This year marks the 3rd annual Heartland Challenge located in Carlisle, IA. The 10 hour team race is a true test of man and machine, thinning out the men from the boys. That is why All Terrain Research is proud to announce their alliance with Pro-Utility team, Zakowski Motorsports, in their attempt to bring home the Pro class win. With all 3 racers on the team being Can-am X-Team Riders things are looking very good for the intense race. The team consists of host and rider Zac Zakowski, currently holding 2nd place in 4×4 Open, 4×4 limited rider and 7 time GNCC champ Scott Kilby, and 4×4 Lites points leader Kevin Tranthem. The team will be racing on Zakowski Motorsports prepped Can-am Outlander 800 Efi Atvs. The quads will be strutting many custom products from ATR in order to hold up to the brutal race.

The team is in high spirits in the weeks leading up to the race, which is being held August 21st, 2010. When asked about the upcoming race, Zakowski stated,”The entire team and I are super excited about the Heartland Challenge! We have some of the best riders out there on board this year. Anyone can ride fast for 10 hours but not everyone can hold a bike together for that amount of time. Kilby and Tranthem know how to ride fast and smart to take home the win. It’s a little intimidating as I am the least experienced of the three, but I have the 2 best teachers racing with me. We are just happy to have a company like ATR on board with us for the event.”

All Terrain Research race team manager Jeremy Bratcher shared a similar optimism about the partnership. “ATR has been working with Factory Can-Am riders over the course of the past year in development of some of their race components available for the Outlander and Renegade ATV’s. We hope to continue to improve on our products with both the X-Team riders and Zakowski Motorsports,” said Bratcher.

For up to date race coverage visit ATR’s website allterrainresearch.net

Lone Star Racing’s Axcalibar Racing Axle has provided over a decade of performance and reliability to every ATV rider, from factory race teams to the weekend warrior. Yet, Lone Star Racing is always searching for new and exciting ways to improve the performance and durability of their products.

Today they announce the new Axcalibar Pro Racing Axle. The new Axcalibar Pro Racing Axle features 3 significant upgrades; the first is a new axle profile to maximize strength without increasing weight. The second are redesigned tapered wheel ends that have been designed to eliminate sharp points in the axle that are prone to failure. Finally the axle is finished with hard chrome plating that is proven to be more durable to the harsh elements of riding and racing.

The Axcalibar Pro Racing Axles are still 100% compatible with all OEM and Lone Star Racing products. The Axles are backed by the industry’s best FULL LIFETIME WARRANTY which is unsurpassed by any other axle manufacturer.

RETAIL PRICE: $445.00 (MOST MODELS)

About Axcalibar Racing Axles:
Axcalibar Racing Axles are on the most highly recommended axles on the market today for both racers and recreational riders. Each axle is backed by a true FULL LIFETIME WARRANTY unsurpassed by any other axle manufacturer. Each axle is precision machined to exact OEM specifications so all Stock or Lone Star Racing accessories can be used.

About Lone Star Racing:
Lone Star Racing is a production and custom manufacturer of the highest quality racing and recreational products for ATV’s and UTV’s. Having been in the business for almost 20 years, they have been producing race winning chassis and suspension components for all types of racing, ranging from the street to off road. Their 45,000 sq ft facility in Mesa, AZ is home to many dedicated team members that provide life to the 23 CNC machining centers. LSR combines this with CAD software to eliminate errors in all of the tube bending, laser cutting, milling and lathe work,. They also have many TIG welding stations and an in house powdercoating facility. LSR also offers installation and maintenance for your ATV and UTV needs by factory trained master technicians.

After countless victories and podium results in World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) ATV competitions and punctuated by the first DS450 Pro win in AMA ATV Motocross racing a little over a week ago, the Holz Racing Products DS450 +2 Long Travel Front A-Arm Kit is now available for all DS450 owners. To say the +2 Long Travel Kit is race tested would be an understatement. Developed in conjunction with top Motoworks riders like Josh Frederick, Chad Weinen and John Natalie, the new Long Travel Kit for the Can-Am DS450 was not only designed by top riders, it was put to the test by them as well, in some of the most demanding racing environments in North America.

Like so many Holz Racing Products, the DS450 +2 Kit is constructed with precision using the best materials and methods possible. High quality tig-welded chromoly steel creates the backbone of the long travel A-arms. Mated with heavy-duty tie rods and new rod ends, the kit utilizes the stock pivot bushings and ball joints and features adjustable camber.

“We’ve spent a considerable amount of time working with the Motoworks riders in developing this suspension package,” said Mark Holz, owner and head engineer at Holz Racing Products. “The wider stance, increased wheel base, and more suspension travel this package delivers dramatically improves the handling and stability of the DS450.”

