestly say with confidence that these wave rotors have passed my three-month-long test of aggressive riding and would be an excellent purchase for me. Here's why:

First off, these rotors are lighter than the stock rotors which help to cut a little fat from the overall weight of your machine. Less weight is certainly a plus for me, even though it didn't make a significant difference in the overall performance of my machine. For time spent testing, I raced in a GNCC as well as put in quite a few exhausting hours around my local riding area. I noticed that my front brakes didn't fade an hour and a half into my race or rides as they did previously. I believe the combination of high quality steel being used along with its wave shape helps to disperse heat quicker than the stock rotors. I can also attest that the unusual shape does in fact help to scrape packed-in mud from the brake pads and sling it from those critical areas. Keeping away the packed-in mud helped in continuing that aggressive stopping power needed at all times, especially in critical times for a fair price of $119 per side. -Thad Josey

Bottom Line: The lighter weight may have been a slight advantage, but I really enjoyed the extra stopping power and the wave rotor's ability to shed the usually packed-in mud buildups.
Braking USA:www.brakingusa.com;
Ask for them at your local dealer.