Old School
- Updated: June 23, 2006
By David Porter
Have you noticed what a mad scramble it is to build and maintain a top-level race quad? Try building two. Recently we did just that when we went all in on a couple of new quads for my son and I. The plan was to ride what we rode last year and maybe build one new quad during the first part of the race season. As we all know in racing things can change quickly. I found a slightly used cherry ’06 TRX. The price was, well let’s say I would have been a idiot if I had not picked it up.
Picking up the new 450R required a six hundred mile drive. Seven and a half hours of bench racing with my long time race buddy Matt Jacobs and we were there. It’s strange just how much time you will sacrifice in the name of racing and your son (he’s getting the new ’06).
This journey brings me to this month’s Old School topic. It’s all about the mad scramble that us racers go through when it’s time to build a production quad in just a few weeks. If you haven’t gone through a build yet or someone else does it for you, let me tell you, it’s a pretty big ordeal. I normally build quads during the cold New York winter months, but this year things just didn’t go as planed. So here I am trying to finish one more quad while I run my business and race every weekend — all while maintaining that correct family stuff. Most of you know this balancing act all too well. It’s what we do in the name of our passion.
I’m keeping track of every dollar I spend on my son’s TRX. I spared no expense on that quad. I put what I believe is the best of everything on it and the best motor work that could be done as well. Everything top dollar and everything from good name brands. There’s no Ebay shortcuts either. I’ve always believed “build it once, build it right – no regrets”. With that said I’m following the same blueprint with my own new quad, a CRF hybrid. I’m building it with the same mind frame.
Is it really cheaper?
As I compare what I’ve spent on each quad I’m tying to be as fair as I can be with my comparison. As I do this something keeps coming to mind. Something that I’ve read probably 100 times in the ATV magazines and online articles. It’s the BS that a production quad is cheaper to build than a hybrid. I’ll tell you otherwise. This new TRX production quad is just as expensive to build as a new CRF hybrid. If you add all the stuff you need to make a race quad race-ready you’ll find that the price tags for each is pretty darn comparable.
Yes I know you can get a few parts here and there and go race a production quad. A production quad can be much easier to get on the race track than a hybrid, but right here and right now I want to be the first to say to all you article writers out there that claim a production quad is cheaper to build, you’re all full of it! You have never done the math. Yes production ATV racing has allowed us to rise to a higher level. First the production based quads allow the not-so-mechanically-inclined to go out and buy a quad from their local dealer and begin to race. I truly believe that’s just what our sport needed and it’s a great thing. I’m absolutely behind production quad racing 100%, so please don’t misunderstand the point that I’m trying to make here. It doesn’t matter what type of quad you’re building, by the time you are done you’re going to have the same amount invested. And when you’re finished with your investments, you will have equal rides. But so help me, if I read one more line of crap about it being cheaper than a hybrid, I’ll go nuts and do something crazy like discontinue my subscriptions. I have nothing to hide and no one’s butt to kiss. I’ve built one of each, all new and all with the absolute best of the best components available.
They’re sitting next to each other – both look great, both perform great and both cost the same. Truly the only difference is that my PRP Racing hybrid frame will last at least four to five seasons while we’ll be lucky to get through one season on my son’s TRX. Most people that are in this thing as deep as I am in the ATV industry know exactly what I’m saying, and most will agree. I’m just the first one to come out and write the truth about what production ATV racing really costs.
I’ll close by saying this… Yes production quads and the production racing rules have changed our sport for the better. The sport will continue to thrive because of production based racing. But don’t believe the hype that you can build a production quad for less than you could build a hybrid machine. I’ve got a stack of invoices to prove my point.
It’s still money well spent as far as I’m concerned.
— See ya at the races.
