A quick update...

I haven't posted in a while, I know. But there really hasn't been much to say lately.
I read or heard somewhere once that Can-Am machines were built to play first and work second. Unfortunately for us the last month or so, we have been doing a lot of the second.

That isn't to say I haven't enjoyed our Outlander at all. Even when it is being used to check fences or haul wagons to and fro, it is a wonderful quad to ride. Austin claims that the air suspension feature is even more useful for pulling wagons than it is for riding double. He hooks up the wagon, and then adjusts the suspension so that the back end is level with the front, then the wagon pulls nice and smooth. Not to mention POWERFUL. Austin hooked it up to a pair of wagons that were half full of grain. Thousands of pounds of weight, and it hauled it right up the hill to the house. Ah. Harvest time on the farm.

There will be a post coming (quite soon I hope) about the awesome OGIO bag we bought for our Outlander. I kept putting off writing it, because I wanted to take pictures of the bag on our quad, and out quad is kinda  a mess. Oh well. I'm tired of waiting for a semi warm day to wash it. It will just have to be muddy.

Oh yeah. One other thing. Our quad has been throwing a weird code. It seems if you turn it on and don't immediately give it some gas it will shut itself off. What's up with that?

I got back on the Rancher...

In case I forgot to mention it before, I live on a farm. So we obviously have several quads and even a side by side in our machine shed. I learned to ride quad on a Honda Rancher.

Holy crap guys.

Not only is the Rancher crazy uncomfortable compared to the Outlander, the brake is on the opposite side.

I'm lucky I didn't crash. Ha.

(I was going really slow and wasn't really in danger. I promise.)

Black River Falls Trip 9/9/14-9/11/14

Trails: Jackson & Clark County

Accommodations:  Best Western Arrowhead Lodge

Weather: Rainy & Quite Chilly

Last weekend Austin and I went on an Outlander Adventure to Black River Falls, WI.. (Is it too cheesy to call our quad trips Outlander Adventures? Probably. Doesn't mean I'm not going to do it anyway.) I was extremely nervous about going. I don't think Austin and I have been overnight anywhere in literally years.

We arrived in Black River Falls in the early afternoon to beautiful sunny weather. We rode for a few hours and then checked into our hotel.  Since we left immediately after Austin got home from work, we decided to have an early night. (I mean, he hadn't slept in probably 20 hours. He needed some rest.) We did, however, order pizza from Rozarios. (I think that is how it is spelled anyway.) It is a local joint, I think, and they actually had some really delicious pizza.

We woke up the next morning to a downpour. So we headed into town for breakfast, instead of taking advantage of the continental breakfast that they have at the Arrowhead. That is when our adventuring started.

Austin works for Union Pacific Railroad, and loves trains. We were sitting down to breakfast when I saw an old steam engine parked. Ya know we had to check it out.

I think it and the three accompanying cars belong to a local construction company, but Austin thought it was pretty neat. He was ready to climb all over it.

After throughly investigating the steam engine, we headed back to the hotel to gear up and head out to ride. The rain had cleared off, but we still put on all of our rain gear, and I was very glad we did. Although rain coats aren't notoriously warm, they did help keep the wind off. As the temperatures steadily declined the more and more I regretted that I hadn't packed gloves. It was 55 degrees when we stopped for dinner at Mug's bar, and I was a frozen popsicle. Austin decided that we should just head back for the hotel, even though we hadn't hit our 100 mile goal for the day. It was just a little too cold for the both of us.

We did decide to head out and ride just a little bit more the next day after we checked out of the hotel. I was really glad we did. That was definitely my favorite part of the trip. I believe that section of trail is called the Wildcat loop, and it is truly beautiful. You really feel like you are in the middle of nowhere back there. Be sure to check it out.

