As the rising sun slowly began to warm the frigid sand of St. George, Utah, a sense of intense anticipation filled the air. Today would be the day Kawasaki unleashed the long-awaited Teryx 750, ending what seems like an eternity of rumors and speculation. Nobody has had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of this highly talked about side-by-side until now! Is it all that it's been cracked up to be? I'm no paleontologist, but if I were judging on first impression alone, I'd say Kawasaki has unearthed a creature that could possibly find itself at the top of the food chain. And without giving away too much up front, you may just find the results as shocking as we did.

In case you weren't already in the know, Kawasaki is no stranger to side-by-side vehicles, as its Mule has been hauling barbed wire and transporting hardhats since its debut in 1988. It was just a matter of time before Kawasaki jumped in and delivered a recreational vehicle with a sportier vibe while still maintaining the ability to accomplish hard work around the farm or on the job. After countless hours of market research, the staff at Kawasaki understood that people in the side-by-side market have a versatile list of needs. Many will use their side-by-side for recreation while others may take advantage of its workhorse abilities. And that's why Kawasaki coined the term Recreational Utility Vehicle (RUV) for the new Teryx 750.

The Heart and Circulatory System
Bringing life to the new Teryx 750 is a reliable and very powerful 90-degree, four-stroke V-twin engine. Reliable, you may ask? Well, the Teryx borrowed its powerplant from the ever-popular Brute Force 750, if this gives any indication. This robust V-twin has earned quite the reputation of being a complete power monster with unmatched reliability. With 749cc of pure muscle harnessed under the hood (or center console in this case), the Teryx now has the largest displacement in its class. For its debut year, dual 34mm Keihin CVKR-D carburetors deliver fuel to the twin cylinders. For those who were expecting electronic fuel injection, you'll have to look toward the future, as we're sure Kawasaki will soon jump on the EFI bandwagon. Putting the power to the ground is Kawasaki's proven CVT which incorporates an impressive engine-braking system. The CVT drive has been retuned to better accommodate hard-acceleration shifting in the Teryx. This transfers power from the engine to the ground in a commanding fashion. Another modification to the tranny is an all-new vented aluminum cover that promotes airflow keeping the drive system cool. A claimed belt life of 200 hours ensures more time on the trail and less hours spent in the garage performing maintenance. This package provides riders with great performance while remaining in complete control.

For conquering tough terrains, the Teryx incorporates an effective selectable four-wheel-drive system. There will be times when four-wheel-drive alone just isn't enough to keep you moving forward. For these situations Kawasaki has integrated its popular variable front-differential system. By simply pulling a lever you can control how much or little the front differential is engaged. The differential lever has been strategically placed next to the shifter, which has a natural feel and can be utilized without ever taking your eyes off the trail.

The Musculoskeletal System
Understanding that this machine is likely to be driven to the limit, the Kawasaki design team spent countless hours creating a "long travel" suspension system to meet the demanding needs of the Teryx. Incorporating maximum travel while maintaining a maximum width of 58.7 inches was the engineers' ultimate objective. (58.7 inches fits comfortably into the bed of a full-size pickup.) To achieve this goal, the front and rear end of this machine adopted a narrow frame with longer A-arms maximizing wheel travel. Adjustable dual A-arms paired with gas-charged shocks suspend the front end and provide a whopping 7.5 inches of travel. The independent rear suspension also offers 7.5 inches of travel and utilizes adjustable gas-charged reservoir shocks. You can probably tell by the photos how this combination performed, but you'll have to continue on to hear it in our own words.

Complementing the engine and chassis is a durable drivetrain package. The driveline features beefy CV joints and heavy-duty axles that are specifically designed to handle all of the power and strain unleashed by the 750cc V-twin. Kawasaki knows that RUV owners drive from mild to wild, depending on the particular intended purpose or even what side of the bed the owner awoke. To enhance durability, the CV boots are constructed from a strong plastic material rather than softer rubber compounds, which is commonly found on most OEM and aftermarket CV joints. The plastic material is more resistant to debris damage and should endure the subjected abuse better than the rubber counterparts.

Bringing this ferocious beast to a complete stop is virtually effortless with the braking system. Up front, dual 200mm disc brakes and twin-piston calipers slow the pace of the mighty Teryx. In the rear, you'll find a sealed rear brake system that was first introduced by Kawasaki and has since become recognized as a virtually maintenance-free means of braking. This is a result of having a system that's completely enclosed and bathed in oil, leaving the brakes unaffected by any kind of foreign debris. Working together, this combination of binders brings the Teryx from its 48 mph top speed to a screeching halt in the blink of an eye.

The Exoskeleton
By popular demand the bodywork of the Teryx has been molded from thermoplastic olefin, giving a sleek shine that's extremely scratch-resistant. As far as creature comforts go, the Teryx comes with bucket seats and incorporates a three-point restraint system. The tubular cab frame (roll cage) meets federal rollover protection standards, which means you can have more confidence and an added sense of security in the occurrence of an accidental rollover. In fact, this is the only side-by-side other than the Mule that meets federal rollover protection standards. Deep footwells are designed into the floorboard area in an effort to keep all of your limbs safely inside the vehicle. On the matching body-colored dash you'll find the four-wheel-drive selection switch alongside a small cluster of lights for your low fuel, temperature and parking brake indicators. Nothing overly fancy, but functional nonetheless. Making the digital dash (LE model only) a standard feature on all models would take the guesswork out of judging speed and add a trick look. In the cargo area, the bed's all-steel construction is definitely sturdy and also comes with a cargo net to keep any of your gear securely in place. The base model of this machine doesn't feature a gas-assisted bed, so it will require manpower to load and unload your cargo.

Strapping Into The Belly Of The Beast
We obviously couldn't wait to jump in and begin some much-anticipated testing. We were blindfolded and delivered to a secret test location...well, not really. Kawasaki hauled a few of the units out to the vast landscape of Sand Hollow State Park just north of St. George. This location featured a spectacular dune landscape, numerous technical rock-crawling areas and a plethora of high-speed trails where we could really let the Teryx stretch its legs. Mike Newsom joined me for this event, and together we pushed this machine to its limit in an effort to report back to you our well-tested results. I actually think we were both shocked by the outcome.

Once we were given the keys and pointed in the right direction, we strapped on our helmets and jumped in the seats Bo and Luke style. Instantly, we could feel this thing was roomy. Neither Mike or I are small guys, especially in bulky cold-weather jackets, but neither one of us ever felt cramped in the cab area of this unit. A turn of the key and the big V-twin quickly responded with a deep growl. Mike shifted the selector into high range and slammed the pedal to the metal. Sand was instantly launched into a respectable roost, and as the rpm increased, the scenery began passing at a much faster rate. It wasn't until we gained much-needed traction on the hardpacked trails that we experienced the full potential of the powerplant. As we climbed through the mid and high end of the power, we were smiling from ear to ear. In a matter of seconds we were bouncing off the rev-limiter at top speed as we hurdled the Teryx through what seemed like an eternity of suspension-devouring whoops. As we cruised at a maximum of 48 mph, it's clearly obvious that there's plenty of corked-up power that needs to break free. I'm sure the aftermarket companies will take care of that by the time more of these units hit the showroom floor.

With two 200-plus-pound guys in the cab (before a Famous Dave's catered lunch) and a slew of camera equipment in the bed, the suspension completely instilled a look of amazement onto our faces. Never missing a beat, we charged hard through the rough terrain with the pedal pinned to the floor. I dove into the turns faster and faster with confidence. Even as Mike safely stood behind his camera yelling, "Faster, faster!" while I blasted out of a corner on two wheels, the fear of tipping over never crossed my mind. The suspension performed flawlessly keeping the machine pointing straight and rubber-side down as it soaked up everything St. George threw in our direction. For a completely stock unit the suspension was truly impressive.

Locating an area that looked like a testing ground for some serious rock-crawling rigs was just what we needed to continue our test. Before Mike could even extract his camera, I found myself lodged midway up an extremely steep 12-foot climb that was absolutely littered with loose sand and rock. A quick pull of the front diff-lock handle had all four 26-inch Maxxis tires clawing away at the face of this wall and I was up in seconds. Now, I personally would rather have a pushbutton locking front differential over the variable locker that the Teryx comes equipped with, but it isn't enough of an issue for me to consider it a negative. Regardless of my preference, the system worked impeccably for us.

Flying through the air is where the Teryx shines above virtually any other side-by-side I've previously ridden. The weight bias has to be almost perfect because this thing stayed completely level as Newsom repeatedly launched it some 60 feet into the air. I've taken my fair share of jumps in various side-by-sides and almost every time the front end starts to drop as soon as the wheels leave the ground. That definitely isn't the case with the Teryx. Feel free to jump with confidence in this unit. I know we did!

Toward the end of the day, I looked at the hourmeter in the dash and realized that we had put about five hours of relentless abuse on the engine and drivebelt. These were definitely not easy hours because we were here to put it to the test and give our readers accurate feedback. Newsom has a reputation of breaking everything he touches, and as expected he pushed until something began to give. After repeatedly launching the Teryx at full speed over the aforementioned jump, the belt began to slip. This was definitely not expected because we were told that the belt life on these machines was 200 hours of use before needing to be changed. Perhaps this is for "normal" usage and not the overzealous manner in which it was being tested.

Overall Impression
Is this the best RUV out on the market now? Well, without putting them to the test side-by-side (no pun intended) it's hard to say. What I do know is that Kawasaki is stepping into a market it's looking to dominate. With the biggest engine in its class and the suspension to tackle any terrain with confidence, the Teryx could quite possibly be the next king of the side-by-side world. We were shocked and impressed, and we think you'll be, too. I guess a shootout is in order!

