Aussie now with an X3,........... and an Odes 800

[slim]

Hi all,

thought I'd join up and hello. Not having a popular or American brand, even worse having an Odes I wasnt too sure about joining as some seem to have very strong views about the 'cheap stuff' but Ive read some comments here that show a few are open minded, fun is fun, doesnt always matter what sticker is on the side of it.

I also thought that there doesnt seem to be a lot of actual real info on these 'cheapies' about, more opinions than fact, so if anyone is interested I can give you an unbiased review as time goes on.

The reasons for getting an Odes (sold by Atomik dealers here) are:

~ I have never seen anyone anywhere near me who has a UTV of any brand to know what I was getting into before buying one.

~ There are extremely limited places to actually ride one legally, so spending big on a toy that may potentially not get used much didnt make sense to me

~ There arent any local dealers for UTVs anyway and where there are 2+ hrs away, UTVs dont appear to be as popular here as the states so I would think most of the service techs who would work on one here would have much experience.

~ Most of what Ive read on this forum and a couple of other all seem to show the same thing, UTVs being brought new or newish then being stripped down to the rails and everything that makes them a name brand replaced with custom or aftermarket products anyway. To me spending and extra $6K minimum for a basic name brand only to replace the bits that supposedly make the name brand better than a 'cheapie' just didnt make sense either.

~ With all the above being said, the price, $9k for the Odes as apposed to $15k - 20k+ for the base name brand stuff $25k-ish for a decent Polaris.

Here it is after a couple of hours out of the box:

First thing I learnt with a UTV, know where your air intake is and the depth of the water you can go, almost $9k gone in 90 seconds. Note to self, raise intake. I think this first adventure set the tone for the what has been its first 'problem', the clutch/belt system. The second drive was straight out to the dunes, tyre pressure still up. Worked it pretty hard and smoked up pretty bad through the cabin. Crusing along isnt so bad but put the boot in and it just smokes up. Thinking its first drive thru the water and cheap belts are causing this problem. Also it starts bogging down just a little, nothing bad but I was thinking for an 800cc it should be a little bit better.

I will stress that in total Ive driven it probably put 55kms on the clock since it came out of the crate so everything is new to me and seeing as Ive never been in one before I dont know realistically what to expect.

Currently Im working away for 3 weeks so the Odes is at my bike mechanics shop getting a good looking at. He's an extremely switched on guy (multiple national sidecar championship racer in the classic class) over here and preps my YZ250 for the Finke desert race. He has a few ideas to mod the clutch and general go fast tweaks that should improve performance overall.

Ive got a small lathe, AC/DC TIG, Sheetmetal folder, pipe bender etc so down the track Im keen to change the bar work and the looks for a safer and sportier feel without spending big dollars.

At the end of the day I bought this to have some fun with the GF and some mates (we all ride bikes as well) and just explore the area. For me, if I want to go really fast, Ill take the YZ out

Well thats about it for now, happy to show more for those interested but otherwise,........... flame suit on

 

[desertdog615]

Looks similar to a Yamaha Rhino, but it has a V-twin 800 like a Rhinotax. Which is a rhino with a Can-am rotax engine swap.

 

[WERACE]

Built a couple sets of shocks for them over the years.

 

[slim]

Engine wise, its supposed to have Delphi EFI which I have heard is a good thing?

Below is the ad for it with a few details:
http://www.atomik.com.au/utv-800cc-4x4.html

The LED lights work fantastic, way above what I was expecting, the roof its bolted to on the other hand not so good. Pretty flimsy plastic which has already broken around the fastening bolts.

Suspension is pretty much what I expected, works ok but I wouldnt go so far as to call it plush, as a mate described it, 'its compliant' The whole thing feels very stable. When I first took it out I was very hesitant to slide it thru corners etc for fear of rolling but so far there have been no pucker moments.

 

[joes5091]

Looks pretty good!

