Experiencing Denago’s MX and ATV Lineup at Glen Helen Raceway
Text by: Lacie Liska
Hi there! My name is Lacie Liska. I am 19 years old and I’ve been riding dirt bikes, ATVs, and side by sides since I was five. I began racing motocross about four years ago, and I currently race a 2023 Yamaha YZ250F, which I love.
About a month ago, I received a call from a close family friend asking if I’d be interested in joining several powersports journalists for a demo day with Denago PowerSports, in which I’d have the opportunity to test ride the full ATV and MX lineup for this new, quickly growing powersports brand. To sweeten the deal, I was ecstatic to learn that my evaluation of Denago’s product lineup would be for Racer X Online, and I honestly don’t think I could have said yes fast enough! I am a longtime fan of Racer X, and it is my favorite moto publication by far.
The one-day event was to be held at Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California, a track I am very familiar with, and one that is famous for getting rough—really rough. Upon arrival, there were eight ATVs and five dirt bikes lined up under the Denago PowerSports tent, all warmed up and ready to roll. The bikes and the ATVs had great visual appeal and I couldn’t wait to gear up and put them all through the paces of the mighty track.
I decided to focus on the ATVs first, which consisted of five Youth units and three Adult units. Starting with the smallest youth unit, I jumped on the E-Hawk 6, which is the only Electric unit in Denago’s lineup. It’s designed for riders aged six and up and is equipped with a downloadable phone App to control the ATV’s speed, Geo-Fencing, battery level, and other important items including an emergency shut-off. This ATV was so much fun! I rode it all over Glen Helen, testing out forward, reverse, and park. I was surprised at how much torque it had, as well as how quiet it was. It packed a punch! My favorite feature was the open differential, which makes flipping the ATV almost impossible, a feature I thought was very well thought out on Denago’s part, especially for an ATV designed for youth riders. I also appreciated that the lithium battery is removable, so batteries can be swapped out on the fly to keep riders rolling all day. Best of all, this unit retails for an unbelievable $1,499.
Next up were the Mudhawk 6, Mudhawk 6FI, and Mudhawk 10FI. The Mudhawk 6 and Mudhawk 6FI are both designed for riders age six and older, but the Mudhawk 6 uses a carburetor, while the Mudhawk 6FI uses electronic fuel injection. Both models had plenty of power, but the fuel-injected unit felt more responsive. The Mudhawk 10FI was also a blast to ride. It is designed for riders 10 and up, and unlike some other ATVs on the market, I appreciated that the 6FI and 10FI were physically sized differently, rather than just sporting different engine sizes. The physical size differences felt more purpose-built to accommodate a six-year-old rider vs a 10-year-old rider, which I’m sure would make younger riders feel more comfortable.
To wrap up the youth ATVs, I jumped on the Trailhawk 10FI, and even though it’s designed for riders 10 and up, it was so much fun! I rode it on the junior supercross track and was amazed at how well it handled. The power was great, the brakes were spot on and the size fit me fine.
I then moved over to the adult ATVs and hopped on the all-new Daytona 250 Sport Quad, which was fire engine red and looked fast just sitting still. This ATV is a manual shift unit with four forward gears and reverse. It has adjustable suspension, disk brakes, and full floorboards, and it’s powered by a sporty four-stroke engine that rips for its size.
Next, I jumped on the new Freelander 300FI, Denago’s Adult two-seater ATV. I tested it by myself and also two-up with my boyfriend. Surprisingly enough, the Freelander handled both challenges with ease, and I truly didn’t notice a whole lot of difference in riding alone vs two-up. We took turns so I could experience being a passenger too, and the ride was great. The Freelander has an incredibly comfortable rear seat with a backrest and hand holds, as well as raised floorboards for the passenger. This unit has the only liquid-cooled engine in Denago’s lineup, and it was very impressive.
The last of the ATVs I needed to test was the all-new Mudhawk 200FI, which worked great! The unit was equipped with front and rear racks, even offering a mounting bracket for a tow ball. Shifting from forward to neutral and reverse was a breeze, and the unit handled with ease.
In summary, Denago’s ATV lineup was really impressive. With prices starting at $1,100 for the Mudhawk 6 and $4,200 for the two-seater Freelander 300FI, Denago has packed a ton of value into these units, making them incredibly attractive to anyone in the market for an ATV.
After wrapping up with the ATVs, I moved on to my true passion and threw a leg over all five dirt bikes in Denago’s lineup. I first rode the smallest of the bunch, the fully automatic MX. The first thing I noticed was the electric start, which fired her up with one push of the button! The MX was so much fun. Was I big for it? Yes, but this little youth bike had no trouble pulling me up and down the hills on the vet track. Another big surprise was even with my weight (around 115 lbs), the suspension and the brakes felt great. With all of the impressive features, I was mind-blown that I could own one of these for $700 plus fees. What a great bike to learn on.
Next came the MX1, a bike that caught me by surprise. With its semi-automatic transmission, I had a blast ripping around and shifting gears without a clutch, which is also a great feature for beginners learning how to ride. The power of this little bike was really impressive. It was only slightly larger than the MX, but it felt really good for someone my size, and the bike handled great. The MX1 also has an electric start with a backup kickstarter, disk brakes, and adjustable suspension. I think I found my next pit bike!
The next bike up was the 125cc MX2, which maintains the same physical size as the MX3 and MX4, but it has a slightly smaller engine. The first thing I noticed about the MX2 was it was pretty cold-blooded, but it eventually warmed up and ran great. The shifting is exactly what I am used to, with neutral being in between first and second gear. The power was super easy to use and I felt confident right away, with the suspension and the brakes feeling more than adequate for a bike of this size. I took a lap on the national track, and although it labored a little on the big hill, it made it all the way up and back down.
Next, I jumped on the MX3, which was bright red and felt as great as it looked. Once aboard, I realized the gears were different on this one. Shifting all the way down puts you in neutral, so you need to shift up to go from first through fourth. Funny enough, the MX2 and MX3 are identical in everything but the motor, which is only 15cc different, but the MX3 felt bigger and faster. I rode it on the big track as well and the MX3 climbed the big hill with ease. The MX3 also seemed to be less cold-blooded and carbureted well, but other than that, they were very similar to each other.
As the day came to an end, I hopped on the MX4 and put it through the same paces as its two little brothers. The main difference with the MX4 is the frame. Denago calls it their “Delta Box Style frame” which is one inch shorter in height than its MX2/MX3 counterparts, but truthfully, it felt almost identical in size to the MX2 and MX3 units. The MX4 carries the same retail prices as the MX3, coming in at a very affordable $1,199.
I honestly cannot remember the last time I had this much fun riding. The Denago staff was incredibly knowledgeable and noticeably passionate about powersports. They never once tried to influence my opinion and they listened intently to any suggestions I made. It is their goal to make dirt bikes and ATVs affordable for people who are mostly new to the sport, and after spending the day riding their complete lineup and experiencing The Denago Difference firsthand, I’m certain they will be successful.
Thank You Denago PowerSports and Racer X for this opportunity.
