Founded by Greg Cottrell, Rugged Radios has dominated the world of two-way communications for off road enthusiasts and professional race teams. With a diverse range of products, Rugged Radios outfits drivers, crew, passengers, chase teams, race officials, and more with clear communications to improve safety and, well, communication!

It all starts with in-car intercom systems that connect driver and passengers with headsets or, if you’re wearing helmets, helmet speaker kits. From there, adding a Car-2-Car kit allows you to talk from vehicle to vehicle. Depending upon the model, Car-2-Car Kits feature powerful 2-way radios to provide a communication range of 12-30 miles.

That, right there, is the heart and soul of Rugged Radios.

Since the inception of the off road intercom, Greg Cottrell has built an amazing and diverse business that services all audiences and professions. From snowmobile, to motocross, to fire trucks, to aviation, and our favorite – off road racing, Rugged Radios is truly the authority in communication.

When asked about the growth of the Rugged Radios brand among consumers, Greg Cottrell commented “We’ve worked hard over the years, listening to consumers and developing communication products that perform incredibly well. And all of that means nothing if we can’t back it up with quality service.”

That appears to be the case with Rugged Radios. If you’re looking for credibility, Rugged Radios is the official communications for Best In The Desert, Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series, TORC, and many other major U.S. based sanctioning bodies. Their product line is used by top race teams and drivers you may already know. In the UTV scene, drivers like Branden Sims, Mitch Guthrie Jr., as well as Derek and Jason Murray to name a few all use Rugged Radios. In the off road racing scene, you’ll find other drivers sporting Rugged Radios such as RJ Anderson, Ricky Johnson, Luke Johnson, Jeremy McGrath, Cam Reimers and more. There’s no doubt Rugged’s doing something right.

“It’s not just the equipment we offer,” Greg stated. “We back it up with top level service and support. We have a dedicated in-house tech support crew and we make every effort to be at every sanctioning body race event we support. We’re there for the fans and the race teams. We want to be sure everyone’s communications are working flawlessly.”

To back that up, Rugged Radios has probably logged more miles in travel this year than your odometer can count. Rugged Radios has traveled all over the southwest and covered major events in Kentucky, Florida, Oregon, and Wisconsin to name a few. For those of us in Canada – let’s just say that’s huge!

With that attention, Rugged Radios always strives to be on the cutting edge, providing new products that are evolutionary and revolutionary. We spoke to Greg about the latest innovations from Rugged Radios and immediately three items came up.

“Many enthusiasts have been asking for a stereo communication headset. One that delivers incredible audio sound and music fidelity. Something with intense bass and volume. That’s why we developed the AlphaBass Headset. With independent volume and bass control, each user can personalize their audio experience for the ultimate music enjoyment,” Greg said.

Made from true carbon fiber, the AlphaBass has been blowing away the industry. It’s the first communication headset that integrates with your off road intercom and delivers outstanding audio performance.

“Next is our RM-60,” Greg said. “It’s a 60-watt radio that delivers almost 20% more power and distance than previously available models at a more affordable price. The RM-60 can reach up to 30 miles making it the ideal solution for race teams and off road enthusiasts.”

Last, Greg discussed the new RRP660PLUS Intercom. The RRP660 PLUS is the latest offering from Rugged Radios, providing Bluetooth music streaming from your cell phone as well as the ability to connect and dis-connect from calls with the touch of a button on the intercom. You’ll never have to touch your cell phone in your pocket.

What’s hard for people to understand is that importance of the intercom. It’s the device everything connects to; headsets, helmet kits, and two-way radio – which can be added any time and is completely optional if you want to talk to other vehicles in your group.

Clearly, Rugged is doing something right and UTV owners, off road race teams, and powersports enthusiasts are waking up to the power of communications. With a single storefront in California and a massive website with over 1200 items, Rugged strives to do it right. To make it easy for consumers, the most popular offerings are available as complete kits with one-click ordering. Digging deeper, you can find just about anything else you need to repair, replace, or enhance any existing communications you might have.

Whether your passion is street, dirt, or snow, Rugged Radios is clearly the choice for communications. Product options and customer support lead the brand that Rugged has built, but nothing compares to the experience of actually having quality communications to make your ride more fun, improve safety, and add a soundtrack to your adventures. Be sure to check out Rugged Radios online or give them a call. There’ a reason Rugged Radios is the authority in communications.

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The company recently moved to a newly renovated 220,000 sq. ft. facility that is much bigger and better than their original warehouse in Madison, Indiana. This new location has given much more space and allowed the company the much needed space to explore new opportunities. The plant includes top of the line CNC machinery, a wealth of new testing and heat treating equipment, and even their own testing track to ensure their products are tough and trail ready.

