ATV Four Play Unveils Mini Motocross Quad

ATV Four Play has launched its new Pitster Pro Mod Package, which alows parents whose children race ATVs in the youth classes to customize a national-level rolling chassis that is capable of receiving five different engine packages to compete in three separate youth classes in the AMA ATV national series.

ATV Four Play builds upon on the popular Pitster Pro quad as the base for the Pitster Mod. The long-travel ATV Four Play A-arms on the Pitster Mod are 2.235 inches wider on each side and are the first mini quad to accept Fox’s new Generation II Float X Evol front shocks. ATV Four Play adds its signature chromoly long-travel swingarm, which is two inches longer than the stock Pitster swingarm and allows for 10.5 inches of rear wheel travel with either a dual-rate Fox Podium X or Elka shock.

The stock Pitster chromoly frame is retained, but ATV Four Play adds up to 24 gussets to strengthen weak points while still maintaining the right amount of flex. The frame is adapted to fit the large radiator off Yamaha’s YFZ450 sport quad.

According to ATV Four Play, having five engines to choose from is what makes this youth race quad an affordable, long-lasting performance option for motocross families. ATV Four Play’s Pitster Mod’s has the capabilities of interchangeable engine mounts to accept engines from: Kawasaki’s two-stroke, 65cc KX65; KTM’s two-stroke, 65cc 65SX; Suzuki’s two-stroke, 85cc RM85; Honda’s two-stroke, 85cc CR85; and Honda’s new four-stroke, 150cc CRF150R.

Tom Skladzien, owner of ATV Four Play, says having the option to choose an engine lets parents keep the same long-travel chassis for several years and simply swap the engine out when its time for their racer to step up a class.

“The CVT class is great,” says Skladzien. “But the chassis is very expensive to make competitive and it is a frustrating class for most parents. There are so many variables with these machines. The clutching, building the engine, pipes, rollers, belts etc. Most of the time, as ‘mini quad parents’ we find ourselves not having as much fun as we should because these CVT’s demand a lot more maintenance and finesse than your typical Japanese shifter engines require. You buy these CVT quads for $1,700-$1,800 dollars and you find yourself putting $6,000 more into them. And at the end of the day, you’re still a CVT.”

Except for the CRF150R, Honda’s new high-tech mini dirt bike engine, all of the power plants available for the Pitster Mod have been winning races in dirt bikes for decades. The two-stroke engines are lighter, more competitive and have a broader availability of parts and modifications. The 65cc engines are competition legal for the AMA 70 mod class, the 85cc engines are legal for the AMA 90 mod class, and the 150cc four-stroke can compete in the AMA Super Mini class.

Customers have several options for ordering a Pitster Mod from ATV Four Play. You can buy a complete quad that is fully suspended with motor mounts of your choice but without the engine. Or customers can go “Ala Carte” and order a chassis with ATV Four Play suspension parts and then customize it with your choice of shocks, wheels and tires.

The Mod Racer Starter Kit includes the following options for $4,999: Pitster Pro chromoly chassis; spindles, hubs, braking systems, rotors, plastics, gas tank, stock axle and rear wheel hubs, rear sprocket with chain guard, ATV Four Play long-travel a-arms, swing arm and anti-vibe steering stem, 24 frame gussets, powder coated frame, motor mounts for customer engine choice and mounts for all electronics.

Currently, ATV Four Play is working with Hetrick Racing to develop a race-ready package for the KX65 engine and their exhaust. The Hetrick Racing packages may be available for the 2011 season. Fox and Elka are the current shock options for the Pitster Mods, but ATV Four Play may be able to accommodate another shock brand at a customer’s request.

The standard chassis and body components on the production Pitster Mod from ATV Four Play include: Tarantula Performance Racing’s new front bumper and Race Safer Pro nerf bars; ATV Four Play’s Generation II Soft Bars; ATV Four Play’s chain guide and chain slide; Streamline stainless steel brake lines; stock Pitster axle, axle carrier and brake plate.

For additional information about ATV Four Play’s new Pitster Mod, visit ATVFourPlay.com.

The Dukes of Hazardous Waste

The Dukes of Hazardous Waste

The owners of Central Landfill in Johnston, R.I., had a problem: Local all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and dirt bike enthusiasts were illegally trespassing on the 1,200-acre property and using the landfill and surrounding woods for off-road riding.

The solution? Fight four-wheelers with four-wheelers. Using $17,000 in federal Homeland Security funding, two Johnston police officers were furnished with ATVs of their own (complete with shotgun holsters) and put on patrol to take down those no-good, dump-jumping motorheads.

