On June 20, 2006, Glenn Brasseal delivered a blue Stinger for the purposes of testing and evaluation by Bedos.us. Glenn took about 45 minutes explaining all there was about the buggy. Now, this was in 95 degree heat, and this man was as passionate about his 'baby' as anyone I have ever seen. The heat never phased him. He seemed genuinely excited about explaining everything from the holeshot type tires to the Simpson racing 5 point harness. The 'sealed' cast aluminum bearings intrigued me. Equally impressive were the zerk fittings, everywhere. He further explained the 'cutter' brakes, which, to be honest, I was a little nervous about. Also the engine, the Kohler Command Pro 27. I noticed right off, that this had the 2 into 1 stainless steel straight pipe. Along with the K&N air filter. I knew just from looking at this machine it was going to be a thrill. Glenn detailed to me about coil over fully adjustable shocks. How the dampening worked and the ground(12 inches) clearance. But more on that later. Also, I needed schooling on the accessories. The Stinger comes with an engine oil light, for if and when you may be short on oil, it will notify you. And of course the 2 beautifully chromed and bright head lights with a single heavy duty toggle switch. So, after the thorough going over, i was allowed to start this 'bad boy' up. I felt like I was going to soil my britches. The roar of the powerful Vtwin Kohler literally gave me 'goose' bumps. As i slowly exited the very nice enclosed bee hive(toy hauler with 2 other Stingers), the steering, brakes and the solid feel of the buggy, just made me feel like the very first time I rode my first Harley. Excited, but, scared. Glenn then showed me how to fasten the Simpson 5 point harness. yea, it's been that long since I was strapped in a racing seat. The 3 inch wide belts, shoulder, waist, and leg, once tightened, left you feeling safer than that of your mother's bosom. You were strapped in like Tom Hanks in Apollo 13. You were there. But, before I drive off, I must comment on the patented "Slam latch" roof system. I have never seen anything like this. It is a wonder. With the roof closed, or slammed latched, you get the feeling of being closed in. Secure. With the roof open, you have generous amounts of room for entering or exiting the vehicle. The steering wheel even moves up to allow more room. This whole idea, is a stroke of genius.
Now, back to the first driving impression. After i signed for the Stinger, Glenn wasnt about to let me leave without signing for it. And I sincerely didnt blame him, either. I wouldnt let someone drive off with my baby without signing for it, would you? Anyway, i bid my farewells, told him I'd be in touch, motioned for my partner and wife, Donna, which was sitting in a nice comfortable, air conditioned car, to follow me. I waved and punched it. Yeeoowww......
Massive amounts of power arose and throttled me down the street. The ride was shockingly smooth. The suspension was unlike I had ever experienced in an off road buggy. The steering was exceptionally crisp. I knew the engine was brand new, not broken in, but, I had to feel it. I opened it up. For just a short burst. This thing actually put my head back. I had tears in my eyes, not from fear, but from the wind and exhilaration. Not knowing my speed, I maintained about half throttle. Hearing the tone from the exhaust of the vtwin was music to my ears. Being a born and bred southerner, this was better than any Lynyrd Skynyrd song. So, after the 2 mile drive, i pull into the driveway. Wife behind me. Grin from ear to ear. That's what she had from looking at the amazed look on my face. First thing she asked, "Do you know how fast you were going?" I had no idea. "52 MPH"
Shock..... It actually felt like I was just puttering. Smooth.....
I must admit. I felt guilty. Here i am, with the, in my opinion now, the best off road buggy in the world, and I get to run the crap out of it, test it, evaluate it, and even get paid for it. Yes, my friend, I said my prayers.... I am a blessed man.
Now, for the formal evaluation of the Stinger. First time out, a friend from MBC Powersports and us, took it to a new residential housing construction site. I knew that the freshly moved earth would provide the backdrop for some interested riding. We parked in the back of the subdivision where a bulldozer operater was working. I jumped out to asked if we would be in the way. Before I could cross the street, he was down off the dozer and coming towards me. I thought, this aint gonna be good. But, first thing he ask, "what is that thing" "Thats beautiful" "Where can i get one?". Ok, fun time now. He provided a nice newly dozed hill. Freshly sifted loose dirt. This was the first test. The hill was about 75 feet up at about a 50 degree angle. If the Stinger would pull it, in loose dirt, I felt it would pull anything. Plowed right up it. Turned around, came down to test the rear brakes. This was a concern of mine. Just rear brakes.... But, they did great. I stopped on the steepest portion of the hill without incident. Once down, I then decided, to stop, half way up. I wanted to see if the oversided CVT would have the grit to pull this 695lb buggy up the other half of the hill, from a dead stop. In loose dirt. I stomped it as I let the brake go. It dug down about 6 inches, real fast, then proceed to take on up the hill, bouncing the front wheels ever so gingerly. No other buggy, that I have ever been in, could have done this feat. I was impressed..... Then we tried to do some speed runs around the freshly paved streets. Unfortunately, they just were not long enough. My friend Mike from MBC Powersports, offered his GPS for the runs. For the short distance, maybe 300-400 feet long, I could only get up to 36.4 MPH due to the fact the road was ending. And I was still not used to the dual rear brakes. I must admit, they take a little getting used to. So, I did not want to press it. Oh, I knew, that with a longer road, there was no telling how fast it could go. As I said before, I have had it up to 52 MPH. Plenty fast enough for me.
Anyway, since we were already there, I might as well have some fun. I plowed all over the new subdivision. I even managed to get a 4 inch root caught between the tie rod and the a-arm. Stuck. I was really scared that I had broken something. Couldnt move. I didnt want to bend or break anything. Calling back Stinger Intl., telling Glenn I broke it was not something I wanted to do. Facing downhill, no emergency brake, with a root stuck between tie rod and a arm was a bad situation. Thankfully, Mike came to the rescue. He pulled the root, I rolled on down the hill, everything was fine. This is a stout buggy. I will recommend that an emergency brake be installed on these. So, loaded up the stinger, head for home.
Next outing is at I-81 Motorsports Park in Greeneville, Tenn. It is a 400 acre complex with 2 motocross tracks(1 open, 1 pro), 2 oval tracks(1, 1/3 mile, 1, 1/2 mile) and tons and tons of trails. If you are not familiar with Greeneville, it is in east Tenn. Yes, we have mountains and lots of hills. I dont think there ever was a 'natural' flat spot around here. So we sign in, and of course have to show the Stinger to the guys working there. Fortunately, we were the only customers that day(tuesday) and we had the run of the place. Well, except the 1/2 mile oval and the pro motox track. The wouldnt let us on them that day due to grooming. But the open moto track, trails and the 1/3 mile oval was all ours. First, I wanted to stretch the Stinger out. Went down to the oval, opened the gate, oh, mud everywhere. Not gonna get much speed here, I thought. So, I strap the camera on the buggy, and away I go. I noticed right off, the track had not been groomed lately. Lots of ruts. But, I didnt feel them. The Stinger glided over them like silken mud. Once I got a groove cut, i could really open it up. Best time was 22 seconds around. Not bad. Especially when you are sliding over half the way. The holeshot tires did great, but they are not mud tires. Had it been a bit dryer, my times would have been much better. Nevertheless, the Stinger performed flawlessly.
Next up, some trails.. Behind the 1/2 mile was a long stretch of trail. I wanted to get a good run at it, so I went up a trail, turned around and hit it will all the stinger had. I must have been doing at least 55 MPH when I noticed, BIG RUTS...... It was too late to hit the brakes.. Just held onto the wheel and hoped for the best. If it breaks, this is what will break it. I was amazed that the bump steer was so easy. Sure the wheel jerked a bit, but not like I thought it would. Before I knew it, I was over the ruts and still going strong. The distance traveled between the end to end of the 1/2 mile track was covered so fast. This buggy continues to amaze me. Then I notice some jumps. Instant smile... Still being a newby to the Stinger, I first thought about taking it easy over the jumps. Did so.... Got to do it again. HARDER.....
