Some Time to Think.

We've all been down one of these trails before. Woods zipping by in a flash, sun beaming down through the foliage, and there's nothing around but you, your quad, and your thoughts.

These are the kind of trails that facilitate random thought, focusing on something other than the riding situation. The trail retains the same straightaway for miles, no turns, no jumps, no whoops, no riding skill to concentrate on. What body english should I use here? How far back should I lean on this jump? Nope, my mind starts to wander and I'm sure everyone else's does too. Since I have no helmet walkie-talkies to talk to my riding partners I start thinking about all kinds of non-quad related things. In no particular order this is just an example of things that pop through my head:

• The next Simpsons episode
• I can't wait to play video games again
• Captain Morgan
• I wonder what that chick at the gas station looks like naked
• This trail is fast becoming boring. Let's see some action here

And then it all goes away in an instant because I start to not pay attention to my surroundings and the next thing I know I'm almost ass packing the rider in front of me because I didn't hit the brakes in time for the 90 degree turn that came out of nowhere. Oops. Oh well, it's all in the name of fun.

More Riding in Michigan.

40+ places to ride.

I've lived in Michigan my entire life, have ridden ATV's for over 15 years, and had no idea that even half of these sites existed. Thanks Dirtwheels for doing a piece on my state. My new goal is to hit up every one of these locations at least once. It's nice to see Michigan get some love once and awhile, instead of the usual doom and gloom from Detroit.

Road Legal in Michigan! For the Most Part.

I never thought I would see the day, but here we are in 2012 and OHV's have been legalized for on-road use (sort of). In a time where the public keeps getting more laws and restrictions to stop us from having fun, it's nice to see the government and EPA lighten up a bit. In Emmett county and Cheboygan county of northern lower Michigan, all non-highway, county roads have been opened up for OHV use. For those unfamiliar check the map below:

That's one step close to total road legality; we can finally stop being jealous of the motorcycle crew and their on-road adventures. The basic rules are: non-highway roads with a max speed limit of 45, an ORV sticker must be present, follow all basic turn signal gestures, you must be on the shoulder except when crossing, and no acting like a moron, ie, me back in highschool. The Catastrophe Lads made a trip up there to ride around with our newfound freedom, and here are just some of the places that main roads will take you to:

There are literally thousands of miles of trails to hit, that branch off the thousands of miles of roadways to ride on. For more information click here. We will be making a more in depth trip up there now that we know how far we can go. I hope I get my saddle bags in soon, this is going to be a long ride. Pics and vids as soon as we can.

We're Back!

After a ridiculous five year long hiatus, the Catastrophe Lads are back! (No, we didn't die in an ATV accident, we were just noobin'). And there's no better way to kick off the new year than with the 2012 Yamaha Raptor SE. One of these days we'll be rich enough to afford one, but until then all we can do is stare at the screen and drool. PayPal donations anyone?? Coming soon: Project fix up old rotten '91 Yamaha Blaster. Pics soon.

Polaris Revolver!

I know it's been awhile but here is the latest and greatest from Polaris. It's a street legal quad, Finally! Click the link to read all about it, hopefully it becomes a reality here in the United States.

Polaris Revolver

News

Updates will be coming soon, in the form of more pictures and movies. We've been busy lately, but we'll be able to catch back up soon. In addition, I might be making a trip to Silver Lake Sand Dunes on the weekend of August 18th. Hopefuly that trip pans out, as there will a lot of interesting new material to post for everyone to enjoy.

Udpated!

We now have our video section up and running. Check it out, there's some pretty cool stuff in there. More videos to come as we get time.

Tribute to the Yamaha Banshee.

