The  second-most  important safety item is a good quality neck brace-like the ones race car drivers use. They simply wrap around your neck and are secured by velcro. When you are strapped into a Pilot/Odyssey, the only thing that is able to move is your neck, and believe me, it moves. When I am in my Pilot, strapped in and leaning forward, my helmet is still 6 inches away from the steering wheel. BUT I have hit the wheel many times with my helmet when rolling it over. Your neck and the straps stretch. If you don't believe me, listen to Bill:

"I just wanted to pass on some advice for your "older" fans and anyone else interested. I started riding an FL350 Odyssey at the tender age of 37 and was fine except for one thing...I wore my neck out! I advise anyone using one of these things to wear a neck brace (Simpson makes some nice ones). The only body part not "tied down" when strapped in a Pilot is your head. Most people think that a helmet takes care of this, but neglect their neck. I had to have two discs removed from my neck and the vertebrae fused, due to worn and hardened discs and a pinched nerve. Protect yourself NOW...and play forever! I had to give up these fun machines...don't make the same mistake!"

GAS PRE-MIX RATIOS

I prefer to pre-mix my fuel at 32:1, using 92 octane pump gas and synthetic oil. Higher octane gas in a stock Pilot doesn't give you any more power. Higher compression modifications would require higher octane.

ENGINE

There are endless possibilities when it comes to modifying a two stroke engine. Every engine builder has their own opinion on the best setup. For driving the dunes, I actually prefer a stock or mild engine.The reason for this is reliability. I like to ride, not rebuild my engine after every outing. The most common mods are a pipe and bigger carb. These bolt-ons by themselves do not make much power, but when in combination with porting, head work and bigger piston size, the power can definitely be felt.  

Modifications that are common to other two stroke ATV's don't always work for the Pilot. You don't need lots of top end in a Pilot, unless you are racing. A common oversize modification is the 465 kit,which increases the cc's to approximately 465. One of my Pilots has the 465 and is tuned to have more power on the bottom end,than the stock engine. This Pilot really pulls hard from a stop, even when running 25" paddles and will bring the front wheels off the ground. I have had this Pilot up to 75 mph. I have 25 hours on this engine with no problems. With the 465, a tank of gas will only last an hour to an hour and a half versus two hours with the stock engine. There are CR500 conversions available also, but I would want a chrome moly roll cage before exceeding 75 mph.

The best place to get your Pilot engine questions answered is ATV Racing located in Phoenix, Az. They have been modifying Pilots since 1990 and know all the tricks when it comes to Pilots.

SUSPENSION

The stock suspension is fine for the average driver but this is an area that definitely benefits from modification. The only aftermarket suspension I have any experience with is from ATV Racing. These guys have set up Pilots for Stadium and Desert racing for years. A friend of mine has the long travel front and rear, allowing almost 14" of wheel travel. This Pilot is heavily modified and is extremely fast. The suspension gives you a comfort level, allowing you to push the Pilot harder. I took 15 to 20 foot dropoffs at full throttle like they were curbs and the suspension just soaked it all up. I know there are a few other companies that offer aftermarket suspension, but I don't know how they perform.

Most aftermarket ATV shock companies offer bolt-on replacements that are better than the stock shocks, but are no comparison to the long travel kit.

TIRES & WHEELS

SAND

REAR:The stock rear tires are actually good for all types of riding. In the sand I use the stock rear tires 90% of the time. We usually have 5 to 6 Pilots racing through the dunes at full throttle. With the low seating position of the Pilot, you would not be able to see a thing if you ran paddles. I put the paddles on when I am riding with a group of quads or racing up Comp Hill.. The stock tire is 24 inches in diameter. Most of the paddles I see on Pilots are 22 inches. The smaller tire makes for faster take offs, but limits the top speed by 5 to 10 mph. My style of riding is to run fast through the dunes and a Pilot with small paddles can not keep up with me. I would not buy a paddle smaller than 24" if you want to run fast.

FRONT: The only way to go in the sand is with 22 x 8 x 10 razorbacks. These tires really help the Pilot turn in the sand. I have found that the higher priced razorbacks are better than the cheap ones. More money definitely means better quality when it comes to razorbacks.

DIRT AND MUD

The stock tires also work great in the mud and dirt, but there are quite a few tires that would work better. If anyone has experience with mud tires, send me the info and I will put the information on this page.

CLUTCHES

The following clutches are available for the Pilot: Honda, Powerblok, Comet and Quickshift. The advantage of an aftermarket clutch is the option of adjusting the clutch operation. You can adjust the weights of the clutch so that it "grabs" the belt at a higher RPM. This doesn't mean a lot from a stop, but in a racing situation you want the power to get to the wheels as fast as possible. For recreational riding the Honda clutch works fine. For racing, any of the aftermarket clutches will work. The adjustability is different on each clutch and should be done by someone who has setup clutches for Pilots.