11-23-11 Ride

Hunter and I had a great ride today. We put the old cabin on the Brute with the new retrofit doors hoping it would keep us warm. Warm was an understatement.  We were both completely overdressed but as we always say better safe than sorry.

Here’s how the day went:  We started off about 10 AM, headed for Murphy, Idaho, but not sure exactly where we were going.  We knew we were headed for the snow but not sure of the route we were going to take to get there.  “No biggie,” I say.  We’ll just head up the Silver City Road and figure it out from there.  About 5 miles up the road take a left on Scotch Bob Road. I knew I should have taken a pic.  From the bottom of the canyon it’s about 3 miles.

Anyway, we headed for War Eagle Mt. but about half way up the snow became a little too deep for the time we had to spend.  We had a great time playing in the snow and trying out the new doors on the cabin. Let me tell you I know someone could build a better set of doors but these were great. We wore light coats and ball caps, and no gloves and bulky clothing to get in the way. The only time we put on stocking hats was when we left the inside warmth of our new…well, let’s just call it a Jeep.

We just need a stereo and power windows. Here’s the thing: if you get a chance to spend some time with your best friend doing what you love to do. DO IT!  No questions.  It was one of the best rides I have taken in a while just because my son was there with me. We had a couple of close calls because I wasn’t paying attention.  (Don’t tell my wife.)

And we had luke-warm hotdogs because I can’t pack a lunch to save my life and what does my son say at the end of the day? “Best day ever!  What a great adventure!” What do you say to that? I said, “Best day ever!  What a great adventure!”

Until next time, enjoy the ride!

Cabin Retrofit

This is the cabin I purchased a couple of years ago.  It works great for the intended purpose, which is block the wind and to keep you mostly out of the elements.  As you can see, your legs are always exposed and almost all of the heat off the engine is lost.  What to do?--I did doors!  I added a little fabric on the bottom of the cabin and made removable doors.  With a hand full of snaps and some fabric I was able to fabricate some pretty cool doors.  They are not perfect but they work.  The best thing about these is there is very little heat loss from the engine, which helps keep the rider very toasty.

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There is plenty of air flow to keep any fumes from building up.  It seems the best speed is around 20 MPH to keep the heat up.  On slow and narrow trails it’s perfect.  It also holds together well at speeds around 30 MPH or so.  The doors were easy to build and well worth the time.  On this ride we left Murphy, Idaho, and headed for Silver City.   After everything was warmed up gloves and hats were not needed until we left the comfort of our “cabin.”  I always enjoy riding in all kinds of weather but the extra warmth makes it so much better.  

Until next time, enjoy the ride.

*Other thoughts...

Rain-ex works great and keeps any snow and rain moving quickly out view.  When cleaning your windshield, always use a up-down motion to keep any scratches in one direction.  It cuts down on swirling glare when out in the sun.  Next time we go I will take a thermometer and check the outside temp. compared to the inside temp.  I think it will be interesting to see the difference.

Maxis Big Horns

In the last post I wrote about the Moose Power Mod and how much I loved it {link to post}. In this post I‘ll talk about the next extra I added to the Brute.

Tires and wheels not only look cool but are functional as well, maybe not the wheels but they look cool. Here is what I found: Maxis big horns, 27x12r12 for the rear, and 27x9r12 for the front, with ITP offset wheels rear. Why, you may ask?  Great question! I would love to say I need more ground clearance or with the new Moose Power Mod I need more traction or I read all the reviews on the web and narrowed down my decision based on blah-blah-blah.  Now, all of these are questions you should ask yourself when purchasing tires and wheels and these have helped and exceeded my expectations. But…

Nope, I walked into my store Grizzly Sports and said to myself “self, I need that set.  They are just so cool!” I should probably not mention how they spoke to me. (“Take me please, I need to get in the mud, I eat rocks, snow is no problem, etc.”)   We can talk about the voices in my head later. I purchased the set of tires and wheels, rolled them out to the truck and they were taller than the tires on my truck!  (“COOL!” I say aloud, with the salesman quietly chuckling in the background.)  I rushed home and installed them.  “Nice!” I say.  My wife? Not as impressed as I was but still cool.  I loaded the Brute and went riding.

