Nevada ATV

I travel extensively in the Nevada, Utah, and California outback. Cellular coverage is spotty at best and non-existent in a lot of places. Megatron is right on the point that traffic and revenue pretty much dictate where cell companies deploy their sites. I have looked into satellite phones as an alternative. I am very close to buying a unit from the folks that provide the Spot Locator Services: http://www.findmespot.com/en/ Their phones start at about $500, just about the lowest cost I have found for ownership. The monthy service starts at about $25. They offer both monthly and annual plans. I have not looked into their data services, but they do offer a data cable that appears to provide a link to a computer's USB port. I have looked at renting a satellite phone but the costs add up very quickly and put most out of reach. My application for this phone would be for emergencies and to check in at home when I'm on extended trips.

Moses, Just an update on Nevada OHV registration. Most of the glitches have been worked out of the registration and renewal process. The annual fee is $20 per ATV/UTV/OHV. Renewal can be accomplished on line through the http://nvohv.com/registration/ link. New registrations are handled through authorized dealers. There seems to be a common misunderstanding that owners have a "grace" period after their current registration expires. This is NOT true, in fact there is a $25 late fee, so pay close attention to the expiration date. The size of the sticker has been reduced by at least 50%, making it much easier to find a place to attach it to your machine. Lastly OHV registration does not include a "title" for your machine. This is a separate process, with an additional cost. It is not a requirement, but strongly recommended. It puts your machine's VIN in the DMV database which may speed recovery if your machine is stolen.

If you are looking for a way to keep your stuff from pounding around inside or outside your vehicle, the answer might be here: End of the Road Inc. from Nashville makes rubber anchors called "Quick Fist Clamps" for anchoring all kinds of stuff for both easy access and to keep items in place as you bounce over the rocks and ruts in your explorations of the back country. It appears they began by making stuff to keep fire and emergency tools safely stowed on trucks. Their solution seems to be a great fit for off highway vehicles. They offer a wide range of clamps, straps, and brackets that just may put a dent in the bungee cord market. If you have struggled with keeping your fire extinguisher, hi-lift jack, shovel, and other "must have stuff" from bouncing off you and your passengers, your search may be over. Check out www.endroad.com. They sell direct, with low cost shipping!!!! You can also find some of their stuff at Cabelas and Amazon.com.

I ride a 2007 Arctic Cat 700EFI with 12,000 miles on it (yes, thousand). It has performed flawlessly for every one of those miles. In my quest to make my ATV a little "better" for the areas I ride, at 5,500 miles I chose to add slightly larger tires. I went from 25x10x12 (rear) and 25x8x12 (front) to 26x11x12 (rear) and 26x9x12 (front) nothing too drastic. I am now on my second set of the larger tires. Shortly after putting on the first set i noticed the clutch was getting "grabby" when starting from a stop. My dealer said it was simply caused by dust in the belt drive and all I had to do was clean it out. This was far easier than I assumed, but it did not solve the issue. So I changed the drive belt, again easy just not cheap. I was researching after-market parts sites for other upgrades and found some info about clutch kits. I found that Dalton Clutch had some good but somewhat sketchy details on their site. So I called and talked with one of their folks and we determined that where I rode and my tire size really dictated that a clutch upgrade was in order. I ordered a kit that was engineered for my larger tires and riding at altitudes greater than 3,000 feet. (They have other kits, too.) The install was almost as easy as cleaning the clutch. There are videos on the Dalton site and on YouTube. The best part was I did not have to open the engine case. The bottom line is that my ATV rides like it did when it was new. And the best news was that the kit cost less than $180.00. I recommend this upgrade to anyone with larger tires, just be sure that your machine has enough power to accommodate the tires—but that is for another thread.