I get a good running go at it, hit that jump, front wheels launch off, so does the rear. NOSE DIVE..... Rear shocks are too stiff, but they will adjust. So, I stop, adjust rear shocks. Good solid even landing. I am pleased. Next I head for the open moto track. Very steep hills, very tight turns, good jumps. The track was not designed for buggys. At all. And not designed for 50 yr old guys, either. So, I decided to take it easy on the jumps. But the Stinger took everything I could throw at it, otherwise. The steepest hills, the ruts, the turns, the speed runs. I was tired. I was beat. The Stinger had not even broken a sweat. He won. I was going home to soak in a tub. Not for the soreness, but from the dirt and mud. The padded racing seat and Simpson harness had me snug and comfortable the whole time. This was when, I decided, this is the buggy for me. I had ridden just about every buggy that was imported from China in the past 2 years. No other can perform like this Stinger. Glenn Brasseal has indeed, built, in my opinion, the best buggy yet.
Headed for home, stopped to wash it, grab a bite at the Subway, and wolf down a BMT.
Well, at least try. Being parked in a grocery store parking lot, this Stinger demands attention. People were actually driving around our vehicle to get a look at it. Smiles and thumbs up all around. Yea, we felt PROUD !!!!
Next day, I was determined to get a better feel for the brakes. Remember, there were no front brakes nor emergency brakes. Since I dont really enjoy mowing my yard, I was going to learn the cutter brake system. As fast as I could, from one end to the other end of the yard, I paced the Stinger and turned either left or right with the brakes. You can, literally, turn on a dime. Left or Right.... If you were going to race this buggy, this is the brake system you would want. Tight turns when you need it. But if you wanted to ride this on the trails, you can opt for the optional front and emergency brake system. It would be well worth the hundred plus dollars to have the choice. Simply reconnect the brake lines to the dual master cylinders, either front and rear, or, left and right. Simply an engineering marvel.
The Kohler Vtwin engine, is by far the smoothest, most powerful of any buggy imported from China. At 725cc or 44 c.i., 42.7 lbs of torque, 9:1 compression ratio, 27 HP at a mere 3000RPM, and a 2 year warranty, you cant go wrong. PERIOD!!!! Although, I must admit, the engine on this buggy, was not exactly stock. The governor had been opened, the 2into1 straight pipe and K&N filter, opened the engine up. So, guessing, this engine is pushing about 35 to 40HP. The CVT is a Comet belt drive Torque Converter. The final drive is a #50 chain(dual driven swing arms), which is enclosed and fully, and easily, adjustable. If you have ever adjusted the chain on a motorcycle rear fork, you can adjust the chain on this. It's that easy. The gear ratio, amazingly, is the same for the reverse, both, 1.77. That means, you can go just as fast in reverse as you can forward. If you wanted to. Although, I can't imagine anyone wanting to. The tire size is the norm, front AT21x7x10, rear AT22x11x10. Bolt pattern, front = 4.", rear = 4.5". The frame on this mechanical wonder, is a 1.5 inch seamless tubing. And according to Glenn, the same metal composition as requirements for Nascar. But, with the frame being made and welded in China, I wondered about the quality of the welds. I took, 20 minutes of very close inspection of the welds. All smooth and with no burs, bumps or pitted marks. Excellent quality control.
The Stinger Owner's Manual is a work of art. Sixty 63 pages of instructional material, two pages of Maintenance recording and eighteen pages exclusively for the Kohler engine. All in very plain and easy to understand English with very clear and thorough photographs. It evens comes in a 8 1/2 x 11 plastic cover and a plastic binding, all secure in a plastic folder pouch. Only Cadillac has a better owners manual than this. Every subject from 'general information' to 'storage' and everything in between.
