[MTW]

A fun weekend of testing, Racing, and getting my Son and his friend out to ride...

Here is the last picture of them side X side (no pun intended, just worked out) as the Stars & Stripes RZR was torn apart Sunday (Again)...She is getting prepped for new cage, new cage mounts, Gusset plate installs, Side Nerf/Tree Bar installations, skid plates, too much to list + adding about 10 more things that are currently in the mail...It's all very exciting!!

My son is 9 years old..He loves to bring along a friend from school on every trip..

My son is the little guy on the right in the picture with the Arctic Cat Jacket... It's almost a shame that his 170 RZR is WAY harder to steer than my RZR because of the power steering, I hope they come out with the EPS for the 170. If anyone finds out when and if it comes out (or already has) please post it so that I can order it....

A spirited little race. My sons RZR 170 has no problem getting up to 24-27 MPH on this loose sand and gravel of the river bed... He can get just at 30MPH on the pavement..GPS confirmed! (took some tuning up) I was really happy with this as I haven't even installed his Big Wheel set yet.. His other additions are the front pre runner brush guard, Skid plate, half windshield, soft top and 1.5" spacers giving him that extra 3" if width, and believe me it helps, he was able to max out the speed and yank that wheel without it even so much as coming close to rolling over, we did the testing on different terrains in 5 MPH increments up to 20MPH then every 2-3MPH from there until he was finally at full speed and was unable to roll her... That 170 is a beast for a 9 year old kid!! As the parts start to improve and hopefully the LT kit drops in price I hope to purchase him the +3 kit... with the 1.5" spacers that would put him at 9" wider than stock..But I will add this.. I'm not sure if the LT kit is really necessary as when you pull the wheels off the offset is insane...I personally have never seen anything like this (but these are my first car type buggy's).. I don't know the stock specs on what the 170's offset are, but if you installed like a 4+3 offset on this car, it would probably be 6" wider on each side....It's just a guess but has anyone noticed this as well?? Heck you could take these stock wheels off and put a trash bag in it and use them for buckets they are so deep! I know that width is only one factor of the LT kit as having that longer travel helps a lot leading to the next pictures.... The problem is that the LT kit for the 170 is that it doesn't do much to help the rear, other than to widen it.

Jumping!! Oh so fun even in the 170, You really would think that even with this "only" being a 170 that you wouldn't bottom out those shocks and cause that back end to get flung up in the air but....

None-the-less, you hit a short jump like this even in the 170 and it still preloads the back end with almost the same amount as a "regular" RZR and surprisingly it has the same driving characteristics...The kids has a blast.. I did get a small disgruntled argument about why "Dad" had the power steering and they didn't. Both kids loved my EPS and said it would make the 170 "more funner"..My sons friend said that it was pretty hard to steer and he was much bigger and stronger than my son. But he was a year older so that tells me the investment of EPS on the 170 would be great + if the 170 has no issues moving a 50Lb. child and 190LB Adult..I can see him using this until he is around 14 years old....I don't know?

Check out the rear ends as we hit this short jump!! I think the springs were literally compressed SOLID!! This explains a lot as the force throws that rear way up on the short jumps... Even in the 170!!

My wife being really great at all that math and computational stuff was able to do all the calculations for the 170s top speed in the sand/gravel and my RZRs top speed and basically made us a Track to race with me on the "outside". I had no idea what she was doing while I was running some tests and while I cooked up the kids some Hotdogs over the fire. She was out there setting up these 12" flags (little construction marker one's) and made a whole race course that made it equal between the kids and me...I was very impressed as race after race it was always neck and neck, they would win, then me..It actually came down to skill and not the speed of the machines..So when I got a little "Coc^%y" and would take a turn fast or wide, the kids took me out!! I was also limited to 2 wheel drive as they were also.

So this was my weekend of fun and testing..My wife has shown me that just because my little guy is running a 170 and me a 760 that we can still have some really great hair raising races that are down to the wire...I even got really exciting at the end when my wife upped the game (after fine tuning the track) and said the winner of 2 out of 3 races gets either a new part (for me up to $300) or a new part or video game for my Son)... It was a great race! Just Great!!

Lastly, I would like to say another Thanks to Frank for the seats, They have "Officially" been broken in, I haven't worked on the "build" thread ect..I have been keeping things under wraps until the return of our Forum members safely from Glamis... I have all the pictures of the seat installation so if anyone has questions about how the PRPs are installed that will be in the thread coming early next week or so.. I can give testimony that my injuries was able to survive relatively well for our short races and we spent most of the day out...This is something I would NEVER have been able to do with the stock seats... As the new springs get installed and other little tricks I have up my sleeve I suspect this is going to be a wonderful RAZR for me to enjoy for a very, very long time!

