Rollover Protection ??

[rdr]

I can't even remember how many times I've rolled my cars. The first time I rolled without a roll cage was the last time I ever rode without a roll cage. I was trapped underneath a Max II & was lucky enough to have ENOUGH friends around to lift it off of me. But I have to agree, it is all about where & how you ride. If I had to dodge tree limbs all the time with or without a roll cage, I would definetly be wearing a helmet with a visor on it. And the cage is not enough. You need to be strapped in. These pics are of one time I never even used the roll cage, but I was sure glad I had it. The Model Citizen rolled (endoed) only once on level ground (balloon tires), but because she was strapped in, it landed back on all 6 wheel & she avoided getting seriously hurt. In fact, it was over so quick, she actually enjoyed it.

Whipper

damn whipper that was fast . and wide opean robbie

[whipper-ag]

I can't even remember how many times I've rolled my cars. The first time I rolled without a roll cage was the last time I ever rode without a roll cage. I was trapped underneath a Max II & was lucky enough to have ENOUGH friends around to lift it off of me. But I have to agree, it is all about where & how you ride. If I had to dodge tree limbs all the time with or without a roll cage, I would definetly be wearing a helmet with a visor on it. And the cage is not enough. You need to be strapped in. These pics are of one time I never even used the roll cage, but I was sure glad I had it. The Model Citizen rolled (endoed) only once on level ground (balloon tires), but because she was strapped in, it landed back on all 6 wheel & she avoided getting seriously hurt. In fact, it was over so quick, she actually enjoyed it.

Whipper

[Rock Doctor]

LOL. "Limbs" are not the problem for me, it's the "Swamp Spruce" trees that get pushed over and driven over. They end up like little spears, all interlaced togeather, and still attached to the ground at the root. You can never tell just what will kick up at any given time.

On another note, I have never seen "seatbelts" in an Argo.......How are they mounted, and to what?
(I'm having visions of a seatbelt end dropping into the drive chains here)

RD

[mudbug3]

If I drive up to a large limb that will extend into my roll cage , I use my Large limb prunner to remove it so it does,nt injure me . I like to ride slow most of the time to minimize discomfort , and the trails we ride on are free of limbs most of the time. Because of the number of people that ride at River Run Park , large , low hanging limbs , are not a problem. When confronted with a large , low hanging limb , most people either remove them or drive around them on the trail.

[lewis]

ROP

I have an Avenger 2006. So here goes my opinion.

My Avenger(in my opinion)is a very stable platform. With the engine in the front it seems to be very stable when hill climbing. I try not to test it on too steep a hill for the very reason of this topic. I would rather just have fun then come home hurt.

It doesn't have the top end speed of some of the other AATV's but we all manage to get to the same place. All machines have +'s and -'s. I see on some of the rides where the guys with Roll Cages have to find a different route but, i am wider than some machines so i also have to seek a different route occasionally. (all just minor distractions)

The skill of the driver and terrain becomes a major player in a lot of cases. Side rollover is another case where a roll cage may benefit the driver and passengers. The Avenger weighs in at about 1150 lbs. Having this big thing laying on top me is not a pleasant thought, so i try to avoid this or exercise extreme caution. If carrying passengers i have made them get out until the danger is over or i will find another route.

Rock has presented some good reasons not to use a roll cage because of his experiences with the tree limbs. Haven't had that happen yet so that is another issue to think about.

I chose not to run the roll cage for several reasons.
Not enough speed about 18-20mph flat out, which is only done on flat ground and i run in low gear most of the time in the trails.
My machine cost to much to tear up and i am older and don't heal as well anymore.
With the machine leaning to one side or the other the cage can get caught on the trees, the cage projects out past the body now.

I have seen an Avenger that has rolled down a hill and flipped backwards into a creek, tore it up pretty good. Even with a roll cage and no seat belt(which he did not have either) he would have still been thrown backwards, that would have been nasty. Talked with the fellow and he said he was doing something dumb and knew better. Lucky no one was hurt, he bailed out.

I personally have no plans to install a roll cage at the present time or in the near future.

Just a thought: You can roll or flip anything if you try had enough.
This is all my opinion:

Enjoy you machine
and ride safe


Lewis

[Dave Doucette]

Roll bars

I have bars on mine but I would not call it a roll bar. It is not attached to the frame at all. I havn't used it yet but it looks like it was only used for putting a tarp over to keep the rain off. I hae only used it for getting in and out of the machine.

[rdr]

Anyone got a rollbar for a maxIV for sale??

build your own 1.625" pipe 11ga wall. and i'm sure you can get a muffler shop or a welding shop to bend it for you . you will also need a 1.50"x2,00 "x3/16 "thick angel . robbie

[smokin cigarettes]

Anyone got a rollbar for a maxIV for sale??