The plan has helped curb the municipal waste motocross. Since instituting the patrols, half as many illegal off-roading incidents have been reported. One suspects those riders are too busy applying for jobs with the Johnston Police Department.

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Riding Impression: 2011 Gas Gas XC 250

If you're a fan of exotic bikes, then you've certainly heard of Gas Gas. The Spanish manufacturer has previously been known as a boutique brand, but the bikes are steadily becoming more mainstream in off-road circles as the technology improves and the dealer network increases. Part of this rise in popularity is due to the fact that a new Gas Gas US importer has been named: Gas Gas Offroad US, a joint venture between brothers Clay Stuckey and Ted Stuckey, is now handling distribution of the Spanish-built Gas Gas enduro line in the United States. Luckily for customers, the Stuckey brothers love to ride and are putting themselves into the brand full-force.

At the recent Indiana National Enduro, Dirt Rider got to test a brand new 2011 XC 250. Developed through years of race experience from Gas Gas' world enduro effort, the XC 250 has a number of changes for 2011 including a redesigned headlight, new settings to the 48mm Marzocchi fork, different oil in the shock and a redesigned radiator cap. Additionally, an FMF Q-Stealth silencer comes stock on the bike. Before the enduro, my race bike was outfitted with Enduro Engineering hand guards, Michelin tires with foam inserts and a 5mm-shorter brake pedal adjuster bolt to allow for a lower setup.

My first ride aboard the two-stroke the day before the race revealed that the engine is incredibly brawny. The smooth hit is surprisingly strong, and you can easily loft the front wheel without the clutch simply by rolling it on. The jetting is very clean for a stock 250cc two-stroke, and the FMF Q-Stealth silencer is magical and oh-so quiet, producing the perfect two-stroke exhaust note. I can't overstate this feature enough; it really is great to see this component come stock on a bike. Down low, the power has the ability to lug down low and chug up nasty hills, but it will still wind up when called to. Thankfully, there isn't as much vibration up top as other 250cc two-strokes, making for fully useable, well-rounded power. The stock V Force3 Reed Valve is an awesome out-of-the-box feature as well.

Whichever way you look at it, this bike looks great. The red frame is very sharp, and the redesigned headlight looks like what BMW was trying to build. I dug the black rims and swingarm as well, and the choke as a hot start lever is a nice touch. On the bike, the ergos allowed me to get way up on the tank, although the seat is fairly flat. In turns, the Gas Gas corners well without needing to arc or set up much; it just drops right into an inside line with ease. In both dry and muddy conditions, the front end felt like and precise, a good combination for off-road applications.

On the tight, root-heavy trails that I tested the XC 250 on, the suspension made for solid absorption masked by a slightly harsh feel. I was able to tune a fair amount of this out with the clickers in order to take some of the busyness out of the front end. The terrain still had a lot of exposed roots that deflected, even more so with the foam insert in the front, but for the most part the suspension held up well. I'm told that the production version of the suspension will be slightly different from what I rode, so some of the issues that I had may well already be resolved.

After a day of testing, I had the chance to race the bike in the final round of the National enduro series, and the event was a blast. You'll have to wait to read the January issue of Dirt Rider to see the full race test and in-depth opinion after 73 miles of rugged terrain, but I can say that the Gas Gas really surprised me in terms of performance and durability in the brutal conditions. To keep you held over until the issue comes out, go to www.ggor.us for more into on this exotic brand's solid line of bikes and dealers. See you soon!

I Am A 2010 Yamaha YZ125 - First Test

I bet you didn't think bikes have fun, but we do. And let me tell you a secret: I have the most.

I am Dirt Rider Magazine's 2010 Yamaha YZ125. I was made out of parts that haven't changed much since designers added my motor to this aluminum frame in 2005. Sure, I got trickle-down, lightweight additions here and there a few years back; and that Speed-Sensitive System fork in 2006 was a nice modern touch. But for the most part, I'm very close to my brothers from 2005 and on. For 2010, I get two new stickers. If you find them, I will give you a prize. That prize is looking at a YZ125 with care. Now you are cooler. You are very welcome.

Since my story obviously isn't new, what could be interesting about it? I'm just a 125, after all. Only a couple of companies even make 125s. So maybe we're totally radical because we're different? Maybe. But I have another theory.

Today, most of my competition have valves in their heads, cam chains spinning next to their cylinder walls and ridiculously skinny pipes. The modern motocross bike, in my humble opinion, has gone soft like a couch. It begs you to work less, make more noise and spend more money. It's a big dose of fat laziness served up in a sport that is supposed to chew the fat and spit out the lazy.