+	Roomy cab, powerful engine and superb handling
Lack of doors, needs better passenger safety handles and lower rear cargo net mounting points	-
=	Strong contender for king in its class

Lack of doors, needs better passenger safety handles and lower rear cargo net mounting points

Strong contender for king in its class

2008 Kawasaki Teryx 750 4x4
Retail price:	$9799; LE: $10,599; NRA Outdoors: $11,349
ENGINE
Engine type:	90-degree, V-twin, four-stroke, four-stroke SOHC
Displacement:	749cc
Bore x stroke:	85x66mm
Cooling:	Liquid-cooled
Carburetion:	Dual Keihin CVKR-D 34mm
Starting:	Electric

DRIVETRAIN
Drive system:	Shaft, 2x4/4x4
Transmission:	Continuously variable belt with high/low range, reverse, engine-braking, diff-lock

SUSPENSION (TYPE/TRAVEL)
Front:	Adjustable dual A-arms with gas-charged shocks/7.5 in.
Rear:	Adjustable Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) with gas-charged, reservoir shocks/7.5 in.

TIRES/BRAKES
Front tires:	Maxxis 26x8-12
Rear tires:	Maxxis 26x10-12
Front brakes:	Dual hydraulic discs with twin-piston calipers
Rear brakes:	Sealed, oil-bathed, multidisc

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase:	76.0 in.
Claimed dry weight:	1276 lb
Ground clearance:	11.3 in.
Length/width/height:	115.4/58.7/75.0 in.
Fuel capacity:	7.9 gal.
Bed/Towing capacity:	500/1200 lb

ELECTRICAL
Headlight:	Dual 40-watt
Instrumentation:	Hourmeter; gear position, low fuel, water temperature and oil pressure indicators
Colors:	Sunbeam red, Woodsman green; Realtree Hardwoods green HD camo ($450 more)

Minneapolis, July 1, 2008 - The RANGER RZR continues to be a force in the racing world, this time by not only winning the UTV class at the Baja 500 but by being the first side-by-side to ever finish the race.

After being the last vehicle to start, Mark Lindsay's team, consisting of Lindsay, driver Phil Holdsworth and co-driver Michael King, raced the sole RANGER RZR entry to the finish line in 19:49:30. Thirty-three miles into the race, the challenge of a loose, rocky incline brought the vehicles in front of Lindsay to a stand-still. When it was finally his turn, he blew through the obstacle with ease. The RANGER RZR did well through the sand washes, silt beds, whoops and everything the race threw its way.

"Being the first side-by-side to finish and win the Baja 500 UTV Class is a true testament to the quality and ability of the RANGER RZR," said Craig Scanlon, product line sales manager for the Polaris Side x Side Division. "We congratulate Mark Lindsay and his team for continuing to show the RANGER RZR can dominate even in the most extreme conditions."

When asked why he chose a RANGER RZR for the race, Lindsay responded, "For the Baja? This isn't farm work, you need a real machine out here."

Lindsay's team was sponsored by Afraidium Racing, FST, BS Sand, Iron City Polaris, Bronco Clutch, F2 Racing, HMF Exhaust, The Lindsay Group RE/MAX, MAXXIS tires, TireBalls, OMF Wheels and King shocks.

About Polaris
With annual 2007 sales of $1.8 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), including the Polaris RANGER(tm), snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry; and one of the largest manufacturers of ATVs in the world. Victory motorcycles, established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the motorcycle cruiser and touring marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PII," and the Company is included in the S&P Small-Cap 600 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

Honda's Tim Patnode joined us for a couple of days riding in Georgia's tight, wooded trails aboard the new TRX400EX. While we were there finding out what the new TRX400EX is all about we had great discussions about his past experience with the company and Honda's unique philosophy. In hanging out with Tim for those days, we learned some interesting things and knew that we should share them with you.

ATV Rider: While you're the newest addition to Honda's media group, you've worked for Honda for many years in a different role and understand the products better than most. Tell us a little about your background with Honda.

Tim Patnode: Essentially, the good experiences I had with Honda products led me to apply at Hinshaw's Honda in Auburn, Washington. They put me up front selling Honda motorcycles, ATVs and power equipment. The six years I spent there helped me land the District Sales Manager (DSM) position at American Honda where I was fortunate enough to have three different territories with large ATV markets. My experiences at the dealership and eight years as a DSM really opened my eyes to the many uses for ATVs beyond the recreational riding I was most familiar with.

ATVR: We appreciate your coming all the way to Georgia and riding the new Honda 400EX with us. What did you think about riding here in the south in comparison to the type of riding that you have in California?

TP: Riding with you here in Georgia is very similar to the woods riding I experienced in Washington. The abundance of trees make it very technical, however those cacti needles and rocks in the desert aren't something you want to brush into, either.

ATVR: Since I'm able to travel and ride all around the country, I'm aware of how varied the terrains can be and how differently machines handle in all these changing environments. Did the 400EX feel different out here to you than it did back on the West Coast?

TP: I understand what you mean, but in my opinion one of the best traits of the 400EX is how comfortable it is to ride. Even more so this year with the suspension changes and more room between the seat, pegs and handlebar. Whether I'm zooming up a sand dune, riding down a rocky desert trail or dicing though the trees with you in Georgia, the 400 makes it easy to get up the next day and do it again. The beauty of the TRX400EX is its size; powerful enough to have fun in wide-open spaces yet light and nimble enough to enjoy the ride when the trails get tight.

ATVR: We totally agree with you. Can you tell us about the improvements that the 400EX received for 2008 and why these improvements were made?

TP: The TRX400EX is one of our most popular sport ATVs ever, but we wanted to restyle and reach beyond current ATV appearances to keep demand high. For 2008, we gave it the most significant cosmetic makeover ever, but we didn't stop with the radical new appearance. Updates designed into the suspension and chassis components and a lighter clutch pull work together to increase operator comfort. This is especially important for a reliable trail machine where all-day rides are common.

ATVR: We thought that the restyling was great on the new 400EX. What part of the market or type of rider does Honda seek to reach with the new and improved 400EX?

TP: The TRX400EX is designed for riders 16 years and older who want a reliable, fun-to-ride sport four-wheeler that's easy to maintain and able to handle the trails whether you ride in Georgia or California.

ATVR: Over the past couple of days, I heard you mention on several occasions how much time and effort Honda puts into the research and development of its products. Can you expand on that?

TP: Well, the length of time a product spends in R&D doesn't necessarily indicate specific design challenges, but great care and time is taken to vet potential issues before production so the customer has a great ownership experience.

ATVR: Most ATV riders understand at least small portions of Honda's background, but in a nutshell, can you tell us a little about Honda's philosophy?

TP: Sure! Long before companies thought of "public relations" or had "mission statements" Soichiro Honda understood that for a company to be successful it had to respect the individual. It was out of this core belief that the Honda philosophy was born. Because of his belief in the importance of each individual, our goal is to provide joy to those who buy, sell and create our products and services. This also extends to society as a whole as Mr. Honda wanted his company to be a contributing, conscientious member of society-basically a company that everyone wants to exist.

Quad Racer R450

In 2006, Suzuki introduced the closest thing to a true motocross race quad ever produced. All of its predecessors were universal quads aimed for general trail riding purposes. The Suzuki, however, was released at nearly 50 inches wide-too wide for cross-country racing and for most East Coast trail riding but the perfect width for unleashing on a motocross track. While not being a full-blown MX race quad right off the showroom . oor, it's the closest a mass-produced quad has come. If you're at all familiar with dirt bike racing, you'll know that you can purchase a bike and race it in completely stock trim at a relatively high level of competition. ATVs, though for sure heading in that direction, have fallen slightly short over the years. The Suzuki is only lacking a handful of items that prevent it from being a competitive local moto-cross quad. So what we wanted to do is show you just how inexpensively and easily you could turn your LT-R into a racer capable of winning at the local level and, possibly, even nationally.

Suspension
The suspension on the 2006-'07 LT-R is just too painfully stiff! The rear shock is so rigid that it doesn't transfer the proper amount of weight to the rear tires so you don't get good hookup off of the corners. Aside from that, it's not very comfortable for long motos as it beats the crud out of the pilot. In 2008, the engineers addressed this issue by softening up the shocks' travel, and we admit that it's noticeably improved and a good enough performer for many recreational riders. The problem is that it still isn't good enough for competitive track use and can be a lot better even as a recreational quad. The travel is limited and the quality of travel is just not there. On a positive note, the LT-R's shocks are made with excellent hardware. Suzuki used a very long shock in the front, along with compression- and rebound-adjustable knobs and a very large-diameter shaft. Hardwarewise, this shock is better than 90 percent of the components offered in the aftermarket world. In order to inprove upon what we already had, we sent our stock shocks to TCS for some reworking and to maximize performance. TCS has the ability and knowledge to set them up for each and every rider's specific needs. We have worked and tested with TCS since the 2006 LT-R was released and have really been happy with the outcome. Here is what's needed on the LT-R: more travel and a multispring setup to give a plush, controlled ride, along with the proper valving to make it all work as it should. The TCS shocks do this and a lot more. TCS takes apart the stock shocks, then hard-anodizes the bodies to seal them. The aluminum bodies of the stock shocks can contaminate the oil when the piston rubs on the body wall wearing off some of the aluminum and throwing junk into the oil, which is a recipe for disaster. TCS then extends the shock travel to the same amount as you would run with an aftermarket shock, which puts you close to 12 inches of travel at each end. The shock is then valved and sprung according to each rider's weight, class of racing and type of riding/racing. Springs are also changed out and selected for rider application.

In the middle of this story and our testing, TCS was purchased by Race Tech. Race tech is known for its high-quality motorcycle suspension components. This will most likely prove to be a great program for the ATV industry. Race Tech offers do-it-yourself kits for suspension and valving kits for motorcycles and will most likely release packages for ATVs. Race Tech has hundreds of service centers so you'll be able to find a local shop to service ATV shocks. It also intends to offer the complete line of what was TCS shocks and expand that product line.