I should mention with stock tires I would always just tie the Brute down, sucked up to the cab but with 27’s at the first stop sign we came too? Yep, they went right through the back window, (just something to keep in mind always put something between your bike and the cab).  The tires are great, fantastic traction and ware.  The handling is much improved over stock. The offsets are great for off camber travel and add a lot of stability although most trails are cut at 48 inches and I now sit at about 54 inches wide in the back. That hasn’t been a problem but I do worry a little about the legal side (ATV description being 48 inches wide) and we can discuss this in a later post.

The bottom line is I love this setup and it works great for me. Don’t forget: they look good too!

Pros: They look cool

        Fantastic traction (rocks, snow. hard pack, mud)

        greatly improved ride and controllability       

        Durability is Awesome!

        

Cons: Heavy (but the brute handles them well)

         the offset wheels are a bit wide for some applications (legal issues)

         not good on pavement (but we all knew that right?)

Until next time, enjoy the ride!

Moose Power Module

Moose Power Module

Over the next few posts, I will go over and review the extras or “mods” I’ve added to my 2005 Kawasaki 750 brute force. 

Instead of tires and wheels first to make it look great and handle better my thought was “more power right out of the box.”  Don’t get me wrong, the brute doesn’t have issues with power but if you can get more?  Well, then you get more.  Besides, the tires were new and the budget was lacking. 

For about $90 I purchased the Moose Power Module from my local dealer Grizzly Sports and raced home to install it. Not being great with mechanics I read the instructions and the first installation was quick and easy (almost too easy).  You would think these things would be harder to do but…nope simple and fast just how I like it.

The first thing I noticed was the brute fired right up cool but then I thought “Is that it? Is it working?” Jumped on and there we went. I laid into the throttle AND? Holy ^%$#%$# yep it’s working alright! My front wheels were off the ground and we were moving. I was in love...

Now on the top end there is no measurable difference but on the low end--holy cow-- torque like crazy, which is nice in some of those tight spots where more power is better. In my view more power is always better.  Sometimes it just hurts more.  Bottom line is I love the “moose power mod” and it works great.

Pros: $ 90 not a bad price for the return

      easy installation (five minutes or less once the seat is off)

      works great (low end torque)

      I can now beat my Dad off the line (even with the stock tires)

Cons: nothing yet but if I have an issue I’ll let you know

Until next time, enjoy the ride!

About Us

My name is Tyson Davis.  I am 37 years old and currently living in Nampa, Idaho.  I started riding motorcycles when I was about 5 years old, a 1974 Honda XR-75 handed down from my brother (Thanks Scott). The freedom, fun, occasional crashes and experiences since I started riding have made a huge impact on my life. As I have grown up the mode of transportation has changed but the love of the ride only gets stronger.  It really doesn’t matter what or how you ride - motorcycle, side-by-side or ATV; fast or slow, aggressive or conservative.   What matters is the fun and excitement of exploring new places with the people you love, and maybe even learning something new along the way (about where you are and who you are with).

I started off with a Honda XR-75 and have owned many motorcycles since then, along with a couple of three-wheelers.  In 1995 my world of riding changed forever when my Dad and I purchased two brand new Honda 300 Four-trax 2-wheel drive machines.  Wow!  The difference was amazing!  First of all it was so fun and convenient to be able to carry all that stuff (cook stove, cooler, camera, etc.) Second, the ride itself was smooth and enjoyable, often riding with one hand while holding a soda or camera, not worrying about hitting a small rock and being flung off the edge of a cliff.  After going through a small race phase with a Honda 400 EX and a Yamaha Raptor 650, very fast and very fun, I thought it was time to slow down.  About this time I got married and a short time later we had our first of two boys.  This was a “big factor” in the slowing down decision

Now I ride a 2005 750 Kawasaki Brute Force 4x4. Wait, I thought I was slowing down?  This thing still runs out at about 65 mph.  Cool!  Best of both worlds!  My family and I love to ride, get out and see wonderful, scenic Idaho. This is our story.  Join us as we explore the great outdoors:  any trail, any time.

Tyson Davis, aka “The Trailrat”