+ Great engine package with...
+ Great engine package with strong usable power
- Large amount of time spent to get suspension to handle decent, and total cost of parts if far from budget
= A decent-performing machine if you have deep pockets.
One of the first items that many riders replace to make a more comfortable machine is the steering stem. He swapped out the stock stem with a +1-inch unit from Houser Racing that was outfitted with their Anti-Vibe oversize handlebar mount and dash plate which allowed him to keep the key, all warning lights and even adds a kill switch. To complement this setup, a set of Fasst Company's Flexx handlebars was installed complete with Cycra's Pro Bend alloy hand guards for rider protection. Keeping the quad protected was the task of the aluminum components supplied by Pro Armor. The PowerGrip heel guard/footpeg combination along with the Sport Series nerf bar is sure to keep the rider's feet safely planted on the machine even when hitting the biggest bumps or deepest whoops. The finishing touches to this project were the eye-appealing red anodized aluminum components from Works Connection. The Elite clutch perch makes clutch pull effortless and on-the-fly adjustment a snap, while the rear brake block-off plate, throttle cover and brake cover give Clark's Honda a clean and classy look.
For the testing phase of this story, though we were able to spend a good bit of time aboard this machine, we ended up handing off the quad to WORCS pro motorcycle racer and one of our sister magazine Dirt Rider's test riders, Ryan Orr. Orr came into my office asking if I knew of a quad he could try a race on. I figured this was a great chance to see just how well everything was dialed in and how all of the aftermarket components would perform in an extreme environment. I handed the TRX to Ryan a week before the next race that was held in Taft, California, so he would have some time to dial everything in to his liking and to get a little seat time, with one stipulation: He needed to give me a full evaluation from the first time he sat on the quad to the time he finished his race.
This Is His Story...
"My buddy Beau Baron, who I used to race motorcycles with, began racing ATVs in the WORCS series and kept nagging me to give it a shot. At the time he was currently third in the series, and he felt that I had good speed and could probably break into the top 10 if I ever decided to give it a go. At this point in the season, I had worked myself into a slump on the dirt bike, so I figured I needed to throw something else into the mix. That's when my buddies at Dirt Rider steered me in Eli's direction to ask if ATV Rider had any machines I could try for this race. Eli told me about the built Honda and thought the race would be a good testing ground for it. I headed to the ATVR shop where we gave the TRX a quick servicing and added a few skid plates to protect the underside of the quad. While I was excited for this experience, I was a bit sketched out since I've only ever ridden ATVs for fun and never in a race environment.
"With the TRX loaded up in my truck, I headed out to the desert with my friend Chris to get better acquainted with the unfamiliar quad. I wanted to get a feel for what a quad does in different situations, so we went to some cliffs and started going off some small ones while working my way up to the larger ones. I was completely blown away as to what these things could do. On the way back to the house I even found some logs to try and hop over, much like what is found on a WORCS pro course. Surprisingly enough the quad had a very similar feel to my dirt bike over them.
"The next day I had met up with Beau to get in a few motos and have him help me in setting up the TRX for the type of racing we were going to be doing. Out on the track I felt really good, but we noticed the suspension was a bit on the soft side for me since I kept on dragging the pegs on the faces of jumps and going hard through the braking bumps. Once we adjusted the suspension sag to my liking, I went back out on the track and could instantly feel the difference since it had better movement through the braking bumps. With the extra confidence I had in the refined settings, I felt that my speed was increasing, but there was one problem. After about five laps I was starting to fade, but it wasn't my body that was getting tired. Riding with a thumb throttle was completely new to me, and it was wreaking havoc on my thumb and hand. I called Eli right after that session to see if he could get a twist throttle to install on the machine before the upcoming weekend's race.
"On Wednesday I didn't really have a chance to get out to the track, so I went riding with Chris again. This time we headed out on some trails near my house. I had a blast on this tricked-out Honda. We were on some high-speed trails where there were big sweeping corners, and I could just pitch out the quad and slide through the entire thing. Riding dirt bikes this isn't something that you normally get to do. We also found some tighter trails that had switchbacks, up- and downhill sections as well as jumps of various sizes. The quad was handling awesomely and I was getting excited about the upcoming weekend and racing.