Nerf bars are mandatory for safety, and most MX tracks require them these days. So we slid on a set of IMS nerf bars along with an IMS front bumper to help prevent damage from collisions. We didn't go with any fancy Pro-pegs; we were trying to keep the cost at a minimum, and the stock pegs work very well. The stock pegs are in a good location and are wide enough. A good tip for the pegs are to sharpen the spikes for improved traction with a grinder and run 'em. Along the lines of things that are mandatory, we slipped on a Pro Design tether kill switch. This is all about safety and every racer should have one installed. We also yanked the headlight and slid in a Quad Tech nosepiece. It just gives it a better look and keeps you from breaking your headlight, as you might want to reinstall it if you're planning a night ride at some point.

Tire selection needs to be made depending on track conditions. When we were doing much of our suspension testing for this article, we spent two days at L.A. County Raceway. LACR is a very sandy track with some hardpack dirt. We just ran the stock tires and wheels, and arguably in these conditions they were working extremely well. When we tested at tracks with mostly hardpack dirt, we felt a different tire would be more appropriate for the conditions. We went with ITP MXR6 18x10-8 rear and 10x6-10 front which performed well and offered excellent traction in these conditions. We highly recommend a beadlock rear wheel for use with the 8-inch rim size. We didn't bother with beadlock fronts as it just adds weight, cost and a place for mud to collect. We ended going with an ITP rolled-edge front rim.

Power
Suzuki produced a very good stock package to work with, and it just hid the keys. In stock trim, the LT-R produced about 40 horsepower and doesn't rev. The only motor mod performed was adding the Big Gun M-80, pulling the plug out of the exhaust and removing the airbox lid. This bumped us up to nearly 50 horsepower and gave us the rev we needed to cut good lap times. It's an absolute night-and-day difference. What the Big Gun M-80 does is access a preprogrammed ignition curve along with a preprogrammed richer fuel curve. Once you get to the near 50-horsepower range, lap times are going to minimize for most riders. You could dump a bunch of cash into huge motor builds, but you won't drop your lap times much on most MX tracks. More motor may help in getting better starts, but that isn't necessarily always true. The 2008 model does have more bottom-end power and a little better power curve than the '06 and '07 models, but this entire package would work equally well on those older quads.

The bottom line is that we weren't looking for glitz or bling; our main objective on this project was to maximize function at a low cost. Suzuki built a great platform to work from and we just applied the essentials. Don't hesitate to build a racer the same way. Many get hooked into spending excessive amounts of money to build a cool-looking racer, but the name of the game is winning, not spending.

Tested And Approved
After our modifications were completed, the first time we hit the track, it became obvious our machine sat too low for a rough track. We were getting pounded everywhere. All we did was go back to our truck, flip the crossover spacer on the front, add some preload to the rear shock and our machine transformed into a phenomenal performer. We tested back-to-back against a $2500 set of aftermarket shocks, and our TCS/Race Tech reworked shocks were by far superior. We possibly could've spent more time trying to get the other shocks to work as well, but that wasn't our job for the day. The next day we headed out and spent time at a smooth well-groomed supercross style track. For this particular style of track, we lowered it and softened up the shocks a little. It's obvious that any suspension system will need to be tweaked depending on terrain and what track you're at, and our TCS/Race Tech reworked shocks offered plenty of tunability to dial them in for our needs. For $950 they're the bomb!

The tire choice was good and worked extremely well on our supercross test track. That track has a very hard surface, and the ITP tires hooked up as good as anything is going to on these hardpacked low-traction situations. The only thing we wanted to point out is the beadlocks. We got some dirt crammed into ours which caused the air to leak out. All we had to do was pull apart the beadlock and clean out all of the dirt and debris. We think it's a matter of the beadlock rings not being torqued properly. After running them a few times you might even want to retighten them along with all of your normal maintenance procedures.

We think the additions that we made to our LT-R450 allowed us to have an excellent-performing machine at a very low cost. We also think the suspension works so well and provides such a plush ride that it would make a great addition to a recreational rider's or even dune runner's setup. We let several people who normally run the stock setup at the tracks where we were testing ride our project quad. All of them were highly impressed with our low-budget racer and were immediately headed to Race Tech to get their stock shocks a makeover. It was kind of like getting second, third and fourth opinions. We nailed down the basics. If you have more budget after these mods, the order to spend a few extra bucks would probably be for a bar-even though the stock ones are comfortable, they aren't strong or cool-looking-a graphics kit and a pipe.

QuadRacer R450 Project
Race Tech Suspension (formerly TCS): 951/279-6655; http://www.racetech.com	Reworked stock suspension: $950
IMS/Roll: 800/237-9906; http://www.officialims-roll.com	Pro-Series nerf bars: $199.95; Intimidator Series MX bumper: $129.95
Big Gun Exhaust: 800/870-4461; http://www.biggunexhaust.com	M-80 power module: $39.95
Quad Tech: 949/859-7823; http://www.quadtech-atv.com	Plastic hood scoop nosepiece: $65
ITP Tires & Wheels: 909/390-1905; http://www.itptires.com	MXR6 10x6-10 front tires: $71.95 ea.; front wheels: $87.95 ea.; MXR6 18x10-8 rear tires: $66.95 ea.; rear beadlocks: $145.95 ea.

With the Mud Nationals and other great ATV events just around the corner, we felt that it was a good idea to help get you and your machines prepped and ready for mud. So rather than us coming up with tips, we turned this one over to the mud professionals at High Lifter. After all, you don't want to leave home expecting to service or repair something when you get to the event. There are way too many other things to see and experience while you're there. Instead of wasting time working on your machine and then seeking out a part you didn't bring, show up prepared and ready to have a good time. Plus, everyone will laugh at you if you roll in with a clapped-out quad.

Bottom line: Get every accessory and major assembly on your quad mechanically ready for heavy-duty service. While you may plan to just sit back and watch everyone else, you might change your mind when you see others jumping in the hole and having a blast. Come on, don't you want to have fun?

#1 Get The Manual
When performing any mechanical procedures, it's important to follow the manufacturer's recommended suggestions. Once you pull the part off the machine, the manual can guide you in getting everything put back into place and properly torqued. This could save you countless hours in the garage and allow more time for riding.

#2 Clean It Up
There are plenty of great reasons to clean up your quad. For one, it makes it easier to identify problems and to service your pride and joy when it's clean. So don't ride a quad that's dirty from your last ride. You can use Simple Green or any approved quad cleaner to help break loose dried mud and other particles. Stand your machine up and thoroughly clean the bottom. And one more thing, you don't want to show up to a ride event looking like a goon.

#3 Spraying Seals
Be careful spraying your pressure washer into the seals of your quad. You don't want water and dirt particles seeping into your seals and bearings. The moisture will cause rust that will eventually seize your moving parts. So be gentle when cleaning around the moving parts of your machine.

#4 Check The Frame
Sometimes it can be difficult to notice a bent or cracked frame while it's sitting on the ground. Stand the quad up and rest it on the rear grab bar so that you can get a good look at the bottom of the machine. If the frame doesn't appear to be straight, you may have a bent frame. Also, look for cracking paint on your frame; this could indicate a highly stressed area that could soon bend or break.

#5 Wipe The Airbox Clean
Clean out the airbox. Stick a clean, nonlint towel in the area where your filter draws air into the carburetor. This will assure you that no dirt and other particles fall in. Wipe all debris off of the sides and at the bottom of the airbox. Spray a little contact cleaner in there and thoroughly wipe it till it shines. Oh, and don't forget to pull out that clean towel before putting it back together.

#6 Service The Air Filter
It's wise to clean and service your air filter for the best possible performance of your motor. Thoroughly clean the filter without damaging it and set it aside to dry. Don't forget to oil it, spread a good bit of grease around the section that butts up to the airbox and then reinstall.

#7 Fuel Debris
Check your fuel. If your machine has been sitting for several months, it's a good idea to check for any debris collected at the bottom of the tank. Use a flashlight and shine it into the tank. If needed, drain the impure fuel and replenish with fresh fuel.

#8 Oil Maintenance
If you haven't changed your oil recently, it's important to drain the old stuff and replace it with fresh oil. Regularly changing the oil can add many great performing years to your quad. Be sure to check your manual for the proper oil weight and amounts.

#9 Replace The Oil Filter
And while you're changing your oil, it's a good idea to inspect the oil filter. If you keep to a proper maintenance schedule, it isn't necessary to change the filter at every oil change. But it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't overlook your oil filter.

#10 Drive Belt Tension
Inspecting the drive belt should be a regular maintenance procedure for all utility riders. Look for wear, such as glazing, cracks and obvious wear, which may mean you need a new belt. Also measure the tension or deflection of the belt. Not having the proper tension can result in a slipping belt, which means a loss of power.

#11 Inspect The Diferential Oil
It's a quick-and-easy inspection and it could save your ride if checked regularly. Locate the filler plug on both the front and rear differential and inspect the oil. If it's milky or dark colored, it's probably time to replace it.

#12 Top Off The Coolant
It may sound silly, but topping off your coolant can save you from an overheated motor. So if you don't want to be stranded, top off those fluids.

#13 Check Electrical Connections
Every now and then, it's a great idea to look over your electrical connections. Make sure all of the connections are properly pushed together and cleaned from unwanted dirt and debris.

#14 Jetting
For those with a traditional carburetor, it never hurts to carry a jet kit in your truck or trailer. When you arrive to an event or a ride location, you never know how temperatures and altitudes will affect your current jet settings.

#15 Electronic Fuel Injection
These days it seems we're seeing more and more fuel-injected machines, which means dialing in the perfect fuel and air mixture is made more difficult without an EFI modification module. There are many great retailers that carry these modules, so be sure to pick one up. Especially if you've modified your exhaust system.

#16 Inspect And Adjust Valves
In order to retain optimal performance from your motor, you should plan to inspect and adjust the valves in your machine. If you aren't an experienced mechanic, be sure to drop it off at your trusted local dealer. And if you choose to do it yourself, don't forget to seek the advice from your manual.