Due to the increased width and travel of the +2 Long Travel Kit, stock DS450 shocks will not work with the Holz Kit. For this reason, Mark has developed a custom tuned FOX Float EvolX package for the Holz Long Travel DS450 Kit. Featuring dual speed compression damping and a springless design, the advanced EvolX shocks are lighter than stock and offer virtually unlimited tuning capabilities.

The Holz Racing DS450 +2 Long Travel Front A-Arm Kit is in stock and ready to ship today. Simply visit the Holz Racing website at www.holzracingproducts.com and click on the ATV section. The DS450 +2 Long Travel Kit has an MSRP of $999.00 (Part #551001). To complete the package, ask about the FOX EvolX Shock Package for the DS450 +2 Kit. Pricing for the custom tuned EvolX shocks starts at $1,495.00 (Part #F830-23-077). For technical assistance, call 360-398-7006. To stay in tune with all the latest products and happenings at Holz Racing Products, visit our website and signup for the Holeshot Newsletter found at the bottom of the home page.

About Holz Racing Products:

For the past 10 years, Holz Racing Products has engineered and extreme tested the finest quality, most effective performance parts available for UTV, ATV and snowmobile applications. Manufactured in the USA and race tested around the world, HRP leads the field in Polaris, Ski-doo, Can-Am, Kawasaki and Honda accessories and performance products. For more information visit their website at www.holzracingproducts.com or call 360-398-7006.

Discuss this product more over at DS450HQ.com

One of the first things people should consider modding on their quads should be the suspension.  All the power in the world won’t matter if your suspension is not up to the task.  With that said, one of my first mods was a set of JD Performance +2 Standard travel front A-arms for my Raptor. These arms retail for $575.  The order went smooth, I gave the guys at JD Performance a call and they were more then helpful.  I chatted with the rep for almost an hour, trying to figure out which setup would be best for me and he did not seem in a rush to get me off the phone.  I have to say, good people there.

Anyways, the arms took a few weeks to arrive.  Once I got them and opened the box I was excited, they looked great.  The tig welds were nice and consistent and smooth and the custom silver powder coat looked great.  What really impressed me about the JD Performance arms were the details.  I found little gussets for strength at the shock mounts and where the cross member on the lower arms come back to the main hoop.  These arms are well thought out and built to last.  You don’t find that from all the fab shops making arms for quads.

Moving on to the install, it was a pretty easy install that most people can do in a few hours in their garage with a few standard tools.  The one tool I did need to purchase was a ball joint separator from the local auto parts store for $10.  Next was to start pulling the old arms off.  When removing the stock spindles from the stock arms, be careful not to damage the ball joint boots.  Once the old arms are off and the new arms are on, the first thing you need to do is adjust the tow, caster and camber.  The JD Performance arms were super easy to adjust, and if I had any questions there were instructions on their site at www.jdperformance.net for all the adjustments.  One thing I found pretty cool on these arms was the slick way to adjust the camber, there were three settings, Desert, Woods and MX.  I went with the Woods setting because it is the most neutral setting.  One other thing I always recommend when you are installing extended arms is, extended brake lines.  In my case I could have used the stock Raptor 700 lines because they were long enough, but they seemed to be stretching a little when I tested it lock to lock of the steering.  I think the $40 on extended steel braided front lines is worth it and they look cool too.

It’s been about a year now since I did this install and I have really enjoyed my new suspension up front.  At the time of the install of the arms I also sent my front stock shocks out to have them re-valved to work with my new extended arms.  I find that in the past with the stock arms when I had to let off because of rutted out terrain I now keep it pinned without any worry.  The bike is defiantly more stable because of the extra 4” of width but the extra travel is nice to.   I have ridden everything from the massive sand of Glamis to the rutted out muddy Michigan trails and I am very happy with these arms.  I cant say enough about the JD Performance experience, from the great sales team I talked to on the phone, to the easy install and adjustments, to the great product, I have to say these arms are the nicest set of aftermarket A-arms I have ever owned, and I have had a few.  Check out the JD Performance site or give them a call, not only do they build A-arm kits, they also build custom swingarms, steering stems and much more.  Give JD Performance a call.

Review by: Tim Coffey

When choosing an exhaust for the Raptor 700, there are tons of choices.  You can go with a slip-on, a full single pipe system, or true dual exhaust.  After doing lots of reading, you will find that if you want to get the maximum amount of power from your motor, duals are the way to go.

I decided to go with the Barker’s in-frame dual exhaust for my Raptor 700.  These pipes retail for $695 direct from Barkers’s website.  The Barker’s have been proven to give huge gains to even a stock bike, and they really give back when you start throwing more motor mods at the bike.  The Barker’s exhaust comes standard with heat shields, and they have their own signature look with their oval cans.

