Honda TRX450R
It's said that when you're traveling at 80 mph on an ATV, you're covering over 117 feet per second. In the time you blink your eyes, you can travel over 60 feet. If realizing that you're riding blind for that period of time is scary, throw in 3-foot-deep whoops, rain ruts, boulders and dust for miles. These are conditions that not every rider can handle on their best day.
It takes a special type of person to tackle the terrain of the open desert on a fast ATV. That's where guys like Wayne Matlock come into the picture. Wayne has been racing in the rough deserts for years and has just the mentality and skill it takes to win championships. In 2007, he won the championship in the Best In The Desert and the National Hare & Hound series and also secured second place in the 2007 SCORE Off-Road series. It's because of this track record that Honda has signed him to race its ATVs in the desert since 2006 and continues to support him in 2008.
We recently had the opportunity to meet with Wayne out in the vast desert of Ocotillo, California, and threw a leg over the same machine that led him to many victories over the past year. We wanted to find out what kind of machine it takes to cover hundreds of miles of the harshest terrain in order to bring home a win.
The Machine
The 2007 Honda TRX450R that Matlock is riding isn't much different than what you may find in many garages. The most noticeable thing about this sport quad is that it's wide. To make the ATV more stable at the higher speeds needed to win, Matlock runs Laeger Racing +3 A-arms, stock swingarm and Laeger rear axle. To soak up the worst landscape the desert has to offer, Elka Elite shocks are used all the way around. Matlock's theory is that if you don't have a machine that handles well in rough terrain, you can't ride fast.
The next most important piece of this machine is the engine. Since he has to compete with Open class ATVs, such as the Raptor 700, Can-Am DS 650 and even the powerful KTM powerplants of the Polaris Outlaw and KTM 525 XC, you would think his motor is highly modified. This is definitely not the case according to Matlock. One of the most important factors in a desert racing machine is that it must be as reliable as possible. The more work you do to the internals of an engine, the less reliable it stands to be.
This motor has very simple upgrades, such as a Honda HRC kit and head porting done by longtime sponsor Precision Concepts. The head porting allows for increased airflow into the engine to give Wayne the extra power he needs to achieve the high speeds required for desert racing. Precision Concepts also does all of the race prep on this machine, which is a critical prerace procedure for any serious competitor. To round off the list of modifications with the engine is an exhaust system from longtime sponsor Alba Racing.
To get the power to the ground, Matlock runs Maxxis Razr tires mounted on Douglas wheels, which have Tire Balls installed in them. This combination gives all the traction they need while preventing flat tires in the worst of conditions. An oversize IMS fuel tank, complete with a dry-break fueling system, allows for quick refueling when seconds can make or break your day. In addition to the shocks, Elka also outfits this quad with one of its frame-mounted steering stabilizers. This unit helps keep the bar in the rider's hands when he's attacking the unforgiving desert at breakneck speeds.
Finally rounding off the list of bolt-on performance accessories are a custom desert seat cover and foam from Quadtech ATV, IMS/Roll +1 steering stem, footpegs and front bumper. To many, these items are considered more of a creature comfort, but if you're blasting through the desert at speeds of 80-plus mph, you'd want to be as comfortable as possible.
Enough jibber jabber already, we want to go ride.