The SuperATV racing team has also been stirring up dust in the Side-By-Side racing circuit. The SuperATV racing team, including employee Driver Tyler Greves and Co-Pilot Kevin Burnette, proved their skills and SuperATV’s products in the King of Hammers and Best of the Desert Race Series. With their strong and consistent finishes, they proved that SuperATV’s products could take all the abuse the desert could throw at them. Their strong finish in the Mint 400, also known as “The Great American Off-Road Race” insured their place among the top riders and racing teams in the country. The course left countless vehicles destroyed, and humbled the egos some of the industry’s best riders, but Greves and Burnette had a strong finish and brought it to the checkered flag without a scratch.

SuperATV’s extensive product line covers all of the industry’s most popular machines. The new facility has allowed for and inspired a wealth of new products like a heavy duty reverse chain, numerous clutch kits and gear reduction kits, and a top of the line ECU tuning program. New products are being released daily. Along with their impressive list of heavy duty parts, lifts, accessories and more, some of SuperATV’s internal brands include popular names like: Rhino Brand Axles, GDP Portal Gear Lifts, Rev1, EZ-Steer Power Steering Kits, the Rack Boss Rack and Pinion, and Terminator, Intimidator, and Assassinator Tires, among many others. This industry wide coverage makes www.superatv.com a one stop shop for dedicated and hard-core riders all over the world.

Rhino Brand Axles have definitely become an aftermarket favorite for extreme riders. With fitments for nearly all makes, models, and years, Rhino Brand Axles are known for their strength and durability, their ability to handle drastic angles without binding, and their trusted response to abuse in high heat and high speeds. This is affordability and durability at its best.

One of the newest SuperATV products to take the industry by storm is the Gear Driven Performance (GDP) Portal Gear Lift. This gear lift ensures the optimal performance of lifted machines with bigger tires. By adding a lift kit and monster tires, you rob much desired horsepower. The GDP Portal Gear Lift gives you that power back by utilizing gear reduction portal lift boxes that bring back the life in the machine’s low end. These Portal Gear Lifts come in a 4” lift version that offers a 30% gear reduction, and a 6” lift version that offers 45% gear reduction. With fitments for multiple machines, the lift can be run with stock settings to offer stock axle angles, or can be added to your lifted machine to create a monster ride with unmatched low end horsepower. GDP is a rapidly growing must for all swampers, mudders, creekers, and climbers looking for more clearance and more power when turning that extra rubber in the nastiest of terrains.

SuperATV’s EZ-Steer kits have traveled beyond the ATV/UTV industry and have found uses in many motorsports outlets, both nationally and internationally. The EZ-Steer Power Steering Kit is a plug-and-play unit that reduces steering effort, eliminates unwanted steering feedback, and makes machines much easier to steer (especially those with larger tires). Besides the plethora of ATV/UTV fitments, the EZ Steer Universal Power Steering Kits are also being used in sprint cars, buggies, rock crawlers, and many other machines. This makes the EZ Steer an easy choice in aftermarket power steering kits.

SuperATV is also helping riders cut through the nastiest mud holes, rip through the roughest trails, and climb the rockiest hills with their line of aggressive tires. The Terminator, the Intimidator and the Assassinator have become some of the most notable names in ATV/UTV tires. The Intimidator is the smoothest, most versatile mud tire on the market. This tire is smooth on the roads and hard-pack trails, and aggressive enough to take on almost any hill or bounty hole. The Terminator is an industry favorite that has seen the bottom of some of the nastiest mud holes and cut through them like butter. The Assassinator is SuperATV’s newest and most extreme mud tire. With a nasty 3” tread depth, these tires have a self-cleaning tread pattern and have never seen a mud hole they couldn’t cut through. These tires are a trail favorite and a regular site at parks and mud holes across the country.

The SuperATV family is quickly growing. Their fans, supporters, and products can be seen on the trails, on the rocks, and in the deepest mud holes from coast to coast and around the world. They invite you to give them a call at 812-574-7777 or visit their website at www.superatv.com. You can also visit them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to tell your story, share your pictures, and let them know what they can do for you.

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Always the innovator, Warn Industries led the world into off-roading back in 1948 with the invention of locking hubs and never looked back. WARN later created the ATV winch accessory category by introducing the industry’s first ATV winch in 1988. Today, our diverse powersports lineup spans winches, mounting systems, bumpers, body armor and even plows to serve the off-road, sportsmen, and agricultural markets.

Every day, deep in Side X Side country at two Oregon WARN facilities, 500+ employees work hard to bring our ultra-reliable products to life for those who love the outdoors. Most of our employees are off-road enthusiasts themselves. In fact, every product WARN makes for Side X Side riders was designed, crafted and assembled by riders for riders. Our experts know what it’s like to get stuck in the mud or crossing a swollen creek. They understand the importance of assisting a buddy out in the backcountry. Since they know what UTVers need, our engineers design in the touches, the durability and the ruggedness it takes to excel outdoors. And they make sure everything we make is tested and retested. Such authenticity helps WARN fuel our customers’ needs with products that withstand rugged daily use and the test of time.

In the Side X Side world, the WARN name is synonymous with winching and protection.

Our top-of-the-winch-line ProVantage™ Winches put users in control of the situation—any situation. ProVantage Winches have the features you’d expect from the top dog: peak performance with power to spare, legendary WARN durability and the extreme sealing that gives riders confidence when the going gets wet.

The WARN Vantage™ Winch line was created to be user and wallet friendly. They are the perfect blend of performance and value: built strong, built to last and built to keep users out of trouble. Both winch product lines have models spooled with lightweight synthetic rope or durable wire rope. To ensure secure, simple winch mounting, WARN offers precision mounting kits for both ProVantage and Vantage Winches. And our rugged Epic Winch Accessories provide an array of durable, helpful products, from tree trunk protectors to shackles and more.

WARN also helps you protect your Side X Side from the carnage that boulders, logs and hard riding can create. WARN bumpers not only anchor winches, but they provide stable platforms for trail lights and other accessories. WARN body armor, in the form of rugged skid plates, helps vehicles skim over boulders instead of crushing onto them.

It’s also good to know that when it comes to moving tons of grain or feet of snow, WARN ProVantage Plow Systems mean quicker installs, easier usage and the versatility you need.

Whether your UTV is for work or play, or both, you can trust WARN, the name relied on by world-class OEMs such as Yamaha and Ford. In fact, WARN has won numerous quality awards from Polaris, Yamaha and others. They depend on WARN for outstanding performance, year after year. So should you. Next time you’re knee-deep with your vehicle in a frigid creek or up to your axles in muck, you’ll be glad you did.

For more information on Warn Industries, please visit : www.warn.com

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Although, the initial product for the company started with one lift kit, the worldwide ATV aftermarket industry now knows High Lifter Products as a leader specializing in quality parts and accessories for ATV/UTVs. While High Lifter makes a variety of products, they are considered mud experts specializing in mud related products. Their lifestyle is mud riding and most weekends you will find members of the High Lifter crew riding trails and running through mud holes at the High Lifter Off-road Park, a near 600 acre riding park and tests grounds. Their research and development team designs, engineers and tests superior products to enhance the mud riding experience. High Lifter is proud to say they designed the best pulling mud tire in the industry. The Outlaw tire is sold all over the world and known for its unique, scooped, tractor like tread design and outstanding mud performance. It is standard equipment on all Polaris High Lifter Edition bikes.

They also have a full manufacturing facility which runs 2 shifts and produces most of their metal parts, including Max Clearance Control Arms, Trailing Arms, Radius Bars, Outlaw DHT Axles, Diver Down Snorkels and a complete line of Lift Kits.

Mud Nationals was originally started because many of their customers knew that a lot of High Lifter employees were avid ATV riders and they wanted to have an event to get together and ride with them. So in 2003, High Lifter decided to put on an event inviting customers to ride with the staff and get to know High Lifter better as a company. High Lifter’s main product focus is on mud riding (lift kits and mud tires) so they included a mud bog competition. The first year, about 2,500 people showed up. They never imagined that over the next 12 years, it would grow to be the largest ATV mud riding event in the world drawing over 15,000 people each year, including attendees from Canada and several other foreign countries.

For more information on High Lifter Products, please visit www.highlifter.com

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Wicked Bilts signature products trace their roots to the parent company’s focus on Steering. Early on, Maval developed cost effective, safe and durable steering systems for some of the largest O.E.M.s around the world. Using this expertise, Wicked Bilt has developed specialty steering systems for the most demanding racers, crawlers and mudders. These units are steering on steroids for the most extreme conditions that warrant more than factory supplied components. The system is simplicity itself using a modular (Lego like) system to give the customer a robust gear coupled with an ergonomic ratio to reduce driver fatigue during those long and tiring cross country events. With more “beef” added to every aspect of the gear, performance drivers get the turning radius and robust capability to insure a straight shot to the finish line. These gears can also be tailored to custom fit virtually any unique front end set up. Many racers start with a blank sheet of paper and fit a custom gear into the most complex front end matrix. These gears are produced and hand crafted to each individual set up, while remaining remarkably cost effective due to advanced manufacturing techniques, using state of the art machine tools in the dedicated machining shop.

Wicked Bilt was also a pioneer in the use of Electric Power Steering in UTVs with it Electra Steer Kits. Before the OEMs ever made EPS an option on various vehicles, Wicked Bilt created Electra Steer kits that are retro fitted for vehicles which did not have EPS available or was not selected as option from the factory when purchase. Wicked Bilt uses automotive grade EPS units that have already been successfully installed in millions of vehicles worldwide. The strength and small size of the unit are unsurpassed by any competitor and remain an industry standard for responsiveness, durability and ease of installation. We have thousands of satisfied customers, from wounded warriors who needed ease of operation to racer maniacs who put the units to the ultimate test. In our more than seven years in EPS production we have made numerous improvements to an already proven system mating the best in Automotive Technology to create the state of the art, affordable and durable UTV/Side by Side EPS systems. Wicked Bilt engineers are currently working on even more advanced systems with the power required to steer the newer, heavier faster, Sport Side by Sides. Stay tuned for more developments.

