Some video of the Ox on flooded swamp trails:
Some video of the Ox on flooded swamp trails:
dan , lewis and clark would be so jealous !!! johnboy
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Last edited by Deedeelin1; 06-22-2017 at 08:00 PM.
Like the color Dan nice machine bet ya your stoked what a bonus to see the build thanks for taking the time to post pics looking forward to a long term test and results we just dont get a chance up here in the cold country to see these Ox.s close up and being able to check it out online is huge.NCT
Nice looking rig Mr. Edwards, I love my new HDI but if I would have seen the big OX coming I would have given it a hard look. Any more performance reports, issues or up dates to your new ride?
I have been going through the machine, like anything new you have to figure all it's little idiosyncrasies. Just about got every thing figured out. I haven't got enough time on the machine to give a full report, that will come soon.Originally Posted by beagle man
Alright some updates on the Ox, when I bought the Ven38 I knew it would be a rolling test test bed and that I would have to work with it to get everything the way I wanted. The Ox came equipped with the the new blue hydraulic fluid in the T-20, an oil pump and cooler for the T-20 and I have never felt any heat coming off the T-20. The machine was also equipped with the 14 inch wide Vendetta tires. I also had the final gearing a little high with the 16 tooth out put sprocket. It took me two trips to different ATV parks to realize that the tires were great but they were simply not going to do the job for me.
So a 2 inch wheel extension went on, followed by a 16 inch set of Adair tracks, since the tracks went on I have made the following adjustments: Some of the blue hydraulic fluid was drained and some Type F automatic transmission fluid was added to give the bands a little more bite and so far this has worked well. With the standard high speed clutch the Ven38 accelerated like a bandit but the machine needed to stay in the low range longer during extreme mud runs (and I have made a lot of them) so the equivalent of a red spring clutch was added. The spring added the grunt I needed but kept the Ox in the low range way to long causing an extended wait on trails to get to top speed and naturalized the power of that big 38 horse engine.
After talking with Matt I decided to lower the primary gearing out put from a 16 tooth sprocket to a 12 tooth for a 20% gearing reduction. If you know what your doing the gear change takes about 15 minutes for each side. If your doing it for the first time its going to take you a little longer to figure out every thing but there is plenty of room to work and its not really hard to do.
So Matt sent me the gears and I finished installing them yesterday: The result, WOW!!!! Power from the 38 horse engine came back even with the red spring clutch, the power difference is amazing and the trail speed gets there quickly, the machine has now turned from a beast to AN ABSOLUTE BEAST!!!
So here is my evaluation, the Ox is an absolute beast in the mud and goes through swamp and mud with less effort then any other machine I have ever owned or driven. The seats have a lot of padding and the machine is easier to trail and control at trail speeds then any of my Argos. Because you have two sticks that comfort and control comes at a price but I will take the precise handing over the ease of the Argo handlebar. On the trail and under mud conditions I used to have to consider ground clearance during every mud run with the Argo. With the Ox I simply laugh at how easy it is, point the Ox and let it go to work. I used to let the Argo walk in bad mud but I can actually steer the Ox under some pretty extreme conditions.
If you don't like to make adjustments the Ox is not for you because the chains do require your attention but once you finally have it down it's pretty easy and the adjustments last.
My advice to new owners: Go with the low gearing and what ever clutch spring Matt Recommends. If you love to swamp or mud don't waste time with the tire go straight for the tracks that suit your conditions (my favorites have always been Adair's).
One last issue to address and that is heat, I never feel it in the Ox and heat was always on your mind in an Argo. With the Ox I sit on the T-20 and the engine is behind me with a large fan drawing out the heat on the left side. I haven't run the Ox in the summer yet but so far I have not felt and heat from either the transmission or the engine, with the Argos a summer ride could get pretty uncomfortable quickly.
Another issue is riding in the front of the machine makes hooking to stranded vehicles a breeze and is just generally better for most trail conditions. The Ox also has considerably more leg room and a better over all ride.
Last but not least the Ven series are big but a relatively light weight which always helps in off road conditions.
Last edited by mightymaxIV; 04-16-2017 at 07:28 PM.
Great info on your machine for sure ! It is always nice to here input to help a New byer have info before hand.
Good report on the new machine. can't wait to see it in action alongside a known quantity such as an Argo or similar type machine.
hopefully there will be some good videos from busco soon. dans machine was awesome. between him and ralphs mudd ox, nobody stayed stuck very long. johnboy
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