When I received my system, it was well packed and all the needed hardware was there.  Once all the parts of the system were laid out, I was ready for the install.  At that point, I could see that this kit was made up of quality materials, and they looked sweet too!  The stainless pipes and aluminum cans just scream power!  Before starting the install, you have to remove the rear plastic, along with the seat and stock exhaust.  The install went pretty smooth without any major problems.  Just like any other exhaust system, take your time and make sure everything is seated just right.  On the Barker’s exhaust there are two head pipes and two exhaust cans which meet somewhere in the middle of the bike and are held together with springs.  The install only took me about an hour. Once your  pipes are installed, step back and take notice at how great the Barker’s look!

Once the bike is all back together and you are ready to start it, you must remember, the Raptor 700 is fuel injected and will need a fuel management controller when doing an exhaust upgrade.  I  already had the DynoJet Power Commander III installed as a previous mod.  Before you start the bike you need to load the proper “Map File” or fuel map specifically for dual exhaust.  Visit the forums at www.moddedraptor.com for fuel maps and any install questions you may have.

Once you fire the bike up and you hear that rumble, you can’t help but smile!  You can run these pipes just the way they are, but if you have any sound restrictions in your area, you may opt for the quiet cores with spark arrestors like I did.  They sell for about $20 extra.  The pipes standard are said to be about 103 DB and with the quite cores about 94DB.  Now the only thing left to do is throw a leg over it and take it for a ride.

All I can say is WOW!  It was like night and day.  The Raptor 700 motor is said to be all corked up from the factory and these pipes show that to be true.  They really move the air.  The sound is amazing and the power is impressive.  Duals do cost more than a single system but it’s been proven that the real power is made with duals.  The look is the real stunner, the Barkers just look awesome!  The best part of the Barker’s is they now offer their pipes with all sorts of custom colors and coatings.  Check out their site for more info at www.barkersexhaust.com or just give them a call.  My conclusions about this system are that it is well made in the USA from quality materials and not only do they look great but the bolt-on power gains are awesome.  If you are in the market for an exhaust system, give Barker’s exhaust a look.  They now are making exhausts for everything from quads, to snowmobiles, to street bikes.  So give them a call, no matter what you are looking to get an exhaust system for.

Review by: Tim Coffey

After over a years worth of testing of the Flexx Bars by Fasst Company, I can say they are the real deal!  I rode these bars on everything from rutted up sand to gnarly whooped out trails and everything in between.  Upon receiving the bars, the first thing you notice is how different they look from your standard set of bars.  I have to say the cool factor of these bars is huge!  Just the sight of them is impressive.  The bars only come in black but you choose your bar pad color.  The bar pad is offered in many different colors including most of the OEM bike manufactures signatures colors.  To install the Flexx bars you have tons of choices but the simplest of choices is the Fat Bar clamp.  So for the cost of the bars, which retail for $349.99, and a $20 Fat bar clamp you are up and running.  When you make your purchase, you have to decide on the bend and style, most quad guys get the 15 degree Quad Racer bars in either high or low bend.  The install is a breeze, just remove all the controls from your stock bars, install the base of the Fat Bar clamp and then the bars.  Reinstall all the controls and take the bike for a ride.  You do have to be careful if you do decide to use another mounting option that you don’t get too much rise and cause your cables to bind.

Once the bars are installed you will notice that you have a choice of different “Elastomers”, which are the shock absorbers.  One elastomer is installed on each side of the bars.  The different colors of elastomers equal different densities, from stiff to soft.  See the Fasst Company website for colors/densities.

On my first ride, it was a pretty good test, I was blasting across the rutted up wet sand at Silver Lake Sand Dunes on my Raptor 700.  After the first few hours I was skeptical, I wasn’t sure I felt any difference.  That was until I jumped on a friends Raptor and did the same loop.  When I got back I was beat!  My arms were aching.  These two bikes were both basically stock besides the bars.  I had to do an instant comparison so jumped back on my bike and did the same loop.  It was night and day.  The bars were surly absorbing the shock and vibration that was being transferred to my hands, arms, elbows and shoulders.  After a full weekend on the dunes my upper body was not and sore and normal.  I actually felt pretty good, good enough that we took a last ride on Sunday before we went home.

Over the next year or so I noticed that my fatigue is less after a long day of riding, making the next day of riding more enjoyable and less painful.  I am not getting any younger and neither are my old bones, and we will take any kind of help we can get.  This makes the Flexx bars not only a good choice for the young guy looking to go faster, its a great choice for us older guys just trying to keep up.  Young or old the Flexx Bars by Fasst Company are a winner.  They are worth every penny!

Written by: Tim Coffey