We all knew the time would come, when we would have to put our denial away and face the music, the Yamaha Bansee is no more. Officially killed from Yamaha's line-up this year, it will take hardcore fans a long time to recuperate their loss and finally switch over to the four-stroke world. The Banshee has been the flagship of Yamaha's atv lineup for many years; fearlessly staving off the bold Honda 250R, until it merged victorious and the 250R died off. Years later the Banshee would see a monopoly on the entire sport market, as all the quads that rivaled it would see then end of their life shortly after their birth. The Banshee was invincible with its 350 twin two-stroke motor, large chassis, and ample suspension. Yamaha has made magic happen. Somehow they've managed to keep the Banshee in production almost 20 years, with very little changes to it. Even the EPA (which tried numerous times) couldn't shut down the Banshee, with its outrageously foul twin pipes spewing two stroke pollution everywhere. You could practically hear environmentalists cringing every time someone fired up a Banshee. Eventually in 1998 the Banshee would see its first real competition in almost 10 years, in the form of the Honda 400EX. After that it was a slow, downhill, losing battle for the veteran two-stroker. The success of the 400EX was quite large, sparking a huge interest in performance four-stokers. Yamaha went to make the 660R Raptor, Suzuki and Kawasaki with the Z-400 and KFX-400, then Yamaha again with the 700R Raptor and YFZ-450, Honda with the 450R, and Suzuki now with their 450R. It wasn't a quick death though, as the Banshee fought gamely on, fending off the four-stokers, and the now increasingly stringent EPA. By the time 2005 rolled around, the Banshee was looking quite antiquated, and very, very tired. I personally still love the way the Banshee looks, at it was basically the only Yamaha that hadn't been "Raptorized". Now, 2006 would see the final nail in the coffin of the Banshee. It had a long, excellent run, but now it's time for her to be laid to rest. Of course, that won't stop you from seeing Banshees on every trail, track, or dune known to man, as Yamaha has sold millions of them to this day. People everywhere appreciate the uniqueness of the Banshee, and loyal fans everywhere will appreciate what the Banshee has done to the world of atvs. Long live the Yamaha Banshee.

Wanted!

A late 80's Yamaha Blaster and late 80's Yamaha Warrior. Simon and I are going to try project Blaster-Warrior transfusion. Basically, we're going to take a Blaster engine and stick it in a Warrior frame. We think it would be a pretty cool project, plus no one ever really has done that (everyone's too busy putting engines in Banshee and Quadzilla frames). If anyone has any information on some used Yammies, let us know.

Galvanic Corrosion

Here is a LINK to an informative article that has to do with galvanic corrosion. This subject was brought to our attention in a comment under the Quad Tips #1 post. It seems that putting stainless steel screws into aluminum will cause the aluminum to corrode. But there are ways to get around the corrosion if you use plating or tapes.

The Gladwin experience.

The Gladwin trail system, located in Gladwin, MI is a great place to ride atvs. The first impression is great when you pull up into the spacious parking lot, because right off the bat you'll notice there are no guard booths, hence no parking fees. It's completely free. The trails are split into two areas, what are known as the North and South systems. Each system has a main seasonal road, with many trails branching off each one. My recommendation is to stay away from the South system. The trails are solid whoops, from entry to exit, and there's not much variation in the riding experience. The North, however, is where the excitement is at. From the sandy, seasonal roads, to wooded trails, it's far superior than the South. The whoops on the trails aren't nearly as bad, and the trails range from open ground, to deep woods, to logging country. There are little "scramble areas" off some trails that remind me of the dunes: large, open areas of nothing but sand, bowls, and jumps. I suggest everyone make a trip here. For more info click on the MI DNR link.

Quad tips # 1

The Catastrophe Lads find it necessary to replace the stock phillips head screws with socket head cap screws on the throttle and brake fluid covers. After a few years the phillips head screws will rust, fill with dirt, and strip out after too much useage. Replacing them with stainless socket screws will give you an infinitely longer life span, ensuring years of hassle free maintenance.

Silver Lake Sand Dunes.

Here are a few pics of what you'll se at Silver Lake. That place is wild, I suggest that anyone with an ORV should make a trip there someday. Requirements: Dune flag that spans at least 12 feet above the ground, ORV sticker, and a state park sticker for your vehicle AS WELL AS your ORV. It will cost a few bucks, but it's definitely worth it.

Gladwin trip.

Here are a couple pics of us last year at the Gladwin trail system. We'll be there again this Saturday 7/15/06 around 11 a.m. For those not familiar with its locale, take I-75 to exit 190, turn left (West) on U.S. 61 and travel approximately 10 miles. The main parking lot is left (South) off 61.

Welcome to the Catastrophe Lads quad enthusiam blog.

This blog is all about fourwheeling and anything related to it; from quads to places to ride, we've got it covered.