Today's bikes are heavier than me. Today's bikes are more complicated than me. Today's bikes have brains that control how much gas goes in and know what the weather is like. My brain involves spinning magnets-that's pretty much it. And my parents spend more time, money and effort building and selling these not-so-new-anymore "modern" bikes.

I'd be lying if I weren't jealous. I mean, kids everywhere are lining up for today's bikes. Fuel injection? I can only image what that feels like in my heart no matter the temperature or altitude. Some have electric start, I hear. Four-stroke traction? I don't know what that is, but the way the noisy bikes grip to the hardpack makes me ping. Titanium exhaust systems? That. Is. Awesome. My second cousin, the YZ450F, even has a backward cylinder. I hear that's so it can feel more like me. Cool!

But something strange is happening in this sea of coolness. What was old is new again. And eyes are coming back to me. Well, at least they're glancing.

I know this because I've been tossed around Dirt Rider's testing pool of editors and their friends for months. I've been ridden all across Southern California's MX tracks. I've been exhausted, refueled and exhausted again. I've been meticulously cleaned to factory-like specs. I've been used and put away dirty. I've been flat-landed and came-up-short upon. I've even had totally solid one-handers thrown off my bar. I've been loved to death. And I've had a lot of fun. And it seems people can't take their eyes off of me.

Riders can hear me wake up from across the pits, and they almost always turn their heads. Famous people must ride me because they give a lot of high-fives. Cheers of "Yahoo!" "Nice!" "125s kick ass!" are not uncommon. It seems I'm the most popular bike in the pits. When I'm riding in the back of a truck people stop and smile. Brett Metcalfe (the last racer on a factory-level YZ125) nearly wept when he saw me. And I'm rarely left in the shop on a weekend. I'm getting respect everywhere I roll. Well, almost everywhere.

There are riders who hate me. They hate to hear me coming. They hate to hear me next to them. And they really hate to hear me go by because they'll do anything to get in my way. It's funny because most of these haters are older. They probably remember riding bikes like me before they got their newer, lazier bikes. They're probably mad at how much fun they know the guy riding me is having or that they can't do the work anymore to keep me competitive. Whatever. I know I sound cool to them.

First Test: 2011 Kawasaki KX250F

When the call came to come roost the 2011 KX250F around Maryland's legendary Budds Creek Motocross Park, Dirt Rider was all over it. After countless laps around the National track and additional testing back in Southern California, we now have a pretty good idea of how this machine ticks.

It's not uncommon for manufacturers to roll out new features wrapped in clever acronyms, and the 2011 KX250F is no exception; DFI and SFF are the freshly abbreviated innovations of the day. DFI stands for Digital Fuel Injection, the battery-less system aimed at taking the Kawi to the next level in terms of response and delivery. With no hot-start lever and a 43mm throttle body, the KX250F's DFI is nearly identical to the system on the KX450F, but with a different ECU setting and roughly 20 percent more fuel output required by the 250's higher rpm ceiling. A 250F revs to 13,000 rpm, and that requires a lot of fuel. The other standout acronym, SFF, represents the new, Kawasaki-exclusive Separate Function Fork consisting of Showa fork legs that handle springing and damping independently of each other. The left fork boasts one large damper and traditional clickers, while the right fork leg essentially consists of one large spring, a bit of oil for lubrication and an external preload adjuster that offers a whopping 60 clicks of height adjustment. Although unheard of on a production machine, the SFF setup is claimed to offer easier maintenance, more adjustability and easier fine-tuning, as well as promises of less weight, reduced friction and better damping.

There are several other changes to the machine-over 30 total-that make the 2011 a fully upgraded version of the almost-shootout-winning 2010 KX250F. If you want to see an extended list of revisions, check out www.dirtrider.com. Now, let's get to the fun part.

We initially tried to evaluate the KX250F first as a complete bike, but right away it was hard not to focus on the fork action, which is startlingly...normal. That's right, no odd binding of the axle, no twisting of the front end and no out-of-whack rebound to send you flying off the track. Really, the SFF operates just like a normal fork, but with slightly smoother action and a borderline soft stock clicker setting. One thing we did notice was how huge of an effect each individual turn or click on the new style fork really has. One click on the rebound or compression makes a notable difference, so much so that you'd have to go two or three clicks on traditional forks to achieve the same effect. It didn't take long to chase the clickers into a somewhat stiffer setting, one that worked on two hugely different tracks for a variety of rider abilities. Overall, the damping was great and the front end felt balanced with the rear. It has an active, stable and progressive character in chop.

