Question:  What is better than riding into, through, and out of, some of the most remote areas in our country?

Answer:  Riding a machine that was custom built from the ground up to fit you and your style.

That Question and Answer led to this year’s On The Trail TV Project Quad. We started with a stock Can-Am Outlander Max 800 Limited Utility Quad which turned into “The Ultimate 2-Up Touring Quad”. Those were the words we heard from a GNCC Racer at Snowshoe, West Virginia. That one compliment was the sign that every hour of research, planning, and installation had paid off.

When this project began, this machine performed well, but lacked the modifications, add-ons and upgrades to make it a top performer On The Trail. So the drawing board started with the areas to be upgraded: Tires and Wheels, Exhaust, Fuel Control, Lighting, Bumpers, Tie Rod Ends, Frame Spine, Paint, Graphics, and Grips.

The first thing I wanted to do was strengthen the frame and steering components. So after a call to ATR www.allterrainresearch.net, we ordered an ATR Frame Spine and a set of Heavy Duty Tie Rod Ends and went right to the ATR shop in Ohio, where they did the install. This install can be done by anyone with the right tools, however we decided to go to ATR and get the install done by the experts, since we were already going to Ohio to attend a race. They had us in and out, with a stronger chassis, in no time.

After the chassis work, it was time to remove all plastics and racks so they could be sent out to First Choice Custom Collision, to be sanded and painted. They are a local shop in Rochester, NY, which made it easy to get their ideas on color schemes. At the time I really wasn’t sure about the choices of Ferrari Yellow, Orange, and Black. After picking up the painted parts it was clear we made the right decision.

With the plastics out of the way, it was time to run the wiring for our new Lighting from www.rigidindustries.com . We mounted a Rigid 4-inch E-Series LED Light Spot Pattern up front. This light bar was selected to project light further down the trail, to increase long range visibility, yet surprisingly its power also filled in the shadows from the stock lights. On a group trail ride, I was asked by the leader to follow them closer at night because my lights were helping them see ahead on the trail, even with their machine blocking a majority of the light. Increased vision means increased safety, which is a great byproduct of Rigid Lights.

Also, while we had access to the wiring, we ran power for our new Grips. We selected AME Heated Grips, www.amegrips.com, because of the easy operation and new power sensing technology. They have built-in circuitry which monitors power output of your charging system. So if your charging system can’t keep up, or your machine is turned off, it senses the voltage drop and automatically turns off to avoid draining your battery to a level below what the machine requires to start. When riders can be 100-200 miles from the truck, and civilization, that feature provides great piece of mind knowing you can make it back.

Next we had to find just the right Tire and Wheel package for the types of terrain and amount of miles we ride. For this selection we took a little drive, New York to Utah. Well maybe not a little drive, but worth every mile we traveled to attend the Rocky Mountain Jamboree, where we hooked up with MTA Distributing (Motorcycle Tires and Accessories), www.mta-la.com. Every year, MTA sets up a demo program for people to test and try before they buy. I tested different tires and wheels every day for 6 days to come up with my favorite all-terrain Tire and Wheel Combo. I picked ITP’s BajaCross Tires with all black ITP System Six Rims. Even in mud, these tires are self-cleaning and kept plowing through, no matter how deep we went. Also BajaCross is the highest mileage tire that ITP has ever produced. 8-Ply and high mileage, sounds like the perfect fit.

Now we needed a little horsepower increase. We used the Evo Utility Series slip on exhaust with Quiet Core and Fuel Programmer from BigGun Exhaust, www.biggunexhaust.com . One ground wire to the battery then simply plugged in the Fuel Programmer between injectors and injector cables for a simple plug and play application. Then a few bolts and a pipe clamp and the slip on exhaust was installed. When we first started the engine at idle, it wasn’t louder, but had a more throaty groan. Then when we bumped the throttle, the motor screamed as it revved up more quickly. After more extensive riding, this machine pulls harder than ever before and uses less fuel than the stock exhaust.

Another important step was to protect the front end by replacing the stock bumpers with a set of heavy duty Bison Bumpers, manufactured by ATVenture Components, www.atventure-accessories.com . These bumpers are much stronger than stock and also have metal mesh or metal bars in every opening to prevent damage from rocks, mud, and branches. After hitting a few trees and mowing down a few saplings, all the plastics are still protected and the bumper is dent and scratch free.

Finally we contacted Creative-Applications, www.creative-applications.net in Rochester, NY for graphics. They specialize in vinyl graphics and decals, vehicle lettering for race cars and motor bikes. This was exactly what we needed to showcase the logos of all the sponsors involved with this project quad.

Once everything was back together and shined up, we needed to put our new creation to the test, so we entered a National Hare Scramble. Now keep in mind I have never raced before, let alone a huge 2-Up Utility Quad. When the flag dropped The On The Trail TV Project Quad took the holeshot, took 2nd in class and 28th overall, even though it was the tallest, longest, heaviest quad on the track. If we had prepared more for this race, I feel we could have won our class but 2 bottlenecks and cramping in the 4th lap set in and slowed me down. We raced hard and the only thing to fail was a stock 2-Up grab handle that broke when I tried to force the quad through an opening smaller than my machine. I went from about 20 mph to 0 with the smack of a tree. I set out to build the ultimate trail machine and ended testing it at a National Hare Scramble which now has given me the racing bug and I’m looking forward to the next race!

  In a world with millions of different riders, thousands of manufacturers, both machine and equipment, hundreds of models and colors to choose from, each machine can be as unique as the rider who designed it. Lately, with all the new crossover models and factory options, a rider can start with a unique purpose-built machine, or start with more of a base model machine and add all the functions, luxuries, and bling a rider could imagine.

Special thanks to all the sponsors that made this On The Trail TV Project Quad possible:

We hope to see you riding your dream machine…On The Trail!

Rich Curley

On The Trail Television

Advertising/Sales Director

If you have any questions regarding this project, or other ideas on what this quad needs, send me an E-mail at Rich@OnTheTrailTV.com or look me up on Facebook.