One more thing..about the pictures of the Stars & Stripes RAZR jumping... If you notice when I am at the base of the jump, the suspension is just bottomed out...It made a Huge difference when I adjusted the preload of the springs itself.... I'll explain... Here is me bottomed out at the base of the jump with 1/4 inch of tightening the springs adding preload...

Here is how much that "extra" preload threw my rear end up in the air....

Here is the same jump but I backed off the Preload till the springs were just "hand tight"..so no Preload by me tightening as before...

What a difference 1/4 inch can make!! So this is picture proof of just how correct Steve from "MakinTrax" is about just how important your shocks and springs can be... I always had to watch my speed when I added preload..Because if I hit that jump at over 40MPH I would have flipped right over the front end.. Get some progressive, or dual rate springs if your able to afford it..I plan on buying both sets, to see the comparisons for myself and display them for you guys on the forum... Sorry for no video, But My wife and I really wanted pictures of this trip and I chose to post those instead..We do have video of the races even when the track flags were up before we literally ran it so much we pulled them out because you could see the ground well marks very well....
Hope you all liked this weekend's fun thread!

 

[FunRide]

A fun weekend of testing...

Cool. A buddy is looking at a 170 for his 8 year old son. I'll send him a link to your post.

 

[mikd]

awesome post, I was on the fence about the 170


think of the skills your son is developing, like any other sport he is creating instincts and muscle memory. when he starts driving as a teenager he will have skillset that allows him to simply respond with a proper avoidance maneuver rather than a panic response(usually bad). when I worked on a pitcrew in college I remember the race instructors always saying they could spot the drivers who grew up with karts immediately.

very cool thread!

 

[nufther]

Great post, thats awesome fun!!!

 

[mark5193]

so who won the best two out of three? what part (or video game) did your son get? i know he won!!!! very cool post, as i love riding with my 7 yr old son, he is crazy fast on his raptor 250, yes i said 250, we love riding too!

 

[J to the B]

Really nice photos! Your RZR is looking good!

 

[MTW]

so who won the best two out of three? what part (or video game) did your son get? i know he won!!!! very cool post, as i love riding with my 7 yr old son, he is crazy fast on his raptor 250, yes i said 250, we love riding too!

I knew that question was coming...... Don't skip ahead and cheat..this is a no BS, true story, I will show you guys a picture of the Jar at the end of my posting (probably tomorrow since its late and I have to take the picture, upload & post ect...


Race #1 of 3, I thought I had it in the bag and almost rolled over hitting the jump at 42MPH :scared2: by the time I recovered he had already whipped around that turn 3 and was clearing his way to the finish line..

Race #2 of 3, He won by a RZR 170 car length and I was "accused" of taking the turn 2 too tight as I was almost rubbing wheels with him as we approached the jump before turn 3, therefore I was shortening "my course"... it was a crap call IMHO.....

Intermission for instant replay as the race official "Mom" made her decision... I lost?? So I said wait, wait, wait, thinking the boy is going to want a video game (some new one that just came out called Fallout 3 Vegas) So I called "Double or Nothing!!"
For race number #3 this is the picture. I showed it earlier.(Stars & Stripes on the left with headlights on, and the 2 boys on the right headlights on.. The finish Line was right where the rivers soft dark sand turns into gravel type ground as seen in the picture..there's a drop right there..

Race #3 of 3, I'm gripping the steering wheel and I know I've got to win this race, My wife drops her arms and we are off! I pull ahead good on the first strait away... as I go into turn 1 I feel like I have a solid lead but remember that he does have an equally fair route and if I'm doing good so is he... I came out of turn one like a rocket, perfect traction, no drifting, just gripped it like a wild dog.... I started into the river bottom straight away (where the river flowed down) so it was Moguls and whoops for 100 meters, My timing was off a bit and I was getting pounded... Apparently the Kids were just flying through this area at what my wife described as the full 25+ MPH and it hurt my time bad, as I went into turn 2 I could see the boys to my left, this is one of those turns were they make up for the speed difference..coming out of turn 2 I see the boys have a good lead but by the time we get to the jump we are literally Side X Side while I was in the air they disappeared behind me and I didn't hit the jump too fast this time..it was perfect......But instead of letting off the gas in the air I kept it pegged...When I hit the ground (you can see the picture)..My acceleration was too strong and I was drifting around ( as you have to make an almost 180 degree turn around)as I watched my prized win disappear in the form of a Red RZR 170 pulling ahead of me..again he Won by a car length........

