Ramsey Atv Winch

The other day my brother and I went for a ride up Millville canyon in Cache Valley, Utah.  The weather was great and there were very few people on the trail so it was a perfect day for a ride with some awesome views.  The trail leading to Logan peak has some long sections of trail completely covered with large rocks making it hard on your back and your atv.  Other than that the trail is fairly easy and enjoyable.  About half way up the trail we came to a spot where there had been a snow slide and the snow hadn’t melted yet.  The trail we were on was cut into the side of a mountain andit was too steep to go down around the slide andthe path up around the slide was very difficult.  We were worried that if we tried to drive over the slide our atv’s might slip on the snow and slide down into a gully that would be extremely hard and time consuming to get out of (if ever) and would most likely result in a roll over.  I approached it first and decided to take the high route up above the slide, my brother stayed behind to see how it worked out for me.  I got hung up on some branches and had to hop over a few logs, and it just about rolled.  After a long time of bushwhacking /lifting/ plowing etc.. we barely got it through to the other side. We decided that wasn’t the best route for him to get his across.  The atv I was on had a winch on it but his did not.  We decided to try and ride his atv up over the slide and see what happens.  Things went well until about half way across when the atv started sliding downhill towards the point of no return.  After a few minutes of sliding and digging through snow and mud we had it officially stuck, and I mean BAD!  It wasn’t just hung up in the mud and snow, it was also on the verge of rolling and at the edge of a very steep drop off into some trees.  We hooked the winch from my atv onto it so we wouldn’t lose it down the hill but because of the weird angle we were at from the 1st atv to the 2nd (basically a 90 degree angle) there was no way for us to pull it back up onto the trail.   At this point we realized that we really needed a snatch block (pully block) that we could attach to a tree uphill from the atv that was stuck.  By using a snatch block we could run the winch cable from my atv up through the pulley and back down to the stuck atv.  We weren’t prepared with one but we did have a tie down strap andwe were able to make a make-shift one using the hook on the tie down.  We wrapped it around the tree and ran the winch cable through the hook on the tie down.  It actually worked pretty well and we were able to pull the wheeler back up to the trail.  The winch we had was the Ramsey 2500lb Atv Winch.   We were again impressed with its pulling power and how easy it was to use.  We are now looking to buy another winch so both four wheelers will be equipped.  Or even without a second winch if we just had a snatch block our scary situation could have been easily resolved.   We were surprised at the amount of snow up there still, we actually couldn’t get all the way to Logan peak.  Overall it was a great ride and a fun learning experience.

ATV Cargo Bags

We’ve recently been testing an American Trails ATV bag. American Trails offers an entire line of atv bags for adventure or utility. We specifically used the ATV Padded Bottom Bag. This particular model mounts on the rear rack of your ATV. We used the product on a Honda Rubicon and the bag fit nicely on the rack and was securely mounted throughout various rocky rides. One of the coolest features of the American Trails lineup is that their ATV bags are designed without zippers. We packed our bag full of straps, water, extra clothing, recovery and survival gear because you never know what you’ll come up against. The padded bottom bag stayed securely closed and gear remained dry in the wet conditions - just what we wanted. The American Trails padded bottom bag has a padded seat for resting at senic overlooks and features a large rear compartment and two side compartments that serve as arm rests as well.  Two detachable water bottle holders are also included with the bag and attach to the front of the side compartments. There are also bungee cord lacing across the top of the side compartments for light weight bulkier items like a jacket.

Overall I was impressed with the bag. It’s rigid sidewalls help retain it’s shape even when loaded with lots of gear. The zipperless design is great. It has a large overlap around the lid and a nylon strap and buckle keep the lid secure. These ATV bags are easy to install and easy to remove if you need to. I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a less expensive alternative that is easier to install or remove than the traditional hard plastic or fiberglass type ATV Cargo boxes.

Zox Motorcycle Helmets

Zox Off-road helmets are one of the latest additions to Pure Off-road’s line of motorcycle accessories.  As a new dealer for Zox we were curious to see what kind of quality and styles we would be dealing with.  We saw some samples and were more than impressed with how lightweight they were and how many options were available for sizes, colors and different graphic designs.  All of the Zox Off-road helmets are DOT or SNELL 2005 approved.  We sold a few to some local guys at first and have heard nothing but great feedback on not only how inexpensive they are but also how they fit, the comfort, the airflow, and again the weight.  Zox helmets started in 2005.  As a fairly new name in the industry you never know what to expect.  We have seen other brands of helmets that aren’t as well known and have been disappointed with the quality and weight.  Speaking from experience using many different ”name brand” helmets, we think Zox helmets can keep up with the best of them and we look forward to selling their product for years to come.  At times I too am hesitant to go with a brand I’m not familiar with, especially when the price seems too good to be true, but I wouldn’t think twice about getting Zox helmets for my whole family to wear. 

Last Man Standing

Late the other night I was watching the 2006 Last man Standing competition. I was stoked because it was on the Rush HD channel so it looked real cool on the large HD screen. I love to ride my dirtbike, but I’m really not much for riding on the track or doing huge jumps. Trail riding is where it’s at for me. This trail however, is probably way past most of our skill level. The trail spanned something like 37 miles across ravines, rocky terrain, man made obstacles and step steep hills. After you make it through the 37 miles you have a couple hour rest, then you do it all backwards in the dark. I think there were a couple hundred people in the race to start with, but only 9 or so made the cutoff for the second leg of the race.

If i ever did comepete in a race of any kind. I think this is the kind of race I would do. Something about flying down an arena track with riders flying everywhere off the jumps around or next to me just freaks me out. So i don;t think motocross is my thing. I’m a wimp I know, but when you have a few kids and a good wife, you tend to value your life a little more. If you’re any good you can get out ahead of the pack in a trail race and you’re in contention with a few good riders. Seems to be a little less repetative and intense, but it is surely a test of endurance and skill.

Trail riding is fun for me because it involves some technical difficulty (unless you chose lame trails that are just roads) and the trails usually lead to a really cool place. At least around here they do. So you get some exciting bike riding in, and in the end you might find yourself at a peak with an incredible view, or a nice lake to drop a line in.

Oh i forgot. The other cool thing I saw in the race was a 2 wheel drive bike. The front wheel was powered with the back wheel, and if one slipped, the other picked up the slack. Cool idea, we’ll have to see how that one pans out in the market in the future. Apparently you can get this option on several brands right now including Honda.

New Action Sports Blog

Pure offroad is a great new place to find all of your atv and motocross gear and accessories. Since the action sports scene is always changing, we think its a good idea to have a blog about the newest gear, latest news or whatever else seems relevant. Check back often as this blog evolves.