#17 Brake System
A properly functional braking system is one of the most important functions on your ATV. Pull each brake lever in order to determine its effectiveness. Also inspect the brake pads. If they're thin, it's time to hit the shop and pick up a new set. If you keep riding on worn pads, it will most likely destroy the costly rotors. Dirt and mud can wreak havoc on brake pads.

#18 Grease Moving Parts
If you can find grease zerks on your machine, it's important to grease them. You certainly don't want water and other particles working their way into your moving joints. It's OK to pack that grease in; it will help prevent water from entering in.

#19 Vavle Stem Leaks
If your tire is slowly leaking air and you've determined that there's no puncture, it could be your valve stem. To find out, spray a little soapy water around the valve stem. If it bubbles, there's your leak. Make sure the valve stem is properly seated on the rim and the fill valve is screwed all the way in.

#20 Bad Bearings
In order to check for bad bearings on your machine, stand it up on the rear grab bar. Start by shaking the wheels both top and bottom. If things don't feel tight but rather wiggle loosely, it's time to change out the bearings. Be sure to shake wheels top to bottom looking for any slack in the bearings and tie-rod ends.

#21 Check CV Boots
Check your CV boots for tears and grease leaks (water and grit will come in where the grease leaks out). If they have tears or leaks, replace them immediately. Also listen for a clicking noise as the CV joint rotates. If you hear the clicking, it means the joint needs service and may be near failure.

#22 Install A Snorkel
A lot of riding is done in relatively deep water (3-4 feet deep or more). It's not required as there are other trails and ways around them, but it's extremely tempting. This almost requires a snorkel kit and/or a good bit of judgment and restraint. That last few inches of depth in a mud hole can wreak havoc on an unprotected engine. If you think you may want to get in deep with the others, snorkel the airbox and transmission, carburetor and other small breather lines. If you choose not to snorkel, resolve to stay shallow and watch from a safer (mechanically) depth. Even a snorkel is intended as an insurance in the case of very brief creek crossings or such and not for extended cruising at periscope depths.

#23 Inspect Radiator
If you ride a water-cooled machine, this is an important tip. Do whatever is necessary to thoroughly clean your radiator from both sides before you go to the Mud Nationals. If you arrive with crud baked on your radiator, very little deep mud riding will be required before you quickly stop the airflow. Don't wait for the hot light, which usually comes on about a mile or so back in the woods. You'll then spend the rest of the day alternating between waiting for it to cool off and hunting a water hole to dunk it in.

#24 Winch Inspection
If you have a winch, clean all connections of corrosion, spool it out and respool neatly. This will help remove bird's nests and opportunities for kinking and a damaged cable. It's important to find out that it still works properly and is getting full power before you get stuck in a mud hole. While you're inspecting it, clean (scrape to bare metal) your battery connections and be sure it's fully charged.

#25 Tire Choice
If you still have stock tires and have been thinking of upgrading, this would be a good time if budget permits. Call a seller you trust who knows what works well in a good variety of conditions and can make a good recommendation for what works well. Don't just think Mud Nationals, but consider the conditions where you normally ride.

#26 Air Pressure Matters
Check the air pressure in your tires. About four psi gives the best traction and ride in wet conditions but is also more susceptible to unseating the bead if you hit a root or rock. That can be easily fixed, even on the trail with a small 12-volt compressor and a ratchet strap. If you choose a higher psi, such as 7-7.5 psi, beads are less likely to unseat.

#27 Winches Are For Winching
Avoid using a winch cable to jerk a stuck ATV out of the mud. The parts inside winches aren't engineered for that kind of sudden impact and will likely fail. The cable can also damage the ATV and seriously injure anyone in its path if it breaks. The best way to use a winch is to back off where you will be unspooling almost all of the cable (or use a snatch block). Tie off the rear of the ATV with the winch and lay a jacket or towel on the cable to slow it in case it breaks. Then winch the stuck vehicle out nice and slow.

#28 Waterproof Electrical Connections
If your ATV ever meets water, it's important to waterproof the electrical connections. Generously grease all spark plug boots and electrical connections on your quad with dielectric grease in order to protect against water. If your machine chugs or even dies when you cross water or mud holes, this might correct your problem.

#29 Protection From The Elements
If you enjoy sinking your quad in lots of deep mud and water, particularly if you aren't accustomed to it, you might want to grab a set of waders. We prefer the reinforced corduroy nylon, which helps minimize snagging and punctures and keeps you dry and well protected from the waist down.

#30 Protect Your Feet
Protection should be the first thing on our minds when riding, and taking care of our feet and ankles are no-brainers. Be sure to wear a good boot with proper ankle support and a thick sole. We're not suggesting motocross boots, but a boot that will protect your feet if you run over them or flip your machine on them.

#31 Take It Easy
Not every mud hole is the same depth or difficulty. Watch the lines that others have chosen before you pick yours. However, just because a bike with a lift kit and aggressive mud tires made it through without drama doesn't mean the less-equipped machine will make it through the same hole.

#32 Know The Hole
When crossing a wide expanse of mud and water, pay close attention to visible vegetation. The bottom will be a little firmer around vegetation because of the root systems.

#33 Momentum Is Good
When you start in a bad hole where you're confident about the water depth, use low range and enough throttle not to bog the motor and lose momentum. When you lose that forward progress and are dragging the bottom of your ATV, you're very likely to get stuck. On the other hand, if you keep the engine high in the powerband, you'll have a good chance of making it through.

#34 Body English
If you're in a mud hole and begin to slow because the ATV bottom is dragging (high centered), put all of your weight on one floorboard (both feet on that side) to get one side down in contact with the bottom and taking weight off the other side. A good set of tires will generally pull you through if one side is in contact with the bottom of ruts.

#35 Getting Through
If you get dangerously deep in water and decide the best course of action is to continue forward, shift your weight to the rear of the machine. It's OK, you can put your feet on the rear rack. Pull up on the handlebar as if doing a wheelie and add a little throttle. This will allow you to pick up the front end and airbox out of the water. By doing that you can go through water that's deeper than you can when the machine is level. Note if it's not too late, the best approach is to stop and attempt to back out before you sink the ATV and get pulled home.

#36 Be Prepared
Take extra oil with you on rides. If you sink your bike, pull it to dry ground without attempting to start the engine. Drain the crankcase, remove the spark plug and turn the engine over until fluids have stopped discharging. Check the airbox for water and drain if necessary. Add fresh oil, a dry spark plug to get it running again and take it back to camp. An even better approach is to pull the quad to camp, do the above at camp and change the oil several times with a short period of idle in between each change.

#37 Keep That Radiator Clear
Keep the radiator cleaned throughout the day. If you enjoy jumping in mud holes on a regular basis, find a way to spray a higher pressure stream of water on the radiator to clean it while on the trail. Take it with you to deal with mud-restricted fins and hot lights. High Lifter sells a small pump kit for this that plugs in the cigarette lighter and is about the size of a softball. Or something similar will work, but you know what they say, "Don't leave home without it."

#38 No Chains, Please!
Another "Don't leave home without it" tip is a good tow strap or towrope. Don't be a part of a tow situation with a chain. Chains break and can hurt people and damage parts on both the puller and the pulled quad. Always attach straps low, about the height of the axles. If rack height attachment is used, half of the force is wasted trying to pull, as much force goes to pick up front ends of the pulling machine or rear end of the ATV being pulled. With a towrope low, all is avoided.

#39 Small 12-Volt Air Compressor
If you knock off your bead or need to fix a flat while out on the trail, you'll need a way to air it back up. Some people use CO2 or a hand pump, but we prefer the air compressor as it's faster and more reliable. Don't get stuck with a flat.

#40 Basic Tool Set
Most ATVs come stocked with a small tool set. If room allows, it's always a good idea to carry a few extra necessities. Don't forget to pack wrenches, Allen wrenches, screwdrivers and whatever else you may need when confronted with a problem out on the trail.

#41 Extra Spark Plugs
You never know when you'll foul or douse your spark plug, leaving you sitting on the side of the trail helpless. Pack an extra spark plug, it just might save you from sitting around all day.

#42 Extra Drive Belt
Hopefully before you head out, your drive belt will be inspected, adjusted and ready to roll. But you never know for sure when it will go. Keep an extra drive belt around in case you experience the unexpected.

#43 Extra Gloves
Dry sets of gloves are always welcome when the ones you're wearing are wet and filled with dirt and grime. The dirt and grime can eat away at your hands and abrade your skin. So throw an extra set in the storage area to be safe.

#44 Jumper Cables
Even though jumper cables can take up a large amount of room on your quad, it could help you get it started when your battery runs out of juice.

#45 Fuses
Running through water and mud holes, you're likely to pop a fuse at some point. Carry a couple of extra fuses with you.

#46 Flashlight
You never know when you'll get stranded and find yourself in the dark of night. It doesn't hurt to have a flashlight nearby.

#47 Mosquito dope
For those of us who do a lot of riding in wet conditions, you'll want to keep with you something that will keep the mosquitoes away.

#48 Ratchet Strap
There's more than one reason to have a ratchet strap handy at all times. A ratchet strap can help you pop on a dismounted bead or tie something down that needs to be carried back to camp.

#49 Tire Sealant Or Plugs
Somewhat self-explanatory, be sure to carry a tire sealant and/or some tire plugs. If you get a flat, this will help you limp back to camp.

#50 Zip-Ties
There are probably a thousand and one ways you can use zip-ties. Whether you use them for tightening up loose plastic because of a lost bolt or securing your extra tools, be sure to carry a handful of these.

2008 High Lifter Mud Nationals
What You Should Expect
If you've sat out the past few years and heard all of the great stories about the High Lifter Mud Nationals, this is your year to experience the adventure. It's not too late, don't sit at home wondering if the trip to deep east Texas is worth the drive, because we can tell you that it's worth every mile. And for those few who've never heard of it, Mud Nationals is to utility ATVers what Sturgis is to Harley riders. If you're into huge quads and deep bottomland where you can ride any type of terrain (muddy or dry) you wish, then this event is for you! The very first High Lifter Mud Nationals was held in 2003 in response to members' requests from the www.highlifter.com forums. That event drew in 1500 quad enthusiasts and has since grown to almost 13,000 riders in 2007. People come from all over the country and Canada to witness this event.