 

[Slacker]

Looks good man. I agree completely that it doesn't matter what you ride, as long as you are having a good time! No place to ride in Australia? That is the complete opposite of the image I had in my mind. I figured you all had tons of open space over there.

 

[slim]

Yes and no, there some places to ride but it is not as well orginised as what you guys have. Quads and UTV style vehicles are pretty much knackered in terms of riding crown land. These vehicles can not be road registered in any form and only used on certain public roads by farmers and primary producers under a special registration designed to access land if there is a public road between plots.

MX bikes can be 'recreational' registered to access certain public forest or bush lands. These bikes are not sold in Australia with ADR (Australian Design Rules) compliance which states the vehicle has been built to meet a standard for emissions and safety. 'Rec reg' allows access to some public lands and provides you/the rider with 3rd party insurance and TAC cover (Transport and Accident Commission) which should pay for hospital and ambulance costs in case of an accident.

More land is being closed for public access for the 'greater good' to preserve the environment, which is crap. Most law makers would know the bush if they were lost in it. I have a rec reg bike (KXF250) to ride in the bush but I could still find myself in trouble. Mostly quads are limited to private land and MX tracks, UTVs would be similar.

That said I live 20mins from the sand dunes (not as common as you'd think, especially in the state I live in, Victoria). There is a buggy club at the dunes that charges a good chunk of money to access a small portion of those dunes, the rest can not be legally accessed. They will not allow quads or bikes to ride there either, I actually need to check about UTVs to be sure. I should be ok as I have a cage but once again not sure. Its not a case of everybody working together, more for individual groups. There are some privately owned 4wd parks that allow bikes, quads and UTVs but they are few and far (in distance) between.

Being caught riding the dunes on a bike can cost you as much as $20k and your bike, plus a trip to court, very expensive ride. Having said that, I still ride the dunes but do it in very small numbers, (mostly solo), in places I know well and at the right times.

Like most places, the further from town the less people care where you ride. I visited the folks couple of weekends ago and brought the UTV up to show off. Within an hour dad had me driving down the main road of his town A cop had'nt been thru town for a few months and its a 'very outback country' town so nobody battered an eyelid.

There are places to ride but there are also many hoops to jump thru first and pick a cop on a bad day and he can still put an end to your fun. I believe we can actually be booked riding on our own private land if you've had a few drinks or too noisy even on a rural block away from everybody.

There is much to love about being here but we could learn a few things from you guys too

 

[slim]

https://www.google.com.au/mapmaker?...roducts_maps&utm_source=mapseditbutton_normal

The above should give you map of the area Im in. I live in Portland, the dunes to the west is where I would go, 'if I rode the dunes'

There is plenty to ride but very little thats actually legal. Most of the bush land along the coastal area is privately owned for timber harvesting.

 

[rockstarcustomz]

My husband is in Sydney working for Snake Racing. He was at the Finke race! I agree, it doesn't matter what you have to play with as long as you play. My husband was telling me that riding there is very limited. Here in Arizona we have wide open access to almost everywhere. Anyway, if you need any aftermarket stuff like shocks or lights, call Snake Racing. Ryan is an awesome guy.

 

[slim]

Cool, saw the snake racing crew up at Finke. Checked out the UTV's at scrutineering, cant have been an easy ride thru the whoops in one of those things, even running the 4 seater version. What times did they end up with this year?

Will have to check out what snake sell, didnt think of them before when looking for bits and pieces.

Yeah, for a wide open country the laws suck here. I know a few 'low-key' areas to ride but its still a gamble. If hubby is down south at all would be happy to show him some places to ride, the dunes here are the biggest attraction. Seeing as most beach/sand is very poor to ride or forbidden, Portland attracts a few people. I know them as well as anyone here and happy to take a few people around, smaller groups the better.

 

[rockstarcustomz]

I know they finished 1st in class at the prologue but didn't finish on the 2nd day. Not sure times on the first day. It's a lot different than our racing here and I'm not up on the lingo yet! I'll tell him about riding in the dunes with you. I think that would be awesome. He will be there for at least another month.

