Side by Sides

buckwilk

buckwilk

Adventurist
I spend the summer months traveling the western states camping on BLM and NF lands. After the last couple of seasons I will no longer go to Colorado due to the quads and sxs and their noise. I support the FS efforts at limiting db on quads and sxs. Colorado is seeing huge influx of back easters coming for pot and public land. Camping in Co. is becoming intolerable.
 
My problem with them is that most owners do not respect tread lightly. They make things even more accessible. And most are just out too, TEAR S///T up. Either I'm getting old or cranky, but I yelled at several people this year on SXS's in Moab. Going off trail and destroying the landscape because they couldn't wait a minute behind some larger rigs.

One dofus, comes up to us on his on Steel Bender and goes, LOOKS LIKE THIS IS WERE YOU ALL TURN AROUND. Then proceeds to go off trail around the obstacle. I yelled at him asking why he was going that way.

Then on Top of the World, we had these clowns who decided they needed to go around us, the go off trail, destroy bushes and one of them gets stuck and then asks us to help get him out.

I can't count the times I witnessed this from SXS's. And it's not just there. This is my beef with these things. They look like a blast, but they're not as capable as people think they are, and because they are light and quick, people are out there going quick, tearing up trails. And when they can't go over something, they almost always go around everything. And that usually, means, OFF TRAIL. Or widening the trail.

Honestly, I think they're a detriment to the off-roading/overlanding community. Not like environmentalist need any more ammo.

Ugh. Had to get that off my chest. Been needing to vent about it since Moab.
 
Bummer you guys had to deal with that. Many of the NF's and the BLM are moving towards 50" wide trail restrictions on SXS widths and blocking trails to wider vehicles. It's not the machines, but the people whom are irresponsible when it comes to having fun in their machines. I too want to go fast and do some crazy stuff out of just being a kid again, but I'd like to think that I'd be responsible out there on the trails. The only place I've ridden mine is here at home. Not all who drive SXS's are douchebags. I'm hoping to use mine to gain access to otherwise off limits areas to my full size truck. I'd also like to think it'll give me access to more photographic encounters as well as fishing, hunting and metal detecting.
Ride responsibility...
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Ive never seen OHVs go off trail...

The general public views all off road vehicles exactly the same. You will ultimately loose access if you go along with the eco divide and concur routine
Your experience is exactly the opposite of what im seeing in the east. Im out with my SxS club and we see full size vehicles on atv only trails all the time. Cutting trees, running down brush, doing stream crossing where we have atv bridges. Last one a saw was a 4 door Jk with a roof rack and all the other typical catalog expedition gear

All you can do is educate people
 
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New tires. 27x9x14 Sedona ripsaws all around

Turn this thread positive. Let's see your side by sides!
 
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I agree education is important. One only has to look at the advertising for quads and sxs to see what they are selling. To be fair, car companies do a lot of that nonsense too. Motor vehicles have to meet noise standards as built to be sold and operated on public streets. Quads, sxs first pull baffles, destroy any semblance of quiet any where they go..
Al Swope said:
Ive never seen OHVs go off trail...
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Seriously? Any day in the public lands of Co. the number of street legal vehicles seen will pale by comparison to the number of sxs and quads and their noise. If you want to turn this thread positive, agree that there is a problem and work together with responsible organizations to educate and curtail irresponsible behavior regardless of the mode of transport.
 
I'll agree there is a problem. Not enough areas to ride. You don't like at ATVs. Hikers don't like bicycles. Horseback riding spreads unnatural pathogens. Extreme eco warriors dont want humans. My personal pet peeve is Harleys. I long for a scoped 30.06 when I hear them coming but would never support banning them

I support groups that want to increase access to public lands. Also groups that work to reclaim damaged lands. My atv club is trying to connnect several riding areas by trails on state game lands. We do a lot of public outreach and rider education

i have never ridden in Colorado. I am glad to know they have places to ride
 
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It's almost like the East Coast with it's lack of options for wheeling, encourages the 4Wheelers to drive all over the ATV trails. Where out west, the amount of options being so vast, encourage the little guys to go flying and tearing up everything. While the 4Wheelers end up traveling slower because of the terrain.

But I agree, back east, mudding in the forest was overlanding. o_O

And yes, those are generalizations.
 
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