If we've talked you into making the trek or you planned on it anyway, here's what you need to know:

The 2008 Mud Nationals will be held at Mud Creek Off-Road Park near Jacksonville, Texas, about 90 miles southwest of High Lifter's home in Shreveport, Louisiana. The park is comprised of some of the most beautiful woods, creek bottoms, rolling hills and pastures for great riding, camping and family-style fun. And if that isn't enough to spawn some outdoor action for you and your family, this is the time of year when dogwoods, honeysuckles and crape myrtles are in full bloom and the greenery takes over.

Oh, and have we mentioned mud? This event is where you'll see the biggest, baddest mudders on the planet as well as some great trail riding. Daily contests are planned for those who want to compete for the big prize. It's also great for those who want to watch as the big boys (and medium boys) and, yes, plenty of ladies try to prove they have the toughest machine in their class. They'll have the SuperTrapp Mud Bog, the Mud-A-Cross track and many other competitions. There will be a poker run with loads of prizes, a Bad-To-The-Bone competition where the crowd will vote on the baddest machine. You're even likely to see ATVs mounted up with Harley motors and huge, gnarly tractor tires along with crazy paint schemes. And to top it all off, you can experience amazing demonstrations of high-flying freestyle ATV jumps.

As they say down South, "Ya'll come, it's gonna be a happenin' " at the 2008 High Lifter Mud Nationals.

When: April 2-6, 2008
Where: Mud Creek Off-Road Park near Jacksonville, Texas For more information:
http://www.highlifter.com

CYPRESS, Calif. - May 28, 2008 - Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., maker of the toughest, most capable ATV and Side-by-Side (SxS) vehicles, is proud to announce that the Yamaha Raptor 250 and Raptor 250 SE were recently named Consumers Digest Best Buys in the Sport ATV category.

Yamaha's new Raptor 250 has raised the bar in entry-level sport ATVs. Unlike competing models, which are typically modified from a utility ATV base, the Raptor 250 was built as a sport machine from the ground-up providing superior performance for new or experienced riders (not recommended for riders under 16-years-old).

The Raptor 250 and Raptor 250 SE were both selected as Best Buys in the Economy sub-category. This rating designates products that provide the essential performance capabilities but with minimal or no added features allowing for an advantageous price to cost-conscious consumers. Economy Best Buys reflect top-notch yet no-frills equipment - and with snappy power and handling that matches sport quads twice the price, the Yamaha Raptor 250 units offer exactly that.

The standards used to determine the Best Buys in ATVs were based on performance, ease-of-use, features and reliability. A documentation checklist was completed as backup to support each Best Buy recommendation. The checklist must include at least three of the following Best Buy sources: personal testing by the author; independent testing at a research facility; reports from governmental agencies, other independent technical expert testing, retail establishments, service outlets, Consumers Digest readers and other consumer surveys; or previously published evaluations in print media.

Consumers Digest Best Buys are model-specific, extremely selective and divided into discrete product categories. These products represent outstanding quality and value in the marketplace, and on average, a Consumers Digest Best Buy is awarded to fewer than three percent of the competing models in any give product category.

"The Raptor 250 combines Yamaha's leading innovation and design with our top quality engineering and manufacturing," said Steve Nessl, Yamaha's ATV/SxS marketing manager. "Everyone here at Yamaha is honored to be acknowledged as a Consumers Digest Best Buy in our category."

The Raptor 250 and Raptor 250 SE both offer a 249cc air-cooled SOHC four-stroke single engine that produces a broad, deep powerband. As one of the lightest production sport ATVs ever built, the machine offers superior handling and a great power-to-weight ratio. Additionally, the Raptor 250 and Raptor 250 SE offer the longest suspension travel and lowest seat height in its class for true sport handling. The Raptor 250 is available in Gray/Red or Yamaha Team Blue/White. The Raptor 250 SE is available in Black with a special graphics package, or Black/Orange with GYTR heel guards and GYTR front grab bar. Both SE models offer additional features including adjustable front brake levers and bright LED taillights.

About Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), a leading distributor and manufacturer in the motorsports market, builds the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company's ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, race kart engines, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of more than 4,000 dealers in the United States.

Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1977, YMUS also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. For more information on Yamaha, visit http://www.yamaha-motor.com.

You finally saved up all your pennies to create the Picasso of all ATVs. New exhaust system, A-arms, axle and shocks are all installed and the beauty is ready to ride. So now what? Get rid of the huge pile of parts next to it. How, you ask? Throw it in the trash? Well, if you do that, you might as well dump your wallet into the same garbage bin.

We've all had a pile like this at some point in time. Almost brand-new parts that have nothing wrong with them, other than the fact that you can't go as fast as you'd like. You can throw them away, or you can put that money back into your pocket. As the old saying goes, "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

Look around the next time you go to your favorite riding spot. Not everyone has to have the latest and greatest bolt-on goodies. One thing is for certain, though: Parts do break (hey, almost everyone crashes at some point). The easy solution? Visit the local dealer and order new parts. The biggest problem with that is the amount of money you'll be shelling out for those replacement pieces. This is where our good friend, the Internet, comes into play. With a little research, people can find high-quality used parts with little to no time on them and pay about half of what a brand-new item would cost.

If you have Internet access, start by checking out various "classified-type" websites. One of the most popular and user-friendly is eBay (www.eBay.com). Through eBay, you can buy and sell old or new items anywhere in the world. For a minimal fee, this site lets you post pictures and include a description of your item, as well as allowing you to host the auction. You would be amazed at how much money your new paperweights may bring you!

Another website that's becoming increasingly popular is Craig's List (www.craigslist.org). Primarily utilized to advertise deals within your local geographic area, you can post an ad on its website for free. This concept is very similar to listing an ad in the newspaper. There's a perk to posting something on Craig's List versus a plain listing in the classified section of your neighborhood paper. This site allows you to post a few pictures to go with your ad, which can really make or break a deal. If you decide to go with Craig's List, you will need to write a thorough description of the item. It's also highly recommended to repost your ad on a daily basis to maximize its visibility factor. Also, be prepared to field multiple e-mails and phone calls from potential buyers.

Last but not least, browse online ATV or off-road forums. Almost every ATV website or club has some kind of section devoted to the buying and selling of ATV parts. Be creative in your search. If you think someplace "may" sell used parts, then look into it! The money you put back into your pocket is only limited by the amount of time you invest in your own research.

Once you've completed your research and determined which site you want to use to sell your parts, take a moment to inventory everything you have. This will make it easier to keep track of everything you're selling. Keep in mind that if you're planning to use an auction-type method to sell your parts, like eBay, don't list them somewhere else. This will ensure that you don't sell the same part to two different people and get put in a bind.

The next step is one of the most important steps of all-clean your parts! I'm not saying to completely disassemble and rebuild everything that you're selling. Just take some time to wipe off all of the grease build-up, dust and dirt that has accumulated over time. If you were looking to buy something used, would you buy from Seller A, who had cleaned their parts to show as much detail as possible, or from Seller B, whose parts looked like they had been lying out in the backyard for the past year?

Once the parts are clean, lay them out on a clean background for your photos. I usually go to the local drugstore and pick up a few sheets of black or white construction paper. Whatever color you select, you want to ensure that your parts stand out. Also, be sure that you haven't included any additional parts in the picture unless they go with the specific item you're selling. You don't want anything to clutter up your pictures, nor do you want people to think they're getting a "free gift with purchase." When it comes to the photos, imagine yourself as a potential buyer when you're taking the pictures. What sort of pictures would you find most appealing?

The next, and possibly most important step in selling your parts on the Internet, is your description. Tell it like it is. If the paint is chipped off or there are dings in parts like pipes and A-arms, let the buyers know. They know they're looking at used parts. Not everyone is expecting a part in showroom condition. There's nothing worse than having to deal with a disgruntled customer who feels they've been wronged. This will only generate more work for you in the end.

Now that you're ready to start selling, pull up a comfy chair in front of the computer and take your time. Once you enter your description and post your pictures, double-check everything before you post your listing. If you made a mistake, correct it before posting the ad. Be sure to post your listings in the evenings. You want people to be home and unoccupied, allowing them plenty of time to peruse and/or purchase your items. Another helpful tip is to prepackage your items for shipping. In the event someone asks you how much shipping will cost, you'll already know what size box you'll be using and how much it will weigh when you go to calculate it. That could save you a ton of time.

Once you finish submitting your listings, sit back and answer questions when they come in. In no time, you will see how much your not-so-hard work pays off. You will gain garage space as the parts start to disappear and the dollars start to flow back into your pocket.

Now, if you find yourself staring at a dozen spare parts but don't have the time to sell them all, don't freak out. There are numerous companies that will handle everything for you. They'll even take the pictures and ship your items for a percentage of the profit. You don't get as much on your return, but you do save time and still get to fill your pockets with a little extra dough.

So the ball is in your court now. Whichever method you choose, you'll score some cash on your used items and free up some room in your garage. Hey, maybe you can use that space to store your new toys! The possibilities are endless!

KTM/FRE rider Tim Farr tallied a historic second-place overall finish riding a KTM 525 XC ATV at the Erzberg Iron Road Prologue in Austria over the weekend in front of 15,000 race-crazed European spectators.

Farr, a 13-time ATV Pro National Champion, competed against a world renowned field of 1,500 dirt bike and ATV riders on the "Iron Giant", an intimidating iron ore mountain that has been created from 100 years of mining operations.

Farr's historic finish at Iron Mountain, a treacherous race that closely resembles Pikes Peak, was 60 places better than any previous ATV competitor had recorded in the 14 year history of the event. Farr was on the starting line with many distinguished KTM factory dirt bike riders including: multi-time Enduro World Champion Juha Salminen, Dakar winner Cyril Despres and two-time winner of Erzberg's notorious Red Bull Hare Scramble, Taddy Blazusiak.

It was Farr's first appearance at the Erzberg Rodeo, an event he said he had been following with interest for several years. "I've always wanted to come here and compete. I was pleasantly surprised to run with the front runners and I definitely want to come back to Erzberg again," Farr said at the post race press conference.

The Erzberg Iron Road Prologue consists of two days of time trials on 11.2 miles of high speed mining road that climbs 2,300 feet in elevation with 100-foot cliffs on each side of the road. Day one of qualifying narrows the 1,500-rider field down to 500 competitors for the second day of time trials. Farr's first day success on the KTM 525 XC ATV set him up nicely for a historic second place overall finish of 9:12.41, just 10 seconds off the pace of the overall winner.

Now Farr shifts his focus back to the U.S. and his KTM/FRE ATV GNCC race team consisting of riders Adam McGill and Taylor Kiser. The team heads to Sparta, Ky., this weekend with KTM's McGill leading the XC-1 Pro class standings ahead of his teammate Kiser, who sits in a respectable sixth place as the series nears its mid-point at Round 7 this Saturday.

Iron Road Prologue Results
1. Antoine Letellier, France, Aprilia, 09:02.655
2. Tim Farr, USA, KTM ATV, 09:12.41
3. Rudi Poeschl, Austria, KTM, 09:16.
4. Juha Salminen, Finland, KTM, 09:18.33
5. Cyril Despres, France, KTM, 09:22.5
6. Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, KTM, 09:23.79

We finally got our hands on the all-new Yamaha Raptor 700 and headed out for the first-thrashing at Glamis. Here are a handful of "No-Hander's" best shots for you to wallpaper your screen with.

Watch for the full test on the 2006 Raptor 700 in the pages of ATV Rider!

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As we quickly descended over Kauai for a swift landing, we were more than ready to embark upon the greatest tropical adventure we'd ever experienced. After spending the last 10 hours packed tightly in that extremely small area which airlines insist on calling a "seat," I was ready to experience things that were new, inspiring and different from my usual routine. This was going to be a trip of a lifetime and that made every minute crammed aboard the plane worth it. We were gearing up to explore Hawaii, but not the Hawaii most people think of, with endless resorts as far as the eye can see and thousands of tourists packed along the beachfronts. No, I'm talking about the real Hawaii where thick jungles canopy over tight, winding trails, waterfalls gush over mountain ledges and enormous mountaintops disappear in gray, hazy clouds . oating over lush green . elds. That's the real Hawaii, and we couldn't wait to get mounted up and begin exploring one of the most breathtaking places on Earth.

Once we arrived we had two objectives to knock out. The . rst was to get Adam Campbell, our photographer, a bowl of poke (pronounced poe-key), which is raw cubed cuts of fresh tuna, marinated in a tasty sauce and mixed with chopped onions. Adam somehow convinced me into sampling it as well. After all, I did want to try new things on this trip and eating raw . sh wasn't part of my usual diet. If you ever dare to try it for yourself, you can easily . nd it in just about any supermarket in Hawaii, as it's a favorite among locals. I have to say, the marinade was quite delectable, but it was a little dif. cult for me to get past the . eshy consistency of the, gulp, uncooked . sh. Maybe 10 minutes on the grill, and I would've been a happy camper. Adam, on the other hand, downed it like a ferocious hungry shark that hadn't eaten for days (it was kind of brutal to watch, actually). Now that our bellies were full of raw . esh, it was time to hook up with our new bud, Antone Teves, the owner of Kipu Ranch Adventures. Antone was kind enough to loan us a couple of his rental machines for a week, so that we could explore the Princeville Ranch owned by Karin Guest and her family for a couple of days before hooking back up for our much-anticipated ATV tour at Kipu Ranch Adventures.

We were for sure anxious to get these machines rolling so our adventure through the mysterious natural lands of Kauai could begin. The sun was out, the air was fresh and we were all in high spirits. But before we could get started, we needed to . nd shelter. From a previous visit made to Kauai, Adam knew of a handful of beautiful cottages with extraordinary views of massive mountains, a gold-colored beachfront and lush, green landscapes that are littered with palm and various fruit trees. It's a little tropical paradise and I fully expected to hear Tattoo scream out "de plane, de plane" when we arrived. These cottage rentals were located just off the North Shore in a town called Hanalei, which is probably one of the coolest small beach towns that I've ever visited in my life. In fact, it's so remote that you'll have to cross over a one-lane bridge just to get to it. Now that's what I'm talking about.

The locals in this town are extremely friendly and laid-back. And if you're lucky, they just may ask you over for a Hawaiian-style barbecue, throw down a few cold ones and talk smack over a plate of fresh fish. And that's exactly what we did. A couple of the guys tried convincing us to relax and go with the . ow. I guess it was obvious that we'd brought along with us the fast-paced city vibe, which is kind of taboo in these parts. And it made sense to me, as it's common for mainlanders to live pretty fast-paced lives and not even realize it. It's important to slow down from time to time and enjoy the now. As we began to chill and relax, we really enjoyed soaking up the awesome vibe of Hawaii and its people. After eating some great food, telling a few lies and learning that Tattoo wasn't actually a real person even though much of the show "Fantasy Island" was . lmed on this very island, it was about time to wind down for the day. We knew the next few days would be packed with a ton of riding, so we took a quick walk down the beach and then hit the sack. I slept like a baby, as the sound of waves crashing on the beach all night long was so peaceful. It was such a relaxing time and a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The next morning we awoke to a breathtaking sunrise and a strong desire to get going, as today we would be visiting Princeville Ranch for a privately guided tour from Jeff and Karin Guest. On this ranch, the family train horses and raise cattle among other things. Karin's brother David, for example, runs a great operation for visitors who want to experience an adventure-. lled day while on the island. Here, you can experience a ton of cool things, such as a Jungle Valley Adventure ride aboard kayaks, a hike to one of Kauai's many waterfalls or a zip line expedition. We opted out of the Princeville Ranch Adventures due to our lim- ited time and our huge desire to experience Hawaii on ATVs, but it was surely dif. cult to pass it up. Instead, Karin showed us around the ranch in her Kawasaki Mule. It was amazing-the daily chores she could accomplish using the Mule around the farm. She introduced us to a couple of her horses and we helped feed them. Karin then showed us some awe-inspiring views of green pastures and vast mountains. We were also lucky enough to try out some of Karin's killer guacamole. The avocados are grown right here on the ranch and are picked fresh; it was so much better than any guacamole I'd had in the past. Wow, what an incredible place to spend your days.

The next morning we awoke to another perfect sunrise. Jeff was kind enough to show us the rugged side of riding the ranch. He guided us through extremely dif. cult level trails that were enveloped in thick, jungle vegetation. The color of the vegetation was remarkably vibrant, while the terrain became extremely challenging. We climbed up steep mountainsides, tackled Bigfoot-size ruts and stopped to take in the occasional awesome sight of the land where you could see countless waterfalls spilling off the sides of the mountains. It's funny, because I could've died and gone to heaven just after this ride, but we had only barely begun exploring Kauai; our most-anticipated ride was yet to come.

For days, we had been anxiously awaiting the tour of Kipu Ranch with owner Antone and his crew. Kipu Ranch isn't a place where only a select few lucky people can take private rides; it's actually a place where anyone seeking this type of adventure can visit. Antone and his crew's mission is to make people's fantasies of riding and seeing the hidden beauty and wildlife that Kauai has to offer come true. And I must say, it was every bit of a fantasy become a reality for me.

Kipu Ranch is nestled deep inside a 3000-acre property that extends from the Huleia River to the top of Mount Haupu. One of the cool things to know about this property is that it's been home to many major movies due to its extremely unique beauty and vibrant vegetation- most notably films like Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. And after seeing this place for myself, it's totally understandable as to why they would choose this as a filming location. It's probably one of the most colorful, lush and unique places (while being accessible) on the planet. Kipu Ranch actually looks like a foreign land. You know, a world that you might only see in the movies. Go figure.

As we began gearing up and preparing for our ride, we got a big surprise. Paul Maderas, who just happens to be Hawaii's top ATV Motocross Champion, showed up and decided to ride with us for the day. What a great guy! After talking to him, we decided that we'd have to get back to Hawaii sometime in the near future to check out its fast-growing motocross scene. But until then, we'd be tackling the ranch with Paul on utility ATVs and side-by-sides. For people who are interested in touring the ranch, two types of vehicles are offered: you can ride a two-up Can-Am 400 or a Yamaha Rhino 660 that seats up to four. These machines are practically brand-new and are kept in mint condition by the ranch mechanics. Before they let you go, you'll also have to show off your skills to the staff so that they can judge your experience level as a rider. Any training that's needed will be performed just before you head out on the trails.

Antone gave us the quick rundown on the pretraining program, and then we set off for one of the most amazing rides ever. Right off the bat, the scenery left me speechless as it opened up into huge pastures with rolling hills surrounded by awesome mountain ranges. These mountains are so tall that their caps disappeared into the eerie, dark clouds above our heads. Unlike our first few days on the island, we were experiencing a good bit of rain this day. When most people think of Hawaii, they think of continuous sunshine. But the fact is, this kind of beauty and vibrant color is made possible by large amounts of rain. In fact, Kauai receives more than 400 inches of rain every year, which makes it one of the wettest places on earth. But it was no problem for us as we had the option of four-wheel-drive. And this is yet another great reason to explore this island aboard ATVs. There was only one negative about the whole experience. Where there is wet weather, there are mosquitoes-and lots of them. I've never had so many red bumps on my body in my life. So an important note to self, don't forget the insect repellent, or you'll surely regret it!

