The weather's starting to get warmer which means it's time to put away the sleds and break out the side-by-sides.
Whether you’re buying your first UTV or you're a seasoned rider, here are some must-have items for 2023.
Blow Hole
There’s nothing quite as demoralizing as ripping a belt. Not only can it stop your ride, but it’ll also set you back at least $200.
The biggest reason belts rip is due to wasted heat energy. When load on a machine is increased, the engine demands more from the clutch and puts pressure on the belt.
That’s where a blow hole comes in. A blow hole is a fan hooked to the cooling ducts of a machine's clutch cover to help draw away heat. This leads to less wear and pressure on the belt and clutch components.
“To every single person that I sell a side-by-side to, I pair it with one of these,” Shane Spencer, sales specialist at Young Powersports of Bountiful said. “It’s going to double the life of your belt.”
Mountain Tek Performance has a great selection of blow holes that are easy to install. Available for multiple brands, one end of a Mountain Tek blow hole’s adapter plugs into the clutch cover and the other into the factory harness. To install, unplug the factory harness from the clutch cover, plug in the adapter from the blow hole and then connect the factory harness to the adapter.
The average price for a blow hole ranges from $160-220, right around the price of a belt. While they are not available on our website yet, you can order these at any of our Young Powersports locations.
SC1
Nicknamed “Magic Spray,” “New Bike in a Can” and “Liquid Liar,” few products offer the cleaning power of SC1. The high gloss coating is able to prevent and protect your machine’s plastic, vinyl, rubber and/or carbon fiber from the elements.
Because of its water-resistant formulation, SC1 is safe to use on gloss and matte finishes. Consistent use can help prevent build-up and damage to your side-by-side’s body. To make your machine look new again, simply spray on and rub.
Find your can of SC1 here or at any of our Young Powersports locations.
Tire Repair Kit and Mini Compressor
No matter what terrain you’re riding on, carrying a tire repair kit is always a good idea. Coming with tools to dig out punctured items and to patch holes, a typical kit comes with a tire pressure gauge, pliers, vulcanized seal strings, a hand drill, a heavy-duty scoop tool and more. While these kits come with multiple items, these kits can typically fit in a glove compartment.
To inflate a repaired tire or just a flat one, riders can also buy mini compressors. Typically, these allow air to flow at a rate of 2-3 cfm (a 2.5cfm compressor, for example, will fill up at 32” tire to 15 psi in around 2 minutes).
Safe Sled
Have a problem that extends beyond your tire? Safe Sleds help riders return to their campsite on just three wheels. Those who’ve broken a ball joint or snapped an A-Arm can simply strap their wheel hub to the board.
Made from heavy-duty polyurethane plastic, the boards can glide across practically any surface. Read more about Safe Sled here.
Gear
While side-by-side’s offer more protection than an ATV, dirt bike or motorcycle, there’s still chances for injury. Luckily, UTV riding doesn’t require extremely technical gear.
Although protective, a nice motocross helmet may be overkill in a side-by-side. An open face motorcycle helmet or budget MX helmet can definitely suffice. Also, for those riding without a windshield, it’s important to ride with goggles.
Stop by the dealership and head to youngpowersports.com to find what you need for your new ride!
*Photo credit for MTNTK Blow Hole: MTNTK Performance. Find original photo here: https://www.mtntkperformance.com/products/polaris-rzr-turbo-blow-hole
*Photo credit for compressor and tool kit photo: Dirtbag Brands. Find the original here: https://dirtbagbrands.com/compressor-2-5
