SideXSide Action - February 2008 - (Page 31)

“ YOURSELF BY CODY FLETCHER UPGRADES CAN DO POWER THAT YOU One of the biggest gripes I hear from owners of Side X Sides is the lack of power that is exerted from the small, commonly single-cylindered engines. hills they could when it was bone stock. So we’ll show you a couple different power upgrade stages you can take to add as little (or as much) horsepower as you want to your utility/turned extreme off-road machine. you want to go out and drive hard, you can take them off, freeing up a good 50 lbs. Just pay attention to what you put on your SXS, as everything weighs something. Little by little, those small weights can turn your UTV into a 1,600 lb., 25 HP sled. The engines on SXSs actually puts out a decent amount of power for its intended use, but once you start adding accessories, larger tires and wheels, and filling up the dump bed, the power starts diminishing, quickly. With the Yamaha Rhino bursting onto the scene with a mild 40 MPH top speed and the Ranger XP pushing a little quicker 45 MPH top speed, the speed fanatics who were accustomed to 50-80 MPH top speeds now felt a little loaded down. However, the problem wasn’t only in the top speed, but the power curve as a whole has also become a problem. Not that Side X Sides are slow machines, but just like anything, as soon as you drop it into the sand, mud, or rocks, you automatically loose a good percentage to the wheel HP. A lot of the time, consumers purchase everything they can buy for their SXS machine and, 800 lbs. later, wonder why they can’t climb any of the same First Things First Let’s start at the beginning and cover a few things that you can do yourself to increase horsepower for free! First thing you’ll want to do is assess your ride: check it over and see if there’s anything that you really don’t need for use in the sand. If you’ve got an extra 5-gallon gas can full of gas hanging off the back, this might not be your best set-up for the sand. Gasoline weighs on average about 5.8-6.2 lbs. a gallon, so with a full tank and the 5gallon jug on the back, you’re looking at about 75 lbs. of fuel. This is just one example of weight overkill. Use quick release jug and cooler racks, along with lights racks, so when you want to use them you can, and when The more air and fuel you can get into your engine, the more horsepower you can achieve. So drilling holes in your Removing a lightbar, like the one pictured, during daytime rides can save up to 45 lbs. 30 SIDE X SIDE ACTION MAGAZINE http://hypemotorsports.com http://hypemotorsports.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SideXSide Action - February 2008

SideXSide Action - February 2008 Contents Mailbox News Tips & Tricks Rhino 700 YFI Join the Club Snowbound Fun Power Upgrade Camping Buyer's Guide Overcoming the Odds Product Reviews HID Light Shoot-Out Company Spotlight: John Deere History of the SXS History & A Ride Places to Ride WPSA Round 10 Clutching 101 New Product Section Calico To Laughlin Project Race Rhino: Final Chapter On the Go Photo

SideXSide Action - February 2008

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