At the same time Wicked Bilt has not neglected the unsung hero steering – shafting! Using automotive and race U joints coupled with high strength bar stock and double D, Wicked Bilt creates the industry leader in steering shafting and motion control. High Strength of the U joints coupled with a very low lash coefficient makes for winning combination to those discerning racers and competitors whose dash to the winner’s circle depends on precise control and smooth response. Each unit is robotically tested after welding to insure that both the phasing and lash are within factory specifications. You can count on a Wicked Bilt shaft not to drift off course! Custom shafts for a unique build are no problem for Wicked Bilt.

Veering away from Steering, Wicked Bilt has also designed a signature Snow Plow system that has been widely imitated but never surpassed. Using operator friendly joystick controls, coupled with an integrated mil spec hydraulic control unit, the easy on easy off Snow Plow is a breeze to operate. With the ability to push, pull, raise, lower with downward pressure, and angle from the comfort of a cab Wicked Bilt plows are in service from Kodiak Island Alaska to the Sangre de Christos Mountains in Colorado. If you are in snow country, Wicked Bilt plows deliver the power, versatility, and ease of installation that are appreciated by snow birds from coast to coast. Available in both 60 and 72 inch blade configurations the plow offers unsurpassed flexibility for use in the home drives way, to airports and college campuses. Check the plows out in our video on the website.

Lighting was an area where the global reach of the parent company has really helped Wicked Bilt to come with a line that has many competitive advantages. After researching the Chinese LED light world and numerous visits to factories both great and well…. Not so great, Wicked Bilt settled in on a light supplier who had both the testing and the factory to make a good, reliable, cost effective line that offers many different light kits from desert racing to heavy equipment work lights. Getting feedback from our customers as to what they wanted and what could be improved enabled the team to focus on the most luminous and cost effective lights available today. From desert racing to logging in the north woods, Wicked Bilt keeps you out of the dark.

Wicked Bilt began a search based on customer demands for an accessory line to complement the existing steering, plow and lighting business. This is a work in progress, however Wicked bilt now carries a line of tire products, tow cables, snatch blocks and tow cables among other future offerings that are being field tested as this is being written.

At Wicked Bilt our team does not just design and build – we ride and enjoy the lifestyle. Wicked Bilt team members participate in Riding Rally’s, Races, Jeep Fests, Trail Events and Baja Events. This passion for off-road extends to work in our product development lab, where the ideas and inspiration from the field takes root in systematic design and testing of our products. Jeff DiJerome, Wicked Bilt Manager, says that only work in the field gives us the knowledge to truly understand our products and more importantly our customers’ needs. “Seeing what goes on at events across the country gives us the scope to drill down to our customer’s needs and listen to both complaints and praise”. Each event also usually offers the opportunity to ride, first for fun, then to analyze the products in the vehicle. Many potential products never make the catalog as they are deemed inferior in field testing. A light bar that brings daylight to the test track, but fails two miles into a race is a product the Wicked Bilt will refuse to offer. However, a gear that does a five hundred mile race and is as tight and as responsive as when it was installed is deemed a winner and will get a slot in the catalog. This goes for all of our products.

In closing, we at Wicked Bilt use a two pronged attack at developing and maintaining a fresh stable of products. First we extensively research and simulate field conditions in our lab, working to insure that when we go to the field we have a viable product known to perform. While we are in the field, we fine tune and discover the strengths of the product eliminating any potential weaknesses. The combination of Lab work and field testing is a Wicked Bilt cornerstone in being able to deliver the highest possible quality to the end user.

For more information contact Jeff DiJerome at jeff.dejerome@mavalgear.com or 330-405-1642 or for questions go to wickedbiltsales@mavalgear.com You can call at 1-800-338-9080 if you want to speak to a Wicked Bilt representative.

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History
Aaron Wedeking grew up traveling to the desert and off-roading with friends and family. He’s been around and owned quads, trucks and dune buggies all his life. When building a buggy in the late 90’s, Wedeking and a friend found it was difficult to get quality, customized seats in a decent amount of time. The popularity of aftermarket seats, combined with the lack of competition, kept companies busy and didn’t give much motivation for things to improve.

Noticing an opportunity, Wedeking founded Premier Racing Products (PRP) and began welding, cutting and sewing suspension seats out of his garage. His first run of seats sold to companies such as Off-Road Warehouse and Meyers Manx. Wedeking would continue to make batches of seats and sell them, playing both manufacturer and salesman. With this hustle, PRP quickly grew in size and reputation, eventually becoming one of the top seating companies in the off-road industry.

Hiatus and Return
With the company growing and gaining momentum, as well as two small children at home, Aaron decided to sell PRP in 2007 and focus on being a full-time accountant. However, he never lost his love for off-roading. So, when the chance came to buy the company back, Wedeking returned in early 2010 with a renewed focus. The UTV market was quickly gaining traction in the off-road world and options for replacing the stock seats were in demand. Once again seeing an opportunity, Wedeking introduced seats and benches for the Yamaha Rhino and the Polaris RZR. A number of accessories quickly followed, including innovative storage options and mounts for most of the available UTV models.

