When it comes to side-by-sides, it seems just about every rider has an opinion on just about every UTV accessory, and they can all be pretty convincing. LED light whip length is no exception. Talk to five different people and get five different answers. At the end of the day, the only real answer is the one that makes the most sense to you and your riding style.
How Tall Should Your Whips Be?
Mandatory Safety Requirements
Riding around in a side-by-side is only fun when everyone can be kept safe, and that’s one of the most important reasons for having whips. Aside from it being a good idea, most state parks and off-road recreation areas make whip and flag height a mandatory requirement. In Utah, you’ll need to make sure your flags reach at least eight feet off the ground to ride in most places.
Double-check before heading out, though, for any recent updates to safety requirements. The last thing you want to do is drive hours to your destination to find out your whips aren’t long enough.
If you haven’t purchased whips yet, it’s a good idea to look up requirements and measure your machine to make sure you get exactly what you need, keeping in mind your mounting location.
Mounting Location Considerations
Technically, you can mount your whips wherever you want on your machine, barring any laws or rules in your area that prevent colored lights on the front of the vehicle (see street legal kits).
However, most riders choose to mount their whips on the rear of their UTV, attaching the whip mounts to their roll bars. This is easy to do, looks nice, and allows for a little wiggle room in how high you want or need your whips off the ground.
If you have 4’ whips and a tall machine, you might consider mounting your whips at the base of your roll bar. The opposite is true if you have 18” whips and a short machine. Choosing your mounting location starts with whip mounts that can be attached where you need them.
Where Do You Go Riding Most?
Low-Hanging and Narrow Hazards
Trail riding is popular throughout much of the United States, which can mean trees and other low-hanging or narrow hazards. You probably don’t want to get talls whips if they’ll smack on every branch on your way up the mountain. This is where 18” whips can come in handy.
Fast and Furious or Slow and Easy
Out on the dunes, you can go extremely fast, and you may want taller whips for added visibility.
But are 3-foot or 4-foot whips better for your UTV?
There are two main considerations you’ll want to make when choosing: the first one, visibility, relates to safety, and the second one, durability, relates to long-term expectations for your whips.
A 4-foot whip will give you more visibility, which may be safer, but it will also be naturally less durable than a 3-foot whip, meaning potentially shorter lifespan.
3-Foot Whip
- Not as visible
- More durable
4-Foot Whip
- Not as durable
- More visible
What UTV Whip Length Is Best?
Your Budget and Preference
These are the tipping-point considerations that may sway you one way or the other: your budget and personal preference.
While the price difference isn’t relatively huge, shorter whips do cost less than longer whips. So, if you’re already leaning that way, budget might be the deciding factor.
As far as personal preference goes, you might just like longer whips. There’s more to look at, and if you exclusively go night riding on the dunes, it might be a no-brainer.
Future Plans For Whips
The final thing you’ll want to consider when shopping for LED whips, before hitting the buