When it comes to off-road ATVs and UTVs, there is always the lure of getting out of the city and off the well-regulated paved streets to roam free without restrictions. This freedom is what brings us as enthusiasts to the sport.
While trail riding has its place and is a mainstay of our sport, there remains a primal nature in many of us to go find and explore places without tracks and fewer restrictions. There are few places that can satisfy this hunger as well as riding on the sand. Sand is blown by the wind and not only is the terrain always changing but the tracks of yesterday are gone with the wind and a new adventure starts each day.
Frequently, when riding the sand the restrictions found on trail systems are far and few between with nothing but your imagination, supply of life sustaining water, sunscreen and your machine’s capability to stop you.
If you have ever had the opportunity to ride on sand you know there is something different about it. Maybe you have not ridden on sand but have heard the stories of ruined engines, stranded machines and boiled over cooling systems, which may strike fear into you of the depreciating effects it could have on your prized investment.
These few tips are some heartfelt tips that can give you confidence that your expensive machine, your pride and your vacation can be the adventure you have been craving instead of the mistake of a lifetime. We have been riding, and as of late, renting motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs for the better part of 30 years and have some pretty strong opinions as to what is required and what is not when it comes to the sand.
Tire Selection
Tire selection is a hot topic with sand riders. Normally in the spring, the sand has a little moisture and travel is easier, but as the season goes on and we get to June, July and August, the sand can really be loose and a person can even get stuck with sand tires on the slightest hill if he is not keeping any momentum up.
When it comes to the St. Anthony Sand Dunes, which are in our back yard, you should remember when selecting a tire you do have to ride between the dunes where there can be lava rocks and in the case of many areas there are interconnected trails that lead off the dunes into the desert that can be just as much fun to pursue as the dunes themselves.
Using a sand only tire can limit your riding experience or enhance it depending on what you want to get out of the experience. We have not wanted to put paddle tires on. We have opted for a different approach and found that a good meaty tire, like Maxxis Bighorns will perform better than many other tires. We also like running this type of tires because many times you have to cross a lava bed or every once in a while someone will run a machine down the road when in an emergency.
We do run our tires a little flatter than would be normal on mountain trails, however, not too flat. We have found 6-7 lbs. of pressure on the rear for a little more traction and 7-8 lbs. in the front to help the steering is a good combination. If you run a UTV with good tires set at that tire pressure you will be amazed how well you go and yet have a durable tire for going through the lava rock piles between dunes.
When it comes to high revving sport quads with a relatively high power-to-weight ratio, we would generally recommend always having paddle tires. They are a little bit of an investment but they really do help. We especially love Skat-Trak tires as they are light weight and really hook up on the sand. The heavier the tire, the harder the tire is to spin. There are many “popular” paddle tires that will soak up horsepower instead of turning it into forward energy and conservation of energy is everything at the dunes so the faster your tires turn, the better the momentum.
Utility ATVs
As for someone with a utility ATV, you can usually get away without paddle tires because they have a lower power-to-weight ratio (higher weight/available horsepower) and you just won’t see the gains by using a paddle tire. Just putting it in 4-wheel drive will help out considerably. There will be exceptions to this rule, especially in the 700cc and bigger class of ATVs, but take our advice, you are not going to be the winner of any sand drags (or be able to climb the steepest dunes safely) on a utility quad with or without paddle tires. And, of course, sand conditions will dictate how much any machine can do out there.
UTVs are a new animal that have been very popular, but there has been some disappointment when you get them out on the dunes. The first UTVs were nothing more than an ATV engine in a heavier chassis. You don’t have to be an engineer to understand that this vehicle is not going to go as well on the sand. Companies then sold paddle tire conversions that put ATV-sized paddle tires on the UTV.
We have seen people put paddle tires on their vehicle that are smaller in diameter and narrower in width, not only looking ridiculous but at the same time they infuriated when we can out climb and outperform them in every situation with stock tires. Be realistic about what your machine is built for and how you are going to ride it and then buy tires that will enhance its qualities instead of turning it into a novelty.
Engine
Engine modifications are frequently employed to enhance your capabilities at the dunes but a properly tuned setup is more important than having a bunch of modifications. For example, clean your air filter. Sounds simple but clean the filter before going and then take supplies to clean it multiple times on your trip. Even if your filter looks good after a couple of days of riding, it will need serviced.