[rdr]

some interesting views , I would like to hear from some other ARGO owners as to how they feel about the stability of thier machines , as I stated in the original post I do not see many ARGOs with roll bars and I am only guessing it is because they feel the machines don't need them as badly as other machines ????

as i said depends on where you ride . a pancake is a pancake does not matter what mechine it is . don't rember if it is on here or on bradoned site you will see a 6x6 argo flat on the ground upside down . no way you would have walked out of it un hurt .

[philipatmaxfour]

Roll Bars===ROPS

The rops for my Avenger is held on by 4 bolts. I put it on and take it off in minutes. The convertable roof and windows are very expensive. If I have the roof on and intend to go through the woods ,I put the ROPS on. If other people,especially young ones were driving my machine,I would also put the Rops on for sure. The rest of the time it's your call,in my opinion.

[Roger S]

Gotta keep in mind, us that are saying, Argo, no problem with being tippy.. happen to be 8 wheel drivers. The 6's are another story.

[racerone3]

my argo is VERY stable, but as i said earlier, i will put a cage on it. i'm not as stable the machine. i have only had it a few months, and only on one real ride. but at buzco i took it over some serious stuff. there was never a time that i felt like it would tip. there were a few times on that ride that those with cages had to find alternate routes due to fallen trees, but the argo will drive over about anything, so making your own path isn't too big a problem. i think you just have to evaluate where you or the kids will be going with the machine, and the driving style (kids have poor judgment if you hadn't noticed) and make a decision from there

[Gary F]

roll bar

some interesting views , I would like to hear from some other ARGO owners as to how they feel about the stability of thier machines , as I stated in the original post I do not see many ARGOs with roll bars and I am only guessing it is because they feel the machines don't need them as badly as other machines ????

[mudbug3]

I,ve had thoughts some times of removing the factory roll bar off of my Max IV when I could not drive under a fallen tree or a large tree limb hanging down because of the roll bar. But , at other times the roll bar on my Max IV is a big advantage when I,m trying to drive through a thick mud hole with little water on top of it. At times like this I,ve hung off the sides of my roll bar, locked my throttle on with a zip tie , and used the roll bar for leverage. So for me , my roll bar is more of an advantage than a disadvantage.

[Rock Doctor]

Depending on your riding conditions, rollbars can be good or bad. I have seen guys hurt VERY bad, and almost killed, on several occasions, becouse they had rollbars on their machines.
Some of the trails we ride have lots of bent and broken trees. The following examples hit pretty close to home for me:
I was riding with a friend, he had rollbars. He drove over a stick, that "kicked up" the tip of a small, pushed over Spruce tree. The Spruce tree tip was caught inside one of the forward rollcage bars. Before the driver knew what happened, the tree had DRIVEN into the passenger area of the Argo, straigh at the base of my throat. Shear LUCK and INSTINCT brought my hand up enough to deflect the stick just enough to miss my throat (It DID drive through the collar of my t-shirt and scrape my neck). Driver catches the action out of the cornner of his eye, and slammed on the brakes. I was holding the tree away from my neck, the tip was at least 2 feet past me, and almost jammed into the eye of the drivers wife (She was sitting behind the driver)

Another VERY similar incident happened to a friend, although he was not so lucky. While driving his machine a "redirected" tree DID drive through his neck. The pain was enough to cause him to pass-out, he woke up about 2 hrs later with his dog licking his face. He still had the tree through his neck, it was kinda keeping him propped up in the seat. The FOOL, broke off the end of the tree, then pulled it out of his neck. He made it to the hospitol, and has fully recovered, but has massive scars. The doc said he missed his jugular vien by 1 mm (less than 1/16")

This one scared me the most:
Driving my Argo, (I had my top on, I don't have a rollcage) I had the end of a tree drive into the fabric of the passenger side. I was going slow, and watching for just this kind of thing, but by the time I stopped, the end of the tree had driven into the back of the Argo and stopped within about 2 inches of the side of my 10month old daughters head (She was strapped into her carseat, behind me).

I don't know of anyone that runs a rollcage up here anymore.

Argo's are not impossible to roll, but where I ride you would really have to work at it (within reason, of course). My view is that "Youngsters" should be supervised untill they are good enough to keep the machine out of that kind of situation to begin with.

On a less serious note, I have found that rollbars are nothing more than a PITA when trying to navigate a tight trail, hanging you up in the trees all the time.
I find that Argo's ARE very stable, and it seems to me that most drivers will "Chicken out" long before the machine is in danger of rollover.

Nothing more than my 2 bits

Take it easy, and be safe

RD