At a suggested retail price of less than $8000, you cant go wrong. A quality machine like this, with the warranty that's just unheard of in the off road buggy business, I would recommend this to anyone. A little expensive, but, if you factor in the quality, fun factor, and what you would have to go thru with other Chinese imported buggys(broken struts, frames, hubs, seat rails, bad electrical wiring, etc), you would go thru at least three to get the quality of this Stinger.
My suggestions for improvement would be:
choice given to customer for, both, front brakes and/or rear brakes,
emergency brake system,
more gauges(RPM, speed),
fenders for those muddy days,
adjustable seat rails.
That's it. No other improvement could be made.
I'm like the guy in the Schick electric razor commercial, I liked it so well, I bought one.
This is truly a mechanical wonder. I love this machine. So will you......
Ben could you clear up a couple questions? The weight on the Stinger website lists the single seater as 490 pounds--about 200 pounds less than you state. (I always thought 490 sounded way light for such a rugged-looking buggy)
The retail price is (or was) $8600 for the base single seater. You mention under $8k and yours has upgrades. I'm hoping this indicates a price drop?
The single I saw at the Bash had a "parking brake"--I recall a lever that could be twisted to hold the pedals down to keep the brakes hydraulically locked. Did yours have that?
Excellent review! Need more and more detailed pictures... _________________ _________________
2 Polaris RZRs & a Dune 150. Ridge Runner--Gone. Yerfdog 3206--Gone (but you never forget your 1st!).
Buggy pictures, mods, ideas, how-to's:
http://tinyurl.com/8ltm8
Bedo,
great review, looks like a fun machine. I hope she holds up over time.
I do think that the 35-40 hp may be a little hopefull... I do not think that adding a pipe and filter will net a 50% increase in power.
Chris _________________ 800cc motous cheetah-K&N, rejetted at 105-178 , desertkart tunable exhaust, low range transmission, superkart "gorilla" axles, Choke mod, alternator mod, Strapped shocks,
330cc polaris trail boss
70cc honda dirtbike
50cc suzuki quad
I wish I had test driven the one that was at the Bash now! It's awesome in person to say the least, it's nice to hear that it performs well too.
Keith _________________ Buggies....
Mine: Dazon 150, a few minor upgrades
Logan's: Carter GX150, stock..but very fast
Lindsey's: Baja Motorsports 90cc Shifter, manual 2 speed with reverse...small but fun
well, with a stock 27HP, then with the governor released(more rpm's), straight pipe, and k&n, it is entirely possible for a gain of 8-12 more HP. that's not quite 50%, though. however, based on my kart racing days, just taking off the gov, adding a tuned pipe, and better intake, the little 5 hp briggs really opened up to better than 8hp. mine was running at about 9hp. so, it's doable.
i've taken this thing thru some of the harshest terrain i can find here in east tenn. took it thru some 6" ruts about 50mph. nothing broke. it bounced a bit, and i about had to change my shorts, but, nothing bent, broke, or warped. she is a solid machine.
keith, you should have test drove it. you would never go back to the 150-250cc karts again. i betcha.
i gps'd it once, in a new subdivision, but due to the short streets, as you can see on the video on my site, i could only get it up to 36.4mph. i had to hit the brakes, or crash. i did how ever, get it up to 52mph wheni first got it. glenn could not get in my driveway when he delivered it. so, we met him about 2 miles at the intersection. my wife was behind in the Olds, driving it home, i didnt want to push it so soon, cause it was brand new. but i wanted to open it a bit. she followed and said she was doing 52mph. it didnt feel like it, cause it is so smooth.
put some street tires on this thing, take it to your local autocross, and you have the fastest vehicle. you can turn on a dime with the cutter brakes.
glenn has different sizes of gearing for what you are wanting. readily available. so, if you want to drag race, top speed, or TT, he has the gearing. and it's easy to change.
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