The sand does not collect on the outside of filter like normal silt. The sand migrates with each pulse of the engine to fill up the filter foam. This takes very little time for the sand to migrate completely through the foam and into the engine. Putting an Outerwears pre-filter over the foam element will help immensely at reducing the filter change intervals. Paper element filters are almost completely impervious to sand since sand is a larger particle. It just won’t go through the paper. Grease the sealing surface and you’re good to go. Just be aware that if you roll or tip your machine over, the engine may puke some engine oil out of the crankcase breather and end up all over the paper element. Take an extra along for a spare.
Make sure your jetting is correct and your spark plug heat range is correct. This is extra critical when going to another elevation such as Saint Anthony, ID, where the elevation is almost 5,000 feet. A perfectly running engine at 1,000 feet will really suffer when going up in elevation as it will run rich. Now add in the increased temperatures of the sand and engine load and you have a sick engine.
Spark plug heat range is important to look at because many shops and individuals put hotter heat range plugs in for utility or woods riding to prevent plug fouling. When really pushing the engines limits on sand, that hotter range can lead to overheated sparkplug electrodes. The overheated electrode can cause pre-ignition (damaging and power reducing) and that can lead to other damaging things like detonation and piston/valve erosion. And definitely run 91 octane fuel, unless you know that you need even higher octane for the mods on your engine. You are not saving any money buying cheap gas and it will cause the same symptoms and damage as wrong plug range.
Wash out your radiator. Those things plug up with dirt, mud, straw, weed seeds, etc. Gently rinse it out with a hose and let dry. Look through it with a flashlight on the back side and see if you have it all clean. Ninety percent of all cooling problems are from plugged-up radiators. Make sure your pressure cap is good and not leaking. Take extra coolant with you because on the hottest days the coolant will expand beyond the capacity of the overflow tank and every morning it will look like it is low. Yes, you should look at the fluids every morning.
Drive Train
In this section we’re including your vehicle’s chains, sprockets and CVT belt. Chains and sprockets are some of the most abused parts of the drive train. Usually the more lubricant you can cram onto the chain, the longer it will last, but not at the dunes. Do not use anything that will contribute to a heavy waxy build-up of lubricant.
This build up can trap sand particles and it will grind the sprockets and chain down prematurely. O-ring or X-ring chains are good but even they need lubricated. Use a light foaming chain lubricant and thoroughly coat the chain inside and out. Then grab a rag and wipe it down clean. This will be the best for sand shedding and lubricant retention.
Here’s a quick tip. If you are riding the dunes and find yourself shifting frequently when climbing to keep the engine pulling, try going up or down with the sprocket size to allow you to stay in one gear longer. You will climb higher and faster if you don’t have to shift as much.
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) belt drives pose some of their own unique problems when at the dunes. As for UTVs out at the dunes, of course the bigger the motor the better off you are. But another contributing factor is the proper working of the clutch system. We learned very fast that belt heat is not your vehicle’s friend. Hot summer days, working the motor and clutches and running non-stop as some of our renters do, makes a lot heat. Many times the belt will get so hot that it begins to slip and you lose power to the wheels, or if allowed to continue, sometimes the belt will break.
Belt breaking is a common occurrence at the dunes. Carry an extra and the tools to change one including a knife and a pair of locking pliers to pull out cords that may get wound up on the shafts. We have tried cutting and venting the clutch covers and finally learned to remove the covers unless it is a safety issue, just to get as much air flow and cooling as possible. The current covers that UTVs come with act as heat traps. Understandably so, they are there to prevent water and mud from hitting the belt and clutches. At the dunes we really don't have those issues. By removing the belt covers we have noticed belts will last typically twice as long. The sand may hurt the clutches and wear them out a little faster over a long time period, but that is much more cost effective and easier to maintain than replacing lots of belts. Just a few belts can cost as much as a new drive clutch.
The bottom line is that you can enjoy the sand on just about anything you have to ride if you just set it up properly. And setting up your ride up properly does not mean that you have to spend a bunch of cash. Pay attention to the basics, be realistic about what to expect and be safe out on the dunes. If you do have a problem at the dunes or don’t have one a vehicle to take on to the dunes, there are always a few companies like ours that will be happy to rent a capable machine to you. It is an experience that you should not miss out on.
(Davenport and Bitter own PMS Dune Rentals, located at the St. Anthony, ID, Sand Dunes. Their full-service dealership is located in Ashton, ID. For more information, contact 208-652-7738 or www.pmspolaris.com.)
