http://ridethered.net/main/ RideTheRed.Net en-us Sat, 26 May 2007 22:30:53 GMT 1440 CPG-Nuke Dragonfly RideTheRed.Net News http://backend.userland.com/rss http://ridethered.net/main/images/logo.gif http://ridethered.net/main/ http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=18.html Test your knowledge of Honda History: 1. What year, and what model, was Honda's first import to the USA? 2. Honda invented the ATV. What year was the US90 (later called the ATC90) first brought to the American market? 3. In mid-1969, Honda brought a revolutionary street bike to the American scene that ended up selling over 400,000 units before it was superseded. What was it? 4. The Rincon is not Honda's first non-automotive wheeled vehicle to use a torque converter and auto trany. What was the first? 5. Honda's first manufacturing facilty in the USA was built in Marysville, Ohio. What was the date and model of this plant's first production? 6. As well as the first 4-cylinder motorcycle, Honda developed the first 6-cylinder bike. What was it called and what was it's year of introduction? 7. The Goldwing is Honda's premier road bike. What year was it introduced? 8. The best selling four-stroke dirt bike of all time was introduced by Honda in 1974. What was it? Click "read more" to see the answers. Sat, 26 May 2007 22:30:53 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=17.html A few predictions (actually educated guesses) about quads coming out in the next few years. Excerpts from the July edition of Quad Off-Road magazine's "The Rumor Mill" article. Can-Am: With their utility line-up well filled now, Can-Am will most likely start to work on the sport quad segment, in which they are sorely lacking currently. Most sources say Can-Am will introduce a 450 racer in the next year, with some reports that their engineering staff has obtained a KFX450r for use as a design basis. We can expect a potent engine housed in a state-of-the-art frame. Honda: Many rumors are flying about Big Red. Some have reported seeing Honda testing a XR650 based sport quad in the deserts of California, but Honda has scrapped many such high performance projects over the years (the original 450r, built in Japan in 2001 with a stock XR450 engine, was said to be a real screamer, but was detuned tremendously for the consumer market), and this may well be another. However, an updated EFI Rincon with EPS and a larger displacement (750??), completely redesigned engine and trany (4 speeds?) is stated to be in the works, as well as an uncorked and fuel injected 450r. A Honda side-by-side is also rumored to be in the design stage, but don't expect to see one until 2009 or 2010. Don't be surprised to see an redesigned EFI 450r at Honda dealers for 2008, however. Click "Read More" below to see the rest of the manufacturers predictions. Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:16:43 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=16.html I love winter, I love riding in powder, getting stuck in powder, getting unstuck in powder, and finding a bunch of less prepared riders out in the powder and helping them make back to base safely. weeks that our area up here had the mercury shivering and trying to stay above zero, with ridiculous winds? I was out in it the whole time, and I was toasty. At least after one day of forgetting the pants I was. The best part was defiantly that with proper insulation layers (remember, this is just the outer shell), the set does the job of keeping the wind out and you warm. But what really sets this set apart are 2 things. First, it is designed for mobility, and believe me, when you are climbing up and down and on and off trailers and machinery and cargo, you need mobility. Other cold weather gear I’ve owned was designed for hiking or riding, but even my Columbia Titanium series doesn’t come close to the range of motion you have in this suit. We all know that a winter ride is going to involve getting off your but to help get something unstuck, and I’ve been down in the powder digging a machine out before dealing with restrictive cold weather gear. No more. Second, this stuff is designed for durability that can only be described as extreme. I know some die hard old schoolers won’t want to hear this, but this stuff is probably more durable than a Carhart (plus that old tech does nothing to stop wind, and even less to keep you warm if it gets wet). You’ll have to do your own digging to find a price, I recommend E-Bay, since new/retail is a bit high. But if you ride a lot in the cold, or work out in it, this is a worthwhile investment that should perform for years to come. Mon, 05 Mar 2007 06:19:23 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=15.html There’s a lot to be said about mud riding. It is a sport some have grown to love. Taking the trail deep into the woods where the path has been so worn and rutted. Mother nature fills those ruts with precious rainwater and voila! Man has a natural playground. It’s only natural to hit the gas while flying through one of those puddles and that would be my guess as to when the sport developed. We have driven our ATVs through some harsh areas. Most of the time intentionally. It’s a rush to see who can make it through the deepest pit or the deepest hole. We want to be the one to push through the thickest of thick mud that us southerner’s passionately call southern gumbo mud! It’s all about what your skill and your machine’s limit. We all push limits at one thing or another. I choose to see what my machine is capable of and add that with a little skill, well, there’s not much I can’t do then. There are not many places I can’t or won’t go. Click "Read More" below to read the full article. Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:32:57 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=14.html It's something you hear about all of the time, in ATV and motorcycle publications, on internet forums and enthusiast websites, even in newspapers and on television. Riding areas are closing. Real estate development, environmental concerns, loss of funding, and complaints of noise are all factors that can lead to the demise of your favorite riding location. For years, I've read about the land closures and sympathized with my fellow off-roaders affected by them. But in the back of my mind, I was thankful that it wasn't one of my favorite local spots. I was naive enough to believe the riding areas here in my little corner of northeast Ohio were safe from shutdown. Granted, we have lost one major area in the last ten years, but the legality of riding there was something that was always in question. Now that's all changed. Click on "Read More" below to see the full article. Tue, 23 Jan 2007 04:47:24 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=13.html Honda invented the ATV. Some anti-Honda folks would dispute the fact, but it is a fact, never the less. We have even heard some die-hard Polaris fans claim Polaris invented the ATV by producing a trail mini-bike in the late 1960's, but there were many such mini-bikes and trail bikes produced at that time, by Honda, Heald, as well as others. None of them were classified as ATVs. They were mini-motorcycles. In 1967, American Honda ask Honda R&D in Japan for a product dealers could sell during the winter when motorcycle sales dropped off, to aid their bottom line in the colder months. Click "Read More" below to see the full article. Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:38:17 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=12.html We covered stage One power modifications in a previous article on Utility Quad Power Mods. Here are Stages Two and Three. Most of the Stage Two and Three mods entail serious mechanical engine changes, and may not be warranted for most riders. Those wishing more power may well be better off just buying a larger displacement quad. However, if you are absolutely in love with your quad, and want it to have maximum power, this is the way to go Click "Read More" below to see the full article. Sat, 20 Jan 2007 17:57:57 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=11.html Modifying a utility ATV for greater power would have been quite a chore at one time, since very few companies offered accessories for utes. That has all changed, as these days most performance products companies make ute products and accessories to give your ATV a boost in power to the wheels.This can be especially important if you add larger tires, as they rob power due to extra weight, and increase overall gear ratios due to larger diameter. Power modifications can be looked at in three stages just like sport quads. Here is Stage One. Stage Two and Three will be dealt with in a later article. Click "Read More" below to see the full article. Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:47:46 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=8.html A list of known upcoming rides....... If you or your riding group have any rides you want posted here, please PM Member WoodsRuner with the details. If possible include a URL of your destination. No rides planned at this time. Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:32:41 GMT http://ridethered.net/main/News/article/sid=7.html Even though some of us ATV riders ride our quads all winter, a lot of us do not, and most do not ride as often in the winter as we do the other three seasons. This makes winter time the best time to catch up on quad maintenance, and to do some things that otherwise may never get done. If you put your quad away in November or December and don't get it out until spring, there is a series of things you should do to winterize your machine. These things are not covered here, as this article is for maintenance chores that frequently get ignored, or only need to be done once or twice a year. Click on "Read More" below to see the full article. Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:01:17 GMT