So now you know my favorite part of the trip, but what about my least fave?
Jackson County trails are infamous (at least in our family) for all the stinkin' whoops. That area of Wisconsin is very sandy, and the sandy trails wear into little bumps that can just be absolute hell. Lucky for us, those little bumps didn't bother us on our new quad. Ya know what did bother us? THE GIANT ROLLING WHOOPS.
Seriously. I about died. I have never really felt that much in danger before, but Austin hit one of those whoops just a little too quickly, and I about came off the quad. (I don't come off the quads. Or the snowmobiles. Or anything like that.) It was really scary, and we were very careful to slow down to practically a stop whenever we came across them.

A really crappy picture of the Arrowhead Lodge. They are also known for their Orange Moose Bar and Grill.
There are Orange Mooses everywhere. Mooses. Is that even a word?

I would also be extremely remiss if I did not mention how lovely our hotel was. It was great the last time we stayed there, so I wanted to stay there again. I brought an extra blanket with me (I always want to ensure that I am warm at the hotel.) Room service actually came back to our room after they cleaned it to make sure that the way they put my blanket on our bed was satisfactory. A+ room service!

What kinda irritated me this time? Apparently the hotel is getting some remodeling done. In the lobby. Like, ripping the floor out, everything is taped and tarped off, remodeling. And we weren't told about it when we checked in. It really wouldn't have affected our choice to stay there, since it didn't affect our sleeping. It would have just been a nice heads up, instead of walking into it in our bathing suits on our way to the pool.

Overall, we had a really good time on our trip. Such a good time, in fact, that Austin wants to go back in two more weeks.  I can't wait!

I should probably mention...

I should probably mention to everyone that I moved my blog from Wordpress to blogger.  I had never used Wordpress before, and I thought I might try it out for my new blog, but I just really didn't like it. So I moved all of my posts over to blogger.

There were two people who had followed my blog on Wordpress. Not sure who they were, but they won't be getting blog updates from there anymore. Today I'm going to work on adding the widget so people can subscribe to this blog and get email updates.

Thanks for reading so far!

A Honest Consumer Review

One of the things I have been very frustrated about during this whole experience is the lack of consumer reviews about these machines on the internet. Sure there are no end of reviews done by ATV magazines, or comparison reviews put out by rival companies, but where is the regular consumers opinion? I am one of those people that won't buy anything unless I have thoroughly  researched it first. Austin is the same way. An important part of that research is reading customer reviews. The only problem is I can't seem to find any.

I joined several ATV groups on Facebook, thinking I would find it there. Nothing. I regularly search hashtags and mentions on Twitter. Same result.  Reviews done by ATV magazine and manufacturers are great, but they don't tell me what the average, everyday consumer thinks. Do you know what I mean? I plan on providing that service for future shoppers. :)

Now, without further ado or explanation, my review of our Can-Am Outlander Max 1000 Limited.

Overall: I love this machine. I am so glad we bought it, and I have absolutely no regrets about the purchase. This machine is everything I hoped it would be. My boyfriend really loves it too. He never thought that he would be happy on a utility quad, but he had to admit that this is a really fun ride. If it can satisfy his inner Motocross-Adreanaline-Junkie, then it can satisfy anyone.

Austin on his practice track in our back field. On the "collar bone" jump. Guess why its called that.

Pros:

I love the quad because it is so darn comfortable. Austin can do all the crazy riding he wants, and I don't feel a thing. The first day we had it he jumped it off of a bump in the trail. He actually didn't mean to jump it. (The way the bump is, you can't see it coming at it.) Needless to say, the landing was a little rough. On any other quad, it would have absolutely killed my back, and I would have been in pain for the rest of the day.  I would have been grumpy and irritable and we probably would have ended up fighting. On this quad? Totally fine.  I am really glad that Austin talked me into the ACS shocks. with a  push of the button on the handle bars, you can adjust the air pressure in the shocks to ensure ultimate comfort.

I also really love having my own foot pegs and hand grips. Surprisingly enough, those weird square hand grips are perfect. Depending on what kind of riding is going on, you can adjust where you are holding to feel even more secure on the back.

Speaking of the back seat, Austin says that when we are both riding, he can't even tell I'm back there. He rides just like he would if he were riding it by himself, and I get to be with him. Win-Win situation in my book.