All of a sudden, Antone makes a hard right off the main trail that we'd been on. As we all followed, we left the wide-open landscapes and began entering tight, winding trails that were canopied by strange but beautiful vegetation. It became fairly dark as all of the trees and vines began blocking off the sunlight. It was as if we were riding inside of a cave formed from a variety of colorful plants and trees. This place looked exactly like Jurassic Park, and it was almost creepy thinking that some raptor might leap from behind a tree and snatch us up. It also proved to be one of the more difficult trails that we'd seen on the ranch with slippery roots, nasty off-cambers and ledges that you'd never want to ride off of. The riding was just absolutely incredible! As we continued along, we came across wild boar, herds of cows and even a few little piglets. There was always something interesting to see around each corner.

Toward the end of our day, we stopped to relax in front of an incredible gushing waterfall that's in fact part of the normal tour given by Kipu Ranch Tours. We chilled back, ate a few cookies and enjoyed what I consider to be one of the most peaceful and relaxing places I have ever been. The folks at Kipu Ranch Adventures are great people and love to show their guests an unforgettable time. After our ride, we packed up our things and thanked the crew at Kipu Ranch for showing us what they're all about.

Now that we'd packed in all of the riding that we could possibly do before we left Hawaii, there was still one thing that I wanted to try. I had never surfed before, and with only a few hours of sunlight left, I was going to give it a shot. Adam and I hooked up with a good friend and local surfer Chris Hoy, who filled me in on how to surf. Adam and I stared at these waves and thought, "No way!" So I got out in the water, laid down on the board and began paddling as the wave was fast approaching. All of a sudden, my speed picks up and the board lifted from the water. I quickly popped to my feet and somehow managed to hang onto it all the way to the beach on my very. rst try. What a freakin' rush!

This journey to Kauai was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It's great to get out and take meaningful adventures from time to time. It helped me appreciate life a little more than I already did and managed to break up the monotonies of daily living. If it were at all possible for you, I would recommend you try designing a trip like this for your friends and family. It was some of the greatest riding of my life and an experience I will not soon forget.

ATVR'S Kauai Travel Guide
We want to urge our readers to design adventures and experience riding new places. If you're interested in taking the same awesome trip to Kauai that we did, then everything you need to know is below. We also encourage customizing your adventure to perfectly meet your personal needs and wants, and there are a million ways to do so. Take what you need from our trip, and go make Kauai an ATV destination for yourself. You don't have to do it like we did, but you could!

Kipu Ranch Adventures
Ultimate ATV tours
808/246-9288;
http://www.kiputours.com

Princeville Ranch
Outdoor adventures
888/955-7669;
http://www.adventureskauai.com

Hanalei Land Co.
Best cottages on Kauai
888/900-1454;
http://www.hanaleiland.com

Hawaiian Airlines
Inter-Island And U.S. Mainland .FIights
800/367-5320;
http://www.hawaiianair.com

Naminori House
Housing options
866/606-NAMI;
http://www.naminorihouse.
http://kauaistyle.com

William Yokley finished 5th Overall today in Ohio in very muddy conditions. There were 265 total entries with 22 XC1 Pro Riders. Team Rider Mark Notman finished 20th Overall and 2nd in the 34 rider XC2 Pro Am Class.

Summary

We headed to Ohio on Friday and arrived to find heavy rain and chilly temps. Millfield is near Athens Ohio, which is a cool little college town and a scenic part of the state. This track is a blast to ride under normal conditions, but it never seems to be that way; it's either extreme mud or dust. We prepared for a mud race which seems to be happening pretty regularly this season.

The rains stopped and the sun came out on race day and I thought that the conditions would be better by the afternoon race, but the track never did improve and was super muddy. We have been racing GNCCs at Millfield for many years, and the thick Ohio clay sticks to you and your machine adding huge amounts of weight. The course has fast trails, tight woods sections, and runs a portion of the Sunday Creek Motocross Track which is always a lot of fun.

The starter dropped the flag and I got a decent start going into the woods in 6th place, and made my way to 4th fairly quickly. Taylor Kiser and I both wanted the same line and I was going too fast to back out; I came out on the short end of the stick when my front end clipped a tree. I was only down for a brief moment, but I dropped back to 9th place. I ruined my goggles while trying to make up time, and had to pit for a fresh pair dropping me back to mid pack. My bike had so much mud on it that it felt and handled like a concrete mixer with flat tires!

I told myself to calm down and concentrate because the easiest thing to do when this stuff happens is to get overly excited and screw up even more, and besides, everybody is in the same boat with me. Once I calmed down and got into a rhythm, things started picking up for me. The track was pretty tough with lapped traffic being worse than normal, creating many bottlenecks. This actually worked to my advantage, as I just slowed down and tried to pick the best lines, as well as having some luck for a change. There were so many things which happened today that by the finish, I had no idea where I placed; I just know there were bikes all over everywhere, some running and some not. I rolled into the pits and everyone seemed excited; I was wondering why they were so happy, and then they told me I finished in 5th which was a nice surprise. I was pleased because like I said, I really didn't know where I was with all the mayhem.

My teammate Mark Notman had a great day and made it on the podium with a 2nd place finish in the Pro Am class. His day started with decent start in 12th place, and worked his way up to 8th at the end of lap 1. Even stalling his bike a couple of times, he was able to work his way up to 6th on lap 3 and to 3rd on lap 5. The mud and ruts were getting worse but he rode smart and used his head dealing with the many bottlenecks. Two miles from the finish on lap 6, there was a huge traffic jam with bikes everywhere; he passed for 2nd place and a spot on the podium!

It was a good day for the National Guard Team. Now we go home and start cleaning all this Ohio clay off of everything and get ready for Sparta KY in three weeks. Sparta is considered a home track for me and I'm looking forward to racing there. The National Guard is planning to have some neat exhibits and interesting things there for the fans. See you there!

William on the gas in the Ohio mud!

Yokley Racing Team Sponsors are: The Army National Guard, Rocky Mountain ATV, Polaris Industries, ITP Tires, Elka Suspension, Roll Design, HMF Exhaust Systems, IMS/Roll, Tire Balls, Andrews Cycle, Douglas Wheel Technology, Baldwin Motorsports, CGR, O'Neal Clothing, Panolin Lubricants, IMS, Hinson, 317 Graphics, Intense Fabrication & Design, Tsubaki Chains, Hardkor, Shoei Helmets, Axcalibar Axles, Streamline, Powermadd, Moto Pro Training, and KG Clutch Factory.

Millfield, OH - FRE KTM riders Adam McGill and Taylor Kiser finished second and third respectively at the 6th round of the ATV GNCC Series.

The 6th round, also known as the John Penton Classic, marked a very successful day for both KTM riders. McGill got a great jump and rounded the first turn in third position off the start. His teammate, Kiser, was a few spots back in seventh. By the end of the first lap McGill had moved into second and Kiser was sitting right behind him in third.

"I was sitting comfortably in third until I got tangled with a lapped rider," commented Kiser. "Fortunately, we (the top three) had pulled a big enough lead that I was able to untangle and enter the race only losing one position." With one lap to go, Kiser caught Matt Smiley who had moved into third while Kiser was down, and passed him to take the last podium position. Kiser finished third, behind his teammate McGill who rode a solid race to take home second overall.

With six rounds down McGill still holds the series points lead over Bill Balance. The points earned at this round helped Kiser move up to sixth in overall points.

Next Event: The Spartan - Spart, KY - May 31, 2008

Overall Results:
1. Bill Balance
2. Adam McGill - KTM
3. Taylor Kiser - KTM
4. Matthew Smiley
5. William Yokley
6. Ryan Lane
7. Bryan Baker
8. Johnny Gallagher
9. Chris Borich
10. Donald Ockerman

Overall Series Points:
1. Adam McGill - 131
2. Bill Balance - 122
3. Bryan Cook - 100
4. Chris Borich - 100
5. Brandon Sommers - 98
6. Taylor Kiser - 88
7. William Yokley - 88
8. Matthew Smiley - 78
9. Ryan Lane - 74
10. Donald Ockerman - 63

The first round of the CMR series went off with a bang! If you weren't there, you should definitely consider hitting up round two. For more information, visit www.championshipmudracing.com.

Be sure to check out the September issue of ATV Rider Magazine for the full story complete with stunning photos.

Complete competition results from Texas Mudfest, May 1-4, 2008:

2008 ITP CMR Mud Tour Presented by Can-Am

Texas Mudfest

May 1-4, 2008

Competition Results

SwampCross

Class 1

1st Place - Mark Wise, Team Gander Mountain, Can-Am Outlander 500

2nd Place - Adam Ladner, Competition Sports, Can-Am Outlander 500

3rd Place - Russell Coker, Team Gander Mountain, Can-Am Outlander 400

Class 2

1st Place - Aaron Sporna, Team Bad Company, Kawasaki Prairie700

2nd Place - David Smith, Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am, Can-Am Outlander 800

3rd Place - Russell Coker, Team Gander Mountain, Can-Am Outlander 650

Open/Pro

1st Place - Russell Coker, Team Gander Mountain, Can-Am Outlander 800

2nd Place - Clint Adams, Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am, Can-Am Outlander 800

3rd Place - Michael Johnson, Team Steel Horses, Arctic Cat 700 H1

Youth Class ATV Mud Bog

Mini 1

1st Place - Hunter Broussard

2nd Place - Hannah Robertson, Team Bayou Snorkels Powered & Clutched by Hot Seat Performance

3rd Place - Cobe Jones

Mini 2

1st Place - Kelsie Price

Mini3

1st Place - Randon Miller, Team High Lifter/Polaris Racing

2nd Place - Parker Muse

3rd Place - Justin Miller

Pro-Am ATV Mud Bog

Class 1

1st Place - Seth Russell, Team I-45 Racing, Can-Am Outlander 400

2nd Place - Cale Sanders, Team Bad Company, Yamaha Big Bear 400

3rd Place - Paul Raby, North Texas Extreme Quads, Polaris Sportsman 450

Class 2

1st Place - Matt Pate, Team I-45 Racing, Can-Am Outlander 650

2nd Place - JW Otwell, Team High Lifter/Polaris Racing, Polaris Sportsman 500

3rd Place - Seth Russell, Team I-45 Racing, Can-Am Outlander 650

Class 3

1st Place - Chase McCauley, Team Gander Mountain, Can-Am Outlander 800

2nd Place - Brandon Broussard, Team Gorilla Powered by Can-Am, Can-Am Outlander 800