 

[slim]

Yeah, no stress, would be happy to show him around the area. Just north of Sydney is Newcastle which has the Stockton Dunes, probably the most popular/well known dunes we have. One of the few areas to be able to legally be one the dunes but last time I checked vehicles still needed to be registered so UTV's still wouldn't be allowed.

Inland is the way to go but the inland/desert sand is alot different from the beach.

I have heard that there seems to be a difference in styles and terrain with races over here, Finke is totally unique to itself though. Im keen to have a go at Baja next year on a bike. Hopefully see first hand the differences myself.

 

[rockstarcustomz]

According to Eric (my husband), there is no comparison to our desert racing here. Our desert is brutal! Racing Baja is a dream of our too. You can check out some the terrain on the videos posted here of the BITD races. We are featured in the MINT 400 video.

 

[RWTDCT]

Welcome from the central coast of California

 

[slim]

Thanks mate

Got the utv back from the shop last week, not as bad as first thought with the smoke. Apparently a rubber grommet protecting some wiring came loose on one of the engine cases and was allowing some oil to splash out on to the exhaust causing the smoke. The clutch was fine, everything else was as it should be. The snorkel set up for the intake was removed and a pre-filter installed instead but this will be changed in the future for a better wadding height when going thru water.

Took it out in the dunes for another run and it seems to be loosening up and running better, have got 125kms on the clock now.

Installed a marine stereo and speakers. Its only temporary for now but does the job without getting in the way

Need to make up a proper rack for the sandboards but atleast I can carry them around. The pic of the bike on the left board is of me, the gf had the board custom made and used a photo taken from a race I did last year.

 

[WFS MOTORSPORTS]

just curious if it feels weird to drive a left hand drive off road toy in a right handdrive country??

 

[slim]

Surprisingly no, it doesnt feel too bad actually. To be honest, once moving i dont give it a second thought. It does feel much wider to the right when driving thru tight stuff but I reckon it would be the same feeling even if the wheel was on the right side looking across to the left. I think its more getting used to the actual dimensions of the utv than anything else.

 

[rockstarcustomz]

Dunes look amazing to ride in! If Eric ever brings me over, I want to go ride there

 

[slim]

You guys are more than welcome to stay and have a look around. The dunes for the most part aren't anything special but there are a few nice spots here and there.

 

[John Smith]

ODES UTVS. How long can this last? Do you truly believe a “company” ran off of disloyal, backstabbing, lying, and manipulating employers and managers will hold? Your company is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I'm truly surprised it has not happened yet. No doubt people who work there are already planning their departure. Why wouldn't they? They have a sales manager who lies to get ahead and does not care about who he leaves dead and bloody along the way. You have an owner who only cares about the bottom line and protecting his precious money maker yet does not give a seconds thought about the status of his employees. Let someone ask you how many employees you have been through in the past two years. Ask the ones who have quit or were fired what they thought of the company. You wont, because you already know the answer. Come on, “loyal” company that fires their employees over text and then goes through loopholes using high price lawyers so they cant get unemployment? The only way to get ahead there is to dress like a prostitute until the male management notices you, or to lie to everyone just to close the sale and make that dollar. This isn't a company. I agree when you call yourselves an “American Company”. Seeing as our politicians are all lairs and cheaters that seems to fit you just right. Although, since %100 of your product is made and assembled overseas begs the question of what at all is American. Its a nice slogan though, I mean it sells by tricking dealers to think they are getting something “different” from the typical Chinese crap. Your products are dangerous, yet anyone who even hints at that gets lawyers down their throat in order to stay quiet. You are a bunch of children. Your promises, commitments, guarantees are all lies. Who do you think your not anywhere the competition? Because you have to bad of a track record that keeps getting deeper. Is this the company that dealers would want to work with if they new the truth? I think not. Anything good you have there is just a rip off of someone else. That's all you are and that's all you will ever be, a rip off of something better.