This quad also has a TON of power. We've pushed it well into the upper 70 mph, and it cruises like a champ at 40-50 mph. It's amazing. We can really get moving along on the trail and cover some serious ground when we want to. (We always maintain safety, and never travel faster than we should. I promise.) Even though the Quad has a ton of power, it is still really easy to maintain control. I can drive this machine with absolutely no problems. It is also really nice to have the Tri-Mode power steering. You can adjust the power steering to be exactly what you need, just like the shocks.

When we were looking at buying this quad, the thing we were focused on were the super easy to adjust shocks. We weren't really concerned with the other selling points of the machine. When we went to the dealer to test drive the quad and fill out the financial paperwork, our sales person, Ryan, made a big deal about the GPS on the quad. We kinda shrugged it off because that wasn't important to us.

Boy have we changed our mind.

Thank you Can-Am.

That GPS is AWESOME. The Montana 650t is really just incredible. The more we are using it and learning to use it the more we like it. I downloaded some ATV trail maps, and downloaded the Garmin Basecamp software to my computer. We are having a lot of fun with the GPS and are finding it to be really useful. I'm sure there will be more posts about the GPS later.

Cons:

Okay, here's the rough part.  I do have a few complaints about this quad.
First, the thing that really bothered me.

 I am really irritated about the grips on the handle bars. We had the quad ONE DAY. Just one, and the left hand grip started falling apart. I'm really disappointed in the quality. (Austin doesn't really understand why I'm so upset about it. I don't understand why he isn't more upset that our top of the line quad is having such a problem.) Since then it has steadily gotten worse. Poor showing on that one, Can-Am.

Austin and I were both bothers by the seat. It is almost too cushy. Ha, I know. What a complaint. Really though, the seat is too cushy. I wish the seat was just a little stiffer for longer rides. It isn't so bad now that I'm used to it. Maybe it will stiffen up with time.  Austin and I laughed about it, because in all the reviews we watched and read they complained about the seat being too wide. Austin and I are fans of nice wide seats. We like them to actually hold our butts. *Amendment: Austin claims he never said that the seat was too cushy. He totally did though.*

Another disappointment? We got back to the Monroe parking lot after our very first ride, and Austin noticed that the left rear shock was VERY hot. It is located right next to the exhaust pipe, and after riding the shock was obviously hot.  The first thing Austin did when we got the Outlander home was to heat wrap the pipe. Although it wasn't a huge deal for us, I feel like Can-Am could do that factory. (It could be a problem for someone who didn't have heat wrap on hand. We have some from heat wrapping on our sport quads.)

A selfie from the day we bought the Outlander.

Austin is really bothered by the front shocks. The rear shocks on this quad are amazing, but the front shocks leave a little something to be desired for him. He feels like they could be a bit stiffer. It could just be that he is riding it harder than Can-Am was anticipating.  Maybe one day we will look at an after market solution for that problem. It isn't a huge priority for us though.

The last thing on my cons list actually doesn't really bother me or Austin. It bothers his dad. See, the gear box makes a really weird high pitched noise, Austin thinks is caused by the gear train mesh. I didn't even notice the noise until it was pointed out to me. I have since noticed it when Austin and I ride for long periods of time. It really isn't that bad, and it seems that all of the Can-Ams do it. (We have ridden with a friend of ours with an Outlander Max 1000 XT, and his makes the same noise.)  It just drives Austin's dad nuts.

There! I think I have finally covered everything. I hope that helps other people out who are considering purchasing and Outlander. Some of the above mentioned things only apply to the Outlander Max Limited, but I'm sure a fees things apply to all of the Outlanders. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Trail Guide #1-- Monroe WI. Cheese Trails

Ah Monroe. Th easiest trails I know. I think it might even be easier to ride there than here on the farm. The trails are nice and wide. They are mostly flat with only a very few slight hills. They were built on top of an old railway line. Sometimes, in between trail groomings, the old railroad ties come up through the gravel trail. Speaking of grooming, the trails are groomed. I've had to ride around the graders. There are a lot of reviews on the internet that claim the trails are in extremely rough condition all the time, and I have simply not found this to be so. Maybe they are rough on a Sunday evening after a weekend of hard use, but in general they are nice and smooth. The gravel trail material often causes the trail to be dusty unless there has been a very recent rain.