3rd Place - John Vicknair, Team Anything Goes, Can-Am Outlander 800

RUV

1st Place - Brad Butler, Team Gander Mountain, Polaris RZR 800

2nd Place - Brandon Davis, Team Bayou Snorkels Powered & Clutched by Hot Seat Performance, Yamaha Rhino 660

3rd Place - Randy Miller, Team High Lifter/Polaris Racing, Polaris RZR 800

Women's Division

1st Place - Caroline Smoak, Team Gorilla, Can-Am Outlander 800

2nd Place - Maggie Robertson, Team High Lifter/Polaris Racing, Polaris Sportsman 800

3rd Place - Sherri Vines, Team Bad Company, Brute Force 750

Open/Pro

1st Place - Randy Miller, Team High Lifter/Polaris Racing, Polaris Sportsman 800

2nd Place - JW Otwell, Team High Lifter/Polaris Racing, Polaris Sportsman 800

3rd Place - Jerry Vines, Team Bad Company, Brute Force 750

March 1-4, 2008 - Parts Unlimited Triton - Melbourne, FL
Another season of racing kicked off on Sunday March 2nd at the Parts Unlimited Triton GNCC in Melbourne, FL. For the first time since revamping the team with exciting additions to the '08 squad, the TDI Racing/GEICO Off-Road motorcycle team was finally all together in the same place at the same time. The team would also like to send out props to the GNCC Crew for hooking us up with a great location for our new pit spot/home for the season - right in front of the finish line, where everyone ends up at some point or another throughout the weekend. The track was a little more technical this year than in the past years with a few extra roots, palmettos, and mud bogs. The area had seen some rain leading up to the race, leaving conditions perfect for racing - low dust and some mud. Add over 1200 riders to the mix and you've got yourself quite a racetrack.

GEICO female quad rider Jennifer Albright scored big for her debut on the team. With Jennifer being a local favorite, she had a lot of buzz around her all weekend not only at the track, but around town as well; being featured in several stories in the local paper. Jennifer had a great race from start to finish, staying strong all day and coming out with a solid 3rd place finish and a 9th overall out of almost 200 riders.

Josh McLevy, our XC1 rider had a positive day, finishing on the lead lap which was the goal for the race considering Josh missed most of the 2007 season due to a shoulder injury. Josh had a midpack start (lining up next to superstar Travis Pastrana) coming out of the first lap in 21st place. McLevy forged through the day strong and made up 5 spots to finish 17th in the class.JT Bennett came across a little misfortune in the XC2 class, running out of gas on the third lap about a mile away from his pits. Thanks to some great fans that jumped in when seeing him push, and his pit crew running across the field with gas, JT was off again - unfortunately he had a lot of catching up to do. After the race, JT said he felt great and was counting down the days until the next round in Washington, GA for a little redemption.

The team would like to extend a special thanks to all of their sponsors: GEICO, MSR, MAXXIS, Lojak Yamaha, Rekluse, Gaerne, Factory Connection, SCOTT USA, Acerbis, HMF, Bel-Ray, and EBC Brakes.

We also want to thank everyone for tuning into our website for updates and all the support we receive throughout the year!!

The GNCC series will continue on March 8 & 9 for the MAXXIS General GNCC. The Parts Unlimited GNCC will air on the VS network on August 2nd at 3:00PM (ATV) and August 9th at 3:00PM (Bikes).

March 9, 2008 - Maxxis General - Washington, GA
Just 4 days after Round 1 of the Can Am GNCC series opener in Melbourne, FL, the team traveled north to Washington, GA for the Maxxis General GNCC. The team faced weather on Saturday for the quad race that was much different than that of the FL round - experiencing snow flurries and during the morning race. Rain on Friday set the technical track up with muddy conditions.

Jennifer Albright got off to a mid-pack start on her GEICO Lojak Yamaha YFZ450 and by the end of the first lap was up to 6th place. Jennifer had battled her way up to the 3rd - 5th pack when she ran into clutch problems. After being towed in on the final lap, Jennifer finished 9th in the Women's A class for the day.

Sunday brought with it more promising weather with bountiful sunshine and wind. These weather conditions helped tack up the muddy track for perfect racing conditions.

GEICO support riders Ryan Kaintz and Dan Nudi did the team proud earning a 5th and 17th place finish respectively. The boys felt as though they were getting dizzy as they completed 7 - 15 minute laps in a 2 hour period. Rumors have it that a banner was forgotten after the mini race and these guys had to run the same course. None the less they did great!

Josh McLevy lead the way in the afternoon for the GEICO team, climbing from a 17th place start. McLevy finished the 7 lap race in just over 3 hours, bettering his results from the FL round to a 14th place finish in the XC1 Pro class and 25th overall. After 2 rounds, Josh sits in 16th place - just 11 points out of the Top 10.

XC2 Pro Lites rider JT Bennett was unable to race this round due to illness. JT is feeling better and out riding and getting ready for the next round in Morganton, NC.

The team would like to extend a special thanks to all of their sponsors: GEICO, MSR, MAXXIS, Lojak Yamaha, Rekluse, Gaerne, Factory Connection, SCOTT USA, Acerbis, HMF, Bel-Ray, and EBC Brakes. And of course a huge thank you to our fans.

The GNCC series will continue on March 29 & 30 for the FMF Steele Creek GNCC. The Maxxis General GNCC will air on the VS network on August 16th at 3:00PM (ATV) and August 23rd at 3:00PM (Bikes).

Union, SC - FRE KTM's Adam McGill won the fourth round of the ATV GNCC Series to make it three wins in a row.

The muddy 12-mile loop was one of the most challenging so far. The rain poured down all day and stopped right before the main event but left the course quite wet. McGill, who has been known for his good starts so far this year, had the opposite luck when the flag dropped. "I rounded the first turn in 18th! I just put my head down and started to pass people," remarked McGill about his start.

Fortunately, a bottleneck at the start of the race helped McGill pass quite a few riders when he saw an outside line to get around the group. Meanwhile, his teammate, Taylor Kiser, found his way up front and was running in the top three.

By the end of lap one, McGill had charged his way into sixth approximately 20 seconds off of the current leader Brandon Sommers. Then miraculously McGill passed for the lead on lap three and never looked back. Kiser, who had been running the majority of the race in third, had to pull off due to a mechanical issue.

When the checkered flag flew, McGill came around first to take home his third win of the season over Bryan Cook. McGill now has a comfortable lead in the series points.

Overall Results XC-1 Pro:
1. Adam McGill - KTM
2. Bryan Cook
3. Brandon Sommers
4. Chris Borich
5. Bill Balance
6. Matthew Smiley
7. Ryan Lane
8. William Yokley
9. Chris Jenks
10. Johnny Gallagher

Overall Series Points XC-1 Pro:
1. Adam McGill - 106
2. Brandon Sommers - 73
3. Bryan Cook - 71
4. Chris Borich - 63
5. Bill Balance - 62
6. Matthew Smiley - 60
7. Taylor Kiser - 57
8. William Yokley - 54
9. Ryan Lane - 45
10. Donald Ockerman - 39

Morganton, NC - Factory FRE/KTM rider Adam McGill earned his second win in a row at the third round of the ATV GNCC Series.

After a dominating win at the Georgia round McGill repeated the result this weekend to prove it wasn't a fluke and he is indeed a title contender for this season's championship.

Just like he did at round 2, McGill pulled an amazing holeshot and got out front fast. By the end of the first lap he had already put 20 seconds on the second place rider, Bill Balance. McGill's teammate, Taylor Kiser started a bit farther back around 10th place and had moved into 7th by the end of lap one.

After the first lap Kiser had caught up with Brandon Sommers and Chris Borich and the three riders battled throughout the remainder of the two hour race. "I caught up to the front pack rather quickly but every time I tried to pass I would get stuck behind lappers in a bottleneck and lose time. It was a one-lined course and since I didn't have the start I needed I struggled to break through," commented Kiser. Meanwhile, McGill was still pulling out front stretching his lead to over a minute. McGill would go on to win after leading the race start to finish in a near flawless ride out front. Kiser finished 7th for the day earning enough points to keep him in the title chase. After three rounds McGill and Kiser now sit one and two in the series points.

"I am so happy to be on top of the podium for the second week straight," replied McGill after the race. "This is where I've known I could be for a long time, but I couldn't have made it happen if it wasn't for the help of my team and a great bike. My KTM is running perfect and almost makes my job seem easy."

Next Event: Big Buck - Union, SC - April 12-13, 2008

Event Results:
1. Adam McGill - KTM
2. Bill Balance
3. William Yokley
4. Matthew Smiley
5. Brandon Sommers
6. Chris Borich
7. Taylor Kiser - KTM
8. Johnny Gallagher
9. Jarrod McClure
10. Jeffery Pickens

Overall Series Points:
1. Adam McGill - 76
2. Taylor Kiser - 57
3. Brandon Sommers - 52
4. Bryan Cook - 46
5. Bill Balance - 46

Official KTM UAE rider Sebastian Husseini earned an impressive victory on his KTM 525 XC Sport ATV in the last round of the Baja Desert Championship series.

The Dubai Desert Baja race took place on Friday, April 4. Competitors raced 12 laps through the gruelling terrain on the tough 8 mile loop. Husseini dominated the event crossing the finish line in first place with a remarkable five minute lead over his nearest competitor.

By winning the last round of the Baja Desert championship series, Husseini managed to wrap up the overall title. This championship marked the first for Husseini and his KTM 525 XC Sport ATV. Husseini was running a stock KTM ATV with Powerparts, available at your local KTM dealer.

"I am delighted to have won the title," said Husseini. "The new KTM 525 XC Sport ATV is an incredible bike. My team was great and due to their hard work we managed to come out on top."