Looks and performance

ATV aftermarket products have progressed greatly, there's no doubt about it. Along with the new technology that allows all of the dedicated-ATV aftermarket product companies to make higher quality products, the standards for a better product have gotten much higher from the buyers.

No longer is a rider or racer looking for a product that will only make their quad look better. No longer are people purchasing products that only make their quad work better. Everyone expects the products they buy to perform flawlessly, but also make their quad stand out in a crowd of riders. A product they'll be proud to show off to their riding buddies.

OMF Performance Products have kept up to those high standards over the years. OMF was started in 1982 by Tim Orchard, because he felt there was a lack of high-quality aluminum components within the rapidly-expanding sport. Since then, OMF has grown to be a very well-known and respected name in the industry. Time-and-again, their state-of-the-art, hand-crafted products have proven to be more than just trick-looking add-ons.

We looked to OMF to purchase what they are most likely known for in the ATV industry - their custom beadlock wheels. A beadlock is a mechanical fastening device that clamps the tire's bead onto the rim. Once that's done, it's nearly impossible to pop the wheel off the bead. This is a common problem for motocross riders who go into corners with a lot of speed and roll the wheel off of the bead. Also on landings from big jumps, the wheel can easily come off of the bead. Cross-country riders use them because if they puncture the tire and it goes flat, they can make it back to the pit to change it without the wheel coming off of the bead.

I actually started with Douglas Wheels 9” beadlocks on the back, 10” beadlocks on the front, and then sent those to OMF. OMF can either customize your wheels or you can buy their wheels. For beadlocks, I decided to go with the new scalloped beadlock and have them anodized a red that would match my color scheme really well. They can also do anodized blue, black, or polished aluminum. I also decided to have them weld on a reinforcement ring on the side opposite of the beadlock, to provide even more wheel strength and reliability.

Another product that OMF manufactures that not many people know about, is radiator scoops. The stock scoops look pretty good but don't direct very much air to the radiator. I personally think the OMF scoops don't look quite as good as the stock ones - they're kind of big and a weird shape - but there is no doubt that they direct more air flow to the radiator.

For the new scoops to work, the old scoops actually have to be cut off. The instructions explain to you where to cut the plastic and that works okay, but I would like to see them send some kind of template that you set on your old scoops that shows exactly where to cut it. But until then, if you read carefully and check before you cut, you'll be fine. I used a hacksaw to cut the plastic, and then filed the edges to get rid of those little plastic hairs. The new scoop is then bolted onto the piece of plastic that will still be attached to the quad.

The rest of the scoop is then bolted to the frame with two small bolts. These bolts can be tough to get lined up right, so make sure you get them in straight. I had to make one modification not on the instructions for the left scoop to fit. The bar that the front fender bolts to had a little metal hook-looking thing on it that I had to cut off - a pretty easy fix.

A downside of this new scoop is the placement of it. You have to remove the scoop to take off the front plastic. The top of the scoop covers up the bolt so you can't get to it.

Along with these products, OMF also manufactures and sells automotive wheels, mudplugs, seat brackets, and skid plates. I would recommend these OMF products for anyone who is looking for both great looking and great performing products.

OMF Performance Products
9860 Indiana Ave., Unit 17
Riverside, CA 92503
(951) 354-8272
FAX (951) 354-8599

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