I've never seen a 9 year old do this, What my son both did and said made me very proud and also think about just how well his mother did raising him over the years I was away in the Military and when I was going through almost 5 years and 23 surgeries of hell (I even died 2 times on the table)...I truly expected him to say "Dad lets go to Best Buy" and get a video game. That never happened..

He said. "Dad on Monday I would like for you and Mom to come to school during lunchtime and bring my "navigator " and I some McDonalds for lunch since he helped me stay on course", He never once mentioned the money games or parts in front of his friend?? He never did the ha ha ha ..He was happy, they both were jumping up and down! But after we dropped his friend off at home we were driving home and he said "Dad, now we have to talk about my winnings" My jaw dropped and my wife busted up laughing!! The kid took the money, Put it into a jar, It's on his headboard, and it has a paper stuck to it with tape that says..

"For my new steering wheel power"

So we had McDonalds at lunchtime at school today...& I really hope now more than most that someone will come up with EPS for the 170...I plan to give Unisteer a personal phone call..if its not in the plan, I can't see why the regular RZR one wouldn't work with some modifications.....But he's a patient kid... He saved up for 7 months for his first ATV (motocross) suit..the whole plastic body armor boots helmet the works...wanted to do it by himself...he did it!

So that's it...I really did get beat by my own Son in a 170 on a very fair course... before coughing up the money my wife showed me all the math and how she did everything as I wanted to make sure it was truly fair...It was..So he now has 12 rolls of $25 in $1 U.S. Presidential coins that I of course will get back when I order his power steering unit..( he wouldn't take $600 he said it wouldn't be fair and that's what the McDonalds was for). I see a good solid 5 years of him riding this car...Maybe even getting into racing in the lower 48!! I'm starting to see more and more of that type of stuff for the kids!!! So is EPS for his 170 a good investment...I say yes!

True story guys.....(I'm a bit embarrassed about getting beat so I sort of left this out f the main story in the thread..

 

[AKSean]

Awesome Mike!!! My boy was happy as all could be just water skipping the rzr, in a few years he will have one of his own! The 50 he has now, just cant keep up

 

[[email protected]]

Hey Mike,
Good to see your son is having fun with his 170 and it's great to see them learning to drive. There a fun machine for sure.
We were out shooting my grandsons 170 for an upcoming article this month and I wish I could have got some photos of him following his dad in the Commander. He was honking the horn and kept trying to pass the Can Am.:rofl3: Here's a few shots from the day.

Power steering would help a lot that's for sure.

 

[RZRUAE]

Mike great photos and great post,Don nice ride.

 

[mikd]

nice writing! like being there. one of the best threads I've read in a long time. This should be a sticky in the 170 section as well as an advertisement for Polaris!

 

[J to the B]

Don, looking at the 170 in the photos....I thought initially it was a full size RZR! Very, very nice!

 

[[email protected]]

Very Cool Mike! Glad to see your boy out there tearing it up out there with you. And Don the 170 turned out great! It looks real serious for a mini. Thanks guys, Glad we could be apart of both builds.

 

[Gunny]

The thing that impressed me the most about Mikes post, was the bonding between father and son..........OUTSTANDING Mike.....

 

[[email protected]]

I don't think unisteer will do a steering kit for the 170 but I'm sure you can modify a std RZR one to work. Just buy a RZR kit and shorten the shafts and build a bracket and you'll be setup!

 

[[email protected]]

Your right gunny, Mike said it very well. The bonding that goes on when your kids or grandkids drive with you is very special. They have a great sense of belonging with the gang so to speak. We have meant a lot of people that have 170's and their kids love them. Driving down a trail or on some sand instead of riding in the back really makes them happy. If it keeps them away from drugs and other elements then the time and money was well worth it.
Be safe on the trails.

 

[RedneckDDS]

Absolutely awesome post! My kids are older now, and not married yet, but you can bet your sweet bippy that when grandkids get here, Pops will be pushing for a 170!

I'm gonna need a bigger toy hauler.....

 

[TJT-Rav]

Great post, I can't wait till my daughter is big enough for the Peg Perego Rzr I picked up. She should be able to handle it by next spring. Then hopefully a quick transition into something gas powered.

 

[lapsinc]

Don I like the cage and doors on the 170! Where did they come from? A vendor on the site? That 170 looks awesome! Thanks for sharing the pics.

Mike, Great write up! I am always trying to create great memories for the family and the rzr's have certainly added to our life experience's! Thanks for sharing.

 

[tinytimslaw2]

Hey Mike, what a great outing, it's nice to know there are men committed to their families. It's funny, take an under powered machine add a kid with a complete lack of fear and a Father, who enjoys spending the day with his kid and you have two winners.
Tim