See all that dust? Ick. It doesn't even look as bad in the photos as it was.
Goggles and dust masks of some sort are a must.

My favorite part of the trail is an old railroad bridge not far from the Monroe lot just past Browntown. It isn't only a functional tool of transportation, but a work of art. If you find yourself there, take a moment and enjoy it. Find the roses.

Austin and his dad examining the bridge.

If Austin and I make an early enough start we can start in Monroe and ride all the way to the end of the trail in Mineral Point. We can usually make Darlington by lunch time, where we stop and eat at Annie's Bar and Grill. They have rather good food for a decent price. We head on to Mineral Point after lunch, stop there to get fuel, then turn around and head back to Monroe. By the end of the day we are happily exhausted.

Mineral Point Railway Museum.

If we get a later start we like to park in South Wayne, but you could easily park in almost any town along the trail. The community in the area is rather supportive of ATV business. This is probably also a good place to mention that the Cheese Trails are multi-use trails. Trails are not only open to ATVs, but to off road motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. It is definitely not uncommon to come across people who are taking an evening walk down the trail. It is very important to slow down and safely pass. Keeping the trails open to everyone and being respectful of other peoples hobbies should be everyone's priority.

These trails are quite popular, and are very busy on weekends. Not only should be you be wary of other people on the trail, but watch out for the DNR. They make lots of stops along this trail, so be sure to have all of the proper "paperwork" in order. ( Have your sticker and your license plate ready!)

The Cheese Trails are great for families with smallish children or a quick day trip. The trails are easy enough for beginner riders, but anyone can appreciate the chance to ride through the Wisconsin countryside. Just don't expect anything super challenging or exciting.

I've been working on a post...

I've had this blog up for several days now, and already I have 2 followers! I'm quite excited!

I've been working on a much longer-than-usual post, but it will be a good foundation for the rest of the blog. So hang in there with me as I polish it to perfection.

In the meantime, I'm quite concerned about  purchasing a cargo bag. Anyone out there have any suggestions for me?

Talk to you soon!

My First Post

So here it is! My first post on my new blog. I've been thinking about starting a blog specifically devoted to ATV's, but never really had a very good reason.

Recently, my boyfriend Austin bought a Can-Am Outlander Max 1000 Limited. (Go big or go home, am I right?) We were both sick of getting all ready to go on a trip really excited to have a great time, and end up coming home in a bad mood from all the arguing we did on the trip. It just isn't comfortable doubling up on a race quad no matter how you do it.

The brand new quad, still in the parking lot at the dealer.

Now, you might be asking yourself,"Why don't you ride by yourself?" You're probably right. I should be riding by myself. I'm just not really comfortable with foot shifting a quad. I ride the farm quad, a Honda Rancher, all the time, but it is quite hard to turn and super uncomfortable on the trails. I did give it an honest go in Black River Falls, WI., but it just didn't work out.

Anyway, now that we have a quad we can both ride comfortably, we are both determined to ride more often, and go on crazy adventures, even if it is just the two of us. We've already taken it to Monroe, WI., a few times to ride the Cheese Trails and get used to the machine, and I have to say, I'm really excited about what is in store.

A photo from behind Austin as we rode down the trail.

We have a trip planned in two weeks to Black River Falls, WI. to ride the trails there for a couple days over Austin's weekend. (I say Austin's weekend, because his days off are in the middle of the week.  It's a little goofy.) I hope to be writing some posts in the mean time about how I'm preparing for the trip.

 I'm interested to know how other people out there prepare for their ATV trips. What do you think is necessary to take with you? What kind of gear do you use?