Since the introduction of UTVs, the suspension seat industry, as a whole, experienced sharp growth. PRP Seats has been on the forefront of that growth with sales in 2013 increasing over 300%; 50% of that business coming from UTV owners. A large factor in that growth was a deal with Polaris Industries.

Polaris Industries
In 2012 Polaris Industries began planning the production of “the most complete RZR ever.” Their goal was to use the most premium upgrades and parts on the market. The build featured a high output motor, Walker Evans shocks, a longer wheelbase, factory installed doors, and dual storage boxes. When it came to the seats, Polaris purchased from each of the major manufacturers and pushed their limits. Once the dust settled, PRP Seats emerged as the most comfortable and durable seats tested. Wedeking then worked with the RZR team to develop a brand new seat for what would become the RZR® XP 900 H.O. Jagged X Edition. The seat, named the Grand Prix, became the first suspension seat to be factory installed in a UTV.

The reviews of the seats were overwhelmingly positive from just about every media outlet, putting PRP Seats on the map for a whole new group of people. That same model has since been used by Polaris in two additional special edition vehicles—The RZR® 800 XC Edition and the RZR® S 800 EPS FOX White Lightning LE.

In conjunction with this deal, PRP Seats was also called upon to supply the upgraded OEM seats which can be added to any Polaris RZR® by the purchasing customer. These OEM deals placed PRP Seats in every Polaris dealership in the country and opened numerous doors for the company to market their full line of RZR seats and accessories.

Seats
PRP Seats currently offers 5 separate base models of suspension seats which can be made to fit the Polaris RZR, Arctic Cat Wildcat, Can-Am Maverick, and Kawasaki Teryx. Also available are rear benches which bolt directly into the back of a RZR or mount to a Ranger or early model Rhino.

PRP Seats offers the most upgrade options of any suspension seat company. Customers can choose from over 70 different color and fabric options (most at no additional charge), standard width or extra wide, adjustable lumbar support, heated seats, rear pockets, an integrated water pack, and more. All of this and the company still maintains its industry-leading turnaround time of 2 weeks while producing hundreds of seats a week in peak seasons.

Storage
In addition to PRP’s seating selection, the company produces storage bags for a variety of uses. With most UTVs severely lacking in storage, PRP has developed multiple bags, which attach to various parts of the UTV. The most popular development of late has been the RZR Knee Pad with Door bag for the XP 1000 and 2015 900 models. The bag bolts directly to the stock door with the stock hardware, protecting the knees of riders and providing a much-needed place to stash goggles, tools, or supplies for the trail.

Harnesses
PRP’s harnesses all feature sewn in pads, removable sternum strap, EZ adjusters on the shoulder straps, and stylish, all black hardware. They are available in the standard 3” and 2” straps but the company also offers a harness with a 3” lap belt and 2” shoulder. This provides the secure feeling on the lap belt while allowing for more comfort in the shoulders. All belts have been tested and pass SFI standards with the 3” harness being SFI certified for racing.

The most popular harness in the company’s quiver is the 4.2 Harness. This model includes all of the key features of the others wile using an automotive style latch for the buckle and the shoulder straps sewn to the lap. This allows veterans and novices alike the ability to easily buckle in to their off-road vehicle and get driving fast.

Further Innovation
As the UTV market grew, PRP Seats has continued to innovate and develop new, exciting products. One popular product has been the 50/50 bench. Available for all, full size RZR models, the 50/50 is a front bench split into two sides. This not only makes it easy to install but also allows the user to remove just one side when performing maintenance on their vehicle.

The Future
Committed to innovation and providing new and exciting products, PRP Seats has big plans for the future. The company has recently invested in new, sophisticated machinery and hired new R&D personnel; signature models bearing the brands of big names in the off-road industry are right around the corner; additional, innovative storage options are always in development; and a renewed focus on the race scene is on the horizon.

Contact
PRP Seats has recently agreed to a deal to have their products exclusively sold by UTV Canada in their country. To inquire about dealer locations or become a dealer, go to www.UTVcanada.com.

You can visit PRP Seats directly at www.PRPseats.com or on social media at fb.com/rideprp, instagram.com/prpseats and YouTube.com/prpseatsca.

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Company Roots
Colorado Components has been manufacturing wheels and tires for over 10 years, building quite an impressive collection of products that revolutionized an otherwise stale marketplace. The founding members of Colorado Components are as you can assume, from Colorado. Under a previous corporate name, they were responsible for launching several successful global automotive wheel brands with a focus on niche segments with little to no competition. The founding members of Colorado Components knew they had the right team, but needed a new challenge in a new industry. After several years of homework and countless hours in engineering, MSA Offroad Wheels was successfully deployed in 2005 to a horde of hungry consumers who were anxiously waiting for something fresh, something new. MSA Offroad Wheels instantly created a whirlwind of excitement within the powersports industry, engineering fresh new wheel sizes, automotive grade styling and vivid new finishes. MSA Offroad Wheels is responsible for multiple firsts in the powersports industry, that although now may seem “the norm”, they were quite revolutionary upon release. Some of these include: first interchangeable bolt-on cap, first 15”, 16” and 18” wheel sizes, first company to use true automotive established metric millimeter offset, and many more.

Another major branch of the Colorado Components family is a highly specialized tire line, the EFX Tires. Formed in 2005, EFX Tires has been synonymous with the same level of quality, aggressive styling and enormous sizes that their sister company established. EFX Tires utilizes all new cutting edge technology in their manufacturing processes to ensure a consistent, quality ride, no matter your vehicle or terrain preference. Throughout the last 10 years, the design team at EFX Tires has watched closely as trends change and new segments open up. EFX Tires is proud to be one of the first manufacturers to engineer and distribute, a DOT (Department of Transportation) Radial, Street Approved tire for street legal ATVs and UTVs. This technology is only seen currently in automotive grade products, providing the ultimate in safety and performance at high-speed hard pack terrain. EFX Tires continues to find new areas of the powersports industry to improve on, investing time and resources into new ply-ratings and tread patterns/depths to ensure that your tires hold up no matter your terrain.

The third and final brand manufactured by Colorado Components is the oldest and most decorated line, Fairway Alloys golf car wheels. Once, not long ago, golf cars were considered an as-is consumable product, featuring wheel covers (hub-caps) to cover the otherwise ugly steel wheel underneath. Creating a product with that kind of stigma was no easy feat, requiring the design team to literally start from scratch and design a product that the industry had never seen before. After 17 proud years of manufacturing one of the world’s finest golf car wheel lines, Fairway Alloys has proven that overcoming obstacles is something the guys at Colorado Components know better than most. EFX Tires provides a complete collection of Golf Car specific tire options to ensure no matter what size or shape your toy(s) are, Colorado Components has you covered.

Global Scope
The diverse and incredibly talented workforce at Colorado Components is now split between two locations, Colorado and Texas. The corporate office are located in Grand Junction, Colorado, roughly 4 hours west of Denver on the east side of the Rockies and 60 minutes from some of the most incredible trail systems in the country. The company moved warehousing from their Colorado facility down to Arlington, Texas in October of 2013 to provide better support to their global customer base. Their Arlington warehouse is loaded to the gills throughout the year and Beau Bryant, Vice President of Sales tells us that Colorado Components is proud to offer a 99% fill rate on all product lines:

“One of the key points we made early in our company’s conception was to make sure that when a customer wants a product, we are able to fulfill that order in the fastest possible channels” Beau said. ”Because of our 10 years of distribution expertise, we strive to ensure that our products are inventoried and shelved, ready when you want them.”
All of Colorado Components brands are available in local dealerships and tire stores within the United States and via distributors internationally.

Technology
One new area of excitement for everyone at Colorado Components is a full eCommerce website slating for deployment in early 2015. “Our new online store is specifically designed for our current dealers to be able to order product 24 hours a day with a few quick mouse clicks”, says Brandon Brouillette, Vice president of Marketing. “As technology changes and more people order online, we want to make sure our retail customers and dealer partners have a quick, easy shopping experience that is convenient to their schedule”. This new eCommerce solution is currently under development but Brandon explained to us that dealers will be able to preview inventory counts, build wheel and tire kits, check balances/terms and much more.

Another big investment at Colorado Components is in their warehouse, where thousands of wheels and tires are mounted together each week, taking the burden off local dealers. Colorado Components partnered with Hunter Technologies and invested in brand new mounting machines to ensure a consistent, quality combination, inflated specifically to the manufacturer’s PSI specifications. Don’t have a wheel and tire mounting machine or don’t want to pay the mounting fee at your local tire shop? Have Colorado Components professional mounting team put together the combo of your dreams for you.

Contact
You can contact Colorado Components or any of their brands at (800) 734-4890, online @ cocomponents.com | msawheels.com | efxtires.com | fairwayalloys.com or via Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using @msawheels @efxtires @fairwayalloys

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We set out to make audio installs easier and sound better. Quality is key and products repurposed from the marine or automotive industry weren’t a good solution. With over 40 years of audio design, manufacturing and automotive experience servicing the aftermarket and OEM, we identified an opportunity to offer customers a better solution. SSV Works developed custom molded, vehicle specific speaker enclosures and subwoofer enclosures for Side by Side Vehicles, such as the Yamaha Rhino, Kawasaki Teryx, Polaris RZR and Ranger and Artic Cat Prowler. Customers could now properly install stereos in their vehicles and achieve the best possible sound quality and bass response by utilizing a sealed weatherproof marine-grade fiberglass enclosure for their speakers.

All SSV Works products are 100% fiberglass for the best sound quality and bass response. These enclosures are finished in black texture coat to match factory textures and can be custom painted or wrapped to match any color scheme. SSV Works pods include stainless mounting hardware and step-by-step instructions to offer an easy and complete installation.

