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Tour and Test - On the Gas!

On the Trail or in the Showroom, ODES is Charging Ahead
Written By: 
Moxie Karasek

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When Mike Smith, President of Odes UTV, invited us to Dallas, Texas to attend their Odes National Dealer Training Expo we were very enthusiastic. This would be an opportunity for a behind the scenes peek at what transpires between a manufacturer and the actual dealerships in the Industry. What we found was a company moving forward with an aggressive business plan, new models in the works, and enthusiastic dealers ready to help you experience all ODES has to offer.


TEST HISTORY

Previously we had participated in an Odes field test of their 2016 machines at the Cleghorn OHV Park outside of Riverside CA. The desert and mountains gave us an opportunity to do some aggressive riding and true tests of their line of ATVs and UTVs. The Assailant ATV, Dominator, and Raider models took on some heavy riding by our group and we loved the capabilities of these machines. We found them more than capable of attacking the trails and hill climbs while providing agile maneuverability and handling of the twists and snarly turns. They never lacked power. We also loved their bucket seats, layout of the console, and ample leg room even with riding buddies in the back seat of the 4 seat model. They make a pretty impressive package for the price! The availability of coming fully accessorized models equipped with a winch, lockable security box, custom wheels, and cab enclosures give all the more reason to take a very close look at the ODES lineup. 2017.odes_.atv_.left_.white_.parked.outside.jpg

ON to TEXAS

The Odes National Dealer Training Expo took place at the Irvington Convention Center, with attending dealers from all across the United States. Breakfast and luncheon provided plenty of time to mingle and talk, and we found lots of positive feedback from the dealers who had picked up the Odes product line. Many of the dealers were actual landowners themselves and a few used their own Odes machines on their individually owned farms or ranches. First-hand experience is always best, and having owned an ODES machine themselves made it easy to position their dealership to sell the machines they believed in, and that offered a good price and warranty as part of the overall package.


Every unveiling is exciting and the Odes Team was prepared to show off the updated and improved models and answer individual questions as dealers piled around looking and gawking. We nudged our way through the crowd while focused on the machines ahead, and the Odes Team demonstrated the changes made to improve the models. Odes explained that a few of the updates actually were made based upon feedback from the dealers and consumers, as well as media who had helped with demo testing the previous year. That’s a great sign that Odes really does take things seriously and intends to be an ever more aggressive player in the off-road Industry. And with the addition of the new Dallas, Texas based facility Odes has expanded their facility by another 80,000 square ft. Clearly they are planning for growth. 2017.odes_.utv_.close-up.dash_.jpg


UPDATES, IMPROVEMENTS, and MANUFACTURING PARTNERS

Many of the new features and improvements were the result of Odes working hand in hand with vendors and manufacturing partners who also had sent company reps to the dealer expo. Guest speakers were on stage with a wealth of information on the upgrades in the design of the new models. A few of the vendors involved with Odes are Interstate Battery, SxS Enclosures, Wet Sounds, Royal Purple, Super ATV, Rogue Power sports which manufactures and designs their UTV windscreen for the OEMs, and Enovation. Thankfully, Interstate Battery is now the battery supplier to ODES which should put off the usual but highly annoying first year battery purchase (so common across the industry) for a long while. Now if Interstate could snag the business for every other OEM as well we would really have something!


Every purchase is all about value for the dollar, and Odes National Sales Manager, Casey Slingerland, with Mike Smith, President of Odes UTV, were on stage to discuss the reasons they feel the consumer should choose Odes UTVs over another manufacturer. The discussions centered on the built in value, highly competitive price, more standard features, and longer standard warranty than their competitors. They also stressed the point that Odes UTV is American owned and operated and their machines are built with high quality components. Fully engineered and designed in the USA, there are over 220 dealerships and service centers nationwide, and two USA based distribution facilities.


GOING BIG

According to Mike Smith, the new "Vi-Lock" suspension comes standard on the new Dominator and Raider Long Travel models. Odes feels that the consumer wants the smoothest ride, highest ground clearance, and industry leading suspension travel and that the only choice is an ODES UTVS with "Vi-Lock" Technology. The travel numbers and features are impressive. The Odes suspension kit provides 16-17 inch ground clearance, unlocked rear differential, electric power steering, adjustable shocks, an upgraded braking system, larger slotted discs, larger calipers, improved master cylinder, and 15” wheels with 29” tires. Clearly a lot of this would be expensive aftermarket options on other machines. 2017.odes_.utv_.left_.white_.parked.outside.jpg


ODES CALLING – TRAIL CONNECTION

Another company working with Odes is Murphy by Enovation Controls which is based in Tulsa Oklahoma. Enovation’s Ice Infotainment Core Expansion is a breakthrough in entertainment offering sound control, connectivity, and customization. It’s a high quality, customizable sound system for your dirt toy offering audio profiles, four zone control, a five-band EQ, and customizable sound control. By giving users the ability to sync their smartphone, ICE brings car-like features designed to withstand a rugged outdoor environment. Besides the standard stereo functions, ICE also allows for Bluetooth connectivity and hands-free notifications on the display for new texts, missed and incoming calls, signal strength, battery life and connection status. Still, even with complete connectivity our reply to most messages will be, Sorry, out riding! 2017.odes_.utv_.front_.grey_.parked.in-showroom.jpg


FUTURE ODES MODELS

Odes doesn’t exactly make it a secret where they are headed in the near future. Their plan is to develop a new motor that is not gas powered yet has a turbo, and they plan to launch a new turbo engine family within the year. They’ll expand their staff once again by hiring additional personnel for customer service and warranty support. Larger warehouse facilities also mean doubling their parts stock availability and launching a new Dallas based assembly line, and a new showroom in Dallas Texas. New dealer prospects are constantly scouted by staff, and it all means you can expect to see more Odes models on the farm, jobsite, and the trails soon. Odes is on the gas!


ODES UTV

www.odesutvs.com

2007 Royal Lane Suite 100A, Dallas, Texas


Enovation Controls www.murphybyenovationcontrols.com

Side x Side Enclosures www.sidexsideenclosures.com

Interstate Battery www.interstatebatteries.com

Wet Sounds www.wetsounds.com

Royal Purple www.royalpurpleconsumer.com

Rogue Powersports www.roguepowersports.com

Super ATV www.superatv.com 

Two Brothers Racing www.twobros.com

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