Some part of me must have never grown up!

August 2004 I bought an off-road buggy.  These aren't just another go-cart, they have many of the same capabilities of an ATV.  They typically sell for much less than a quad.  They are safer due to the safety cage and seatbelts.  Can travel 40mph, handle rough terrain, hills and mud.  For someone who enjoys tinkering, these buggies can be very rewarding.  Basic improvements to the suspension and engine will make these machines go farther, faster and with much greater comfort to the driver.

My first buggy was a Yerf Dog 3206 manufactured by Flexible Flyer.  I instantly liked the design of this machine because of the front suspension.  It features long parallel A-arms much like an ATV and when equipped with a good set of shocks this buggy really absorbs the bumps.  Unfortunately in November 2005 Flexible Flyer closed their doors and ended the production of these karts.  Most components on a Yerf are available from other sources and some of the few unique parts are being repaired or modified, or others retrofitted in their place, by many of the dedicated clever fans of this buggy.  There's no reason for an owner of the Yerf Dog to get rid of this fine machine due to the absence of factory support.  Click the picture to see mine.

In February 2006 I bought a second buggy.  The Dune 150 by Baja Motorsports is rumored to be the creation of the same man that designed the Yerf Dog.  There are several key similarities.  Foremost is the long-travel front suspension.  Also the use of inexpensive stiff shocks ;-)  I plan to do most of the same upgrades to the Dune that I've done to the Yerf.  Click the picture to see some details.

Modifications to the Dune will follow pretty much the same path as those on the Yerf--only faster!  Click this picture to go to the mods & upgrades page:

In October 2006 I bought the ultimate trail buggy.  It's a Ridge Runner and is powered by a 800cc EFI Polaris engine.  It has a CVT drive, shifter with P,N,R, Lo and Hi drive.  60-something horsepower and it's very smooth and fast.  Maximum width is 57 inches so it fits on most trails that other trail buggies can ride.  I bought mine used from California and it already had ported & polished heads, Power Commander injector control, custom Flowmaster muffler, Heelclicker clutch, cold air intake and other mods.  Click the picture below to go to the Ridge Runner page showing what I'm doing to this one:

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a source of continuous inspiration and ideas:

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