The desert, dunes and mud bogs are some of the harshest environments around and definitely not what car audio gear was meant to endure. Even with marine radio covers, we would routinely see CD players fail within 2 trips. There needed to be a better solution. SSV Works revolutionized the process again by developing the SSV Works ‘no radio needed’ kit that allowed customers to directly connect their iPod or MP3 players to a weatherproof input in the glove box. Volume was controlled via a dash mount volume knob and powered by an 800watt amplifier. Stereos were now loud and durable. We included marine grade speakers, vehicle specific wiring kits and easy step-by-step instructions, offering customers the first truly complete DIY audio systems.

After years of product testing, trail riding and customer feedback, we found that not all customers use their machines the same way. The trails in the West are dry, dusty and fast. The trails in the South are low, slow and muddy. We knew we need to design different systems for different customers. Sealed speaker pods are great, but don’t work under water. The guys down South love high lifts, tall snorkels and big tires. We built a system that could be installed into the highest possible part of their UTV, the overhead roll cage. The SSV Works Weather Proof system is totally self-contained, protected from the elements, provides a secure place for your media player and installed in less than 20 minutes. The simplicity and sound quality of this system again revolutionized the Power Sports industry. As technology evolved, so has the SSV Works WP system featuring wireless Bluetooth audio, digital amplifiers, 6-8 speaker systems for 2 and 4 seat vehicles and are all designed around a simple to install true DIY weatherproof platform.

Stereo shops loved our products too as it made their installations quicker, easier, more durable and more affordable to their customers. More efficient installs mean stereo shops can complete customer cars in hours instead of days while providing a factory fit custom install.

SSV works is currently the only purpose built audio system designed to hold up to the rigors of all-weather off-road use. This is the reason our products are used by customers and shops around the world and why SSV Works is the first choice to provide OEM quality systems for Polaris Industries and Yamaha Motor Corporation.

SSV Works products are available for immediate delivery. For more information visit www.SSVworks.com or email sales@SSVworks.com.

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For the most part, differences in available coolants are limited to the types of additives they contain, how the water is treated, and the type of glycol that the water is mixed with. Many automotive additives like silicates are destructive in a recreational off-road vehicle application because the pump seals are of a different type than those found in cars. De-ionized water quickly becomes ionized. OAT long life type additives are damaging to silicone hoses. If the coolant level is allowed to drop, cooling efficiency is lost. After time, the corrosion protecting additives are consumed or settle out and the system is no longer protected.

Most of the cooling system problems found in recreational off-road vehicles are the result of the properties of water. Water has been the default coolant since the radiator was invented because it works and is easily available, but it’s really not the best fluid for the job. Rather than going with the flow and trying to find new ways to make water work, Evans Cooling Systems, Inc. searched for alternative fluids that would be a true upgrade.

Back in the 1980’s, Evans started experimenting with coolants in their road course race cars. The first coolants were thick and only appropriate for modified systems operating under controlled circumstances. As new developments were made, the hot rod fraternity discovered the Evans’ advantage; they were followed by heavy duty truck owners looking to expand their capability and cut their maintenance costs. In the late 1990’s, the coolant formula evolved to the point it could be used with most stock passenger cars. Further changes came after the turn of the century leading up to a major shift around 2010. As the coolant blends became more specialized, attention was given to the unique demands of recreational off-road vehicles and Evans’ Powersports Coolant was released in late 2011 at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and the EICMA show in Milan, Italy. Evans rolled out a similarly re-formulated High Performance coolant in 2012.

Evans Coolant boils at 375°F/191°C and creates no vapour pressure anywhere in the cooling system because there is no water. The coolant does not boil over when conditions get tough. If the water content in the system is at the proper level of 3% or less, the pressure cap can be removed at operating temperature without hot coolant spraying out and burning bystanders. No water, no water vapour. No water vapour, no pressure. Evans is not corrosive and will not become corrosive over time. If it does not get contaminated with oil, water, or combustion by-products, it will retain its properties indefinitely. Evans is a lifetime coolant.

The high boiling point of Evans waterless coolant prevents the coolant temperature from reaching its failure temperature. A cooling system using Evans coolant operates within the same temperature range as conventional anti-freeze. The water vapour in an overheating cooling system only has 4% of the heat transfer ability of liquid coolant. It’s little wonder that hot spots develop where vapour is present. The guarantee with Evans is that there is always liquid against the metal surfaces even at stressful points like around exhaust valves.

Evans’ coolants do not need pressure to raise the boiling point like antifreeze does. The low pressure created with Evans is due to the 7% fluid expansion and no modifications are needed to realize the benefits of this stress relief.

Evans waterless coolant is a patented blend of chemicals and additives, many of which are commonly found in conventional anti-freeze formulae. It is not a gel and it will not turn gooey if conventional anti-freeze is added to it. Were you to face an emergency on the trail requiring the addition of water or anti-freeze to your cooling system, it would perform in the same manner as conventional anti-freeze – no worse.