After trying fork preload in both directions, we liked the standard setting on the fork preload adjuster the best, and so long as proper shock ride height was maintained we really didn't feel a need to mess with the front end's ride height. However, it is nice and simple to tune with a wrench.

The rest of the handling revisions-including a full millimeter reduction in fork offset-all help to maintain the excellent stability that we've praised the KX250F for in the past. The front end is a touch quicker and a little lighter handling than last year, and none of our testers complained about a lack of traction. The revised shock settings are right on the money, so much so that only our heaviest test rider cared to play with the clickers, and that was just to tighten up the compression a touch. In fast, repeated hits or slow, bucking bumps, the rear of the bike simply ate up whatever we could throw at it.

2011 Honda CRF250R Web Impression

Since the 2010 Honda CRF250 received a complete overhaul (along with great feedback I might add), the only thing left to do for 2011 was a little fine tuning. So even with the rain threatening all of So Cal the other day, none of us could resist from taking a little trip down to Perris Raceway to ride the 2011 CRF250 and critique the new changes - Yes I know, rain doesn't sound like a big deal, but come on, it's Southern California, we don't ride in the rain - Well don't worry, it wasn't too hard on us, the skies held back and we ended up with just a slight drizzle all morning. It may have been hell for the photographer's, but man if it wasn't perfect for riding. The ground was moist, the turns were loaded, and we had the track all to ourselves.

I would have to say one of the biggest changes for the 2011 CRF250 would be the 94db Exhaust system. It may not sound like much (pun intended!), but Honda isn't one for just bolting on a muffler, so this change resulted in a lot of other changes. First off, to make up for the quieter muffler, the CRF250R received different mapping and also changed the rear sprocket from a 48 tooth to a 49. This resulted in better throttle response and a much improved bottom to mid range power. How does this help us? Well, the 2011 CRF is a lot snappier than the 2010, and it's now able to pull higher gears at a lower RPM. This makes for a great bite in the lower gears, or if you want that smooth delivery, than shift up a gear for controlled roll-on power. We were all surprised with the roll-on torque of this machine because it is not common on 250Fs, especially for the larger riders. Honda has definitely figured this one out. So the little Red engine improved over 2010 with better response, better torque and a much more expressive motor, all while dropping the sound down to 94db. The funny thing about the 94db muffler is that it doesn't sound a lot quieter, but it gave the bike even more of a deep throaty growl compared to last year's model - Not bad at all in my book. And to show Hondas attention to detail, the subframe, side panels and rear fender were also changed to accept the new muffler. Well, maybe not only to accept the new muffler, because now, most of the CRF250 parts are compatible with the CRF450. That makes the subframe, all the plastics, gas tank, and of course most of the already matching hardware interchangeable.

As for the handling, well the CRF250 has always worked amazing. It's light, nimble, easy to throw around, while still being very controlled and stable. It doesn't take much time for the majority of riders to feel right at home on this machine. So for 2011, Honda decided to give us even more of that feeling. They started off with a larger piston in their Honda Progressive Steering Damper - Going from 20mm to 24mm on the damper piston givving the new CRF improved tracking traits over last year. We didn't have any complaints, so she must be doing her job.

Next, Honda improved on a very touchy component - suspension. It's hard to put together a complete suspension package that will impress everyone from first time rider to Pro. Actually, I believe it's down right impossible, but it doesn't keep them from trying and it's a good thing, because they are getting closer and closer. The new CRF250 front forks have been revalved for more hold up and better bottoming resistance - This was without a doubt tested on some sharp faces and hard landings at the jumpy Perris Raceway - And the CRF did not disappoint, we were impressed with how well the forks soaked up the hard hits without delivering a harsh impact to the rider. The rear shock was also revalved to match the forks. This kept the bike balanced and tracking straight. Honda spent some time on their new setup because we didn't even have to mess with the clickers. As a matter of fact, all Kris Keefer and I had to do was change the sag for our weight differences and we were set. He didn't have any problems with harshness and I had no issues with bottoming, even at my weight. Unfortunately, the track didn't get very rough so we didn't get a chance to see how she handles in the chop, but no complaints here, it just gives me another excuse to take her out to the track before our 250 shootout.

The 2011 Honda CRF250 gets an A+ in my book. Honda lowered the noise level while improving the power over last year - the suspension suits a wider range of riders - The already excellent handling saw some improvement with Honda's larger steering damper - And now, even more parts are compatible with the CRF big brother. We can't wait to get this bike out on some other tracks and put her up against the other brands.