First UTV Industry Ride at Glamis: 2012 Trip Report

Posted on February 27, 2012
8:22 pm

Event dates: February 24–26, 2012

In February 2012, UTVGuide.net, Fullerton Sand Sports and Pro Armor organized the first UTV Industry Ride at Glamis. The informal weekend brought together UTV companies, dealers, media members and enthusiasts for fast rides, product testing, photography and plenty of time around camp.

What happens when you combine fast cars, new and old friends, some of the UTV industry’s leading aftermarket companies and the dunes of Glamis? You get a memorable weekend in the sand.

How the UTV Industry Ride Started

The idea began with a comment I made to Dave Kuskie of Fullerton Sand Sports while we were in Oregon for the 2011 DuneFest. I told him we needed to organize a UTV ride weekend in Glamis for people in the industry.

Several months later, Dave called and told me to put February 24–26, 2012, on my calendar. Apparently, someone had listened to my babbling.

Dave and I invited several shops, initially intending the weekend to remain a fairly informal gathering. I was focused on the 2012 King of the Hammers UTV Race and did very little additional planning until that race was over.

At King of the Hammers, I talked with Fred from Pro Armor. The company was already planning to attend the Glamis weekend, so I asked if Pro Armor wanted to join UTVGuide.net and Fullerton Sand Sports as an event organizer. Fred agreed, and everything came together during the week and a half following KOH.

Dave secured space at the Glamis Beach Store, giving everyone a place to park without having to save a large section of open desert. We also arranged a catered taco dinner for Saturday night.

UTVGuide.net, Fullerton Sand Sports and Pro Armor organized the first UTV Industry Ride at Glamis in 2012.

Friday: Turbo RZR XPs in the Dunes

I arrived Thursday, checked out our camping area and unloaded my Polaris RZR XP. I had raced the same machine at King of the Hammers shortly before this trip. Going from rock racing one weekend to carving dunes the next demonstrated how versatile performance UTVs had already become by 2012.

A few people arrived Thursday night, with more rolling into camp Friday morning. I joined Dave from Fullerton Sand Sports, Troy from UTV Off-Road Magazine, Mark from Queen Racing, and Rick and Dave from Placerville Polaris for our first ride.

Queen Racing turbo Polaris RZR XP at Glamis

Mark Queen driving a turbo RZR XP in the Glamis dunes

After a stop at Osborne Overlook, we found a location for some action photos. Mark Queen showed us the power of his turbocharged RZR XP, effortlessly lifting the front end of a machine he had completed only three days earlier.

Rick from Placerville Polaris driving a K and T turbo RZR XP

All three machines were turbocharged RZR XPs, and it was a blast watching the boost come on in the dunes.

Saturday’s Group Ride to Oldsmobile Hill

More shops arrived Friday afternoon and evening. We scheduled the main group ride for 9 a.m. Saturday, with several stops planned for photography. The group headed toward Oldsmobile Hill before gathering in the dunes east of Olds.

RJ Anderson driving through the whoops near Oldsmobile Hill — RJ Anderson charging through the whoops near Oldsmobile Hill.

RJ Anderson at the 2012 UTV Industry Ride — RJ Anderson charging through the whoops near Oldsmobile Hill.

It was impressive to watch the long stream of UTVs approach from Oldsmobile Hill. The group represented a snapshot of the performance UTV industry in 2012, including modified RZRs, four-seat machines and an assortment of naturally aspirated, turbocharged and engine-swapped builds.

UTVs arriving from Oldsmobile Hill at Glamis

Group of UTVs during the first Glamis Industry Ride

2012 UTV Industry Ride Photo Gallery

Performance UTV at the 2012 Glamis Industry Ride

After the photo session, we returned to Oldsmobile Hill and relaxed for a while. A smaller group then headed out on a fast-paced ride to Osborne Overlook.

Seeing a long line of UTVs snake through the dunes was impressive, and it was even better when the entire group arrived at Osborne together. By then, the sun was high and the definition in the dunes was beginning to disappear, so we headed back to camp for lunch.

First Glamis Test for My Kawasaki Teryx4

After lunch, everyone was free to ride on their own. I turned my attention to my newly delivered Kawasaki Teryx4 project.

SDR Motorsports had installed long-travel suspension, PRP seats and harnesses, an LED light bar, and a custom cage and roof. The completed Teryx4 arrived on a trailer early Saturday morning. I mounted my paddle tires, and Chris from Benchmark Performance reflashed the ECU to remove the factory speed limiter. After adding a little shock preload, it was time for the first drive.

Long-travel Kawasaki Teryx4 project at Glamis

Modified Kawasaki Teryx4 during its first Glamis trip

The suspension initially felt a little soft, so I added a few clicks of compression damping to the FOX RC2 shocks. That helped considerably. The PRP seats and harnesses were comfortable, and the SDR Motorsports cage looked great. We also took the Teryx4 on a night ride to Oldsmobile Hill to test the Rigid Industries LED light bar.

Sunday Morning Photo Session

On Sunday morning, a smaller group went out for more riding, photography and video. I drove the Teryx4 while Seth Farger from DWT Racing drove my RZR XP. We found several good locations and started shooting.

2012 Arctic Cat Wildcat running in the dunes

Kawasaki Teryx4 driving through the Glamis dunes

After the photos, I climbed back into the Teryx4 and joined another quick run through the dunes. I was surprised by how well it kept pace with a RZR XP, RZR XP 4 and turbocharged RZR XP. Except for one steep climb without much of a run-up, the Teryx4 moved through the dunes without slowing the group in front of me.

The HCR Racing long-travel suspension, Summers Brothers axles and FOX shocks worked well. The suspension still needed some fine-tuning, but I was pleased with the setup on its first trip. The quality of the components and SDR Motorsports’ installation made the initial outing an enjoyable one.

A New Glamis Tradition

Once we returned to camp, it was time to load up and head home. The weekend had been a whirlwind of fast rides, new UTV builds and excellent photo opportunities. More importantly, it gave people from across the industry a chance to ride together and see new products working in real-world conditions.

The first UTV Industry Ride proved successful enough to become an annual gathering. UTVGuide.net and Fullerton Sand Sports continued hosting the event at Glamis through its fifth edition in 2016.

Special thanks to Fullerton Sand Sports and Pro Armor for helping UTVGuide.net turn the original idea into a successful event.