Evans’ coolants freeze at or below -40 C/F (although new advancements are lowering this threshold).

There are many technical aspects to consider with regard to engine cooling and coolants. However for greater confidence and after their own independent testing and research, Honda is using Evans Coolant to protect their factory MX1 and MX2 team machines in the World MXGP Series, Kubota in South Africa is installing Evans at the point of distribution and a number of teams in Canada are and, for some time, have been using Evans for the competitive advantage it provides.

Please visit www.evanscooling.com for further information and for a more personal interaction visit Evans’ Powersports Facebook page.

The post Evans Water Coolant appeared first on UTV Planet Magazine.

UTV Canada touts itself as “Your Canadian Source for UTV Accessories” and although not very creative, the name truly says it all.  They are located in Leduc, a suburb of Edmonton, Alberta and they have a massive selection of accessories for you to “Define Your Ride”!!

UTV Canada’s start up story is not much different than most other businesses – the founder saw a need and then set out to meet that need!  The founder is Reid Nehring and the need was this – the UTV market was about to explode and there was a demand for aftermarket products but it was very difficult to get the products into Canada.

Back in 2006 when some of the first sport UTV’s hit the market, Reid was a partner and General Manager at a large local motorsports dealership.  Time and time again he would witness people walk into the showroom and see a UTV for the first time.  The customer’s eyes would light up and their excitement would build as they pictured themselves behind the wheel!  Even though local industry icons scoffed that UTV’s were just going to be merely a passing fad, Reid knew instantly that the UTV market was going to explode – and my goodness he was right!!!  For example – this article is being published in a (fantastic) magazine that is solely dedicated to the UTV enthusiast!!  And, UTV sales in North America are exceeding those of ATV sales!

The catalyst happened on a bus ride from a trade show with a bunch of other dealers.  Everyone was commenting on how there are such amazing UTV aftermarket manufacturers in the US but it was so challenging to get the product to Canada.   The shipping costs, customs and brokerage fees, importation documents, and dealing in the US dollar led to many issues!!  Once those hurdles were overcome, then it could take up to 3-4 weeks to get here!! (And the dealer would often be surprised at the total landed costs….)  Reid kept thinking, “I can take care of all those hassles for the dealers, and be able to get product to dealers across Canada in 1-3 days.  If I had the products here, people will see them and I know they would buy them.”

So backed by the hunch that UTV’s were going to rock the Offroad Motorsports market and the need for badass, easily accessible accessories – UTV Canada was born.

“We began with one manufacturer, a small 400 sq. ft. rented mezzanine and working evenings and weekends,” recalls Reid.  “Eventually I knew that if I really wanted to make a go of it, evenings and weekends would no longer cut it.  I needed to shit or get off the pot!”  In 2008, he took the leap of faith, cashed in his shares at the dealership and hasn’t looked back since.

Before long, the one man show could no longer cut it and so Reid enlisted the help of his family.  Reid’s wife, Cathy, and daughters, Stacy and Tara came to the rescue.  “The girls all started out on a part-time, fill the gap basis, but have now become partners and an integral part of this operation.” Reid goes on to say, “working with my family has been at times challenging but also one of the most rewarding parts of this job.  Success is sweet, but even sweeter when you can share it with those you love and who believe in your dreams.  I am super proud of all my girls – this is not a 9-5 job.  None of us are afraid to dig down deep to grow this company.“

Reid truly is a family man and his greatest aspiration for UTV Canada is to create a legacy for the next generation to come.  Having 5 grandchildren, ranging in age from 1-12 years old, he would love to see them work in the family business and eventually take it over.  In fact, you’ve heard of arranged marriages – well Reid believes in arranged careers!  He has already identified the future needs of the company and has chosen the post-secondary programs for each of grandkids in order to fulfill those needs!!

Today, UTV Canada has grown from that 1 lonely supplier to over 85 manufacturers with thousands of outstanding products exclusively for Side x Sides.   Some of their manufacturers are well know names like Pro Armor, Rigid Industries, and Warn.  However, they also have many smaller, less known manufacturers that produce equally amazing and often more truly unique stuff!  “Because we are not a large corporation, it allows us to be much more responsive to the market and to the end the consumer.  In an industry that is continually evolving, responsiveness is critical,” remarks Nehring.

Having long outgrown the small mezzanine, UTV Canada now boasts a 9500sq. ft. building complete with a showroom, and have recently expanded into Eastern Canada with shared warehouse space in London, ON.  “We now have over 700 dealers all across Canada and a stellar team of people that keeps our business rolling.  I fully recognize that our people are our greatest asset and am thrilled with the team we have created!  The problem with a total of 13 staff now is that we are running out of room!  We are going to have start stacking desks and I am getting tired of having to wait in line to use the washroom”

 “As we continue on into 2014 and beyond, we look forward to continued growth in the industry and our company.  With the OEMs coming out with more new and exciting Side x Sides, it only proves that this market segment is here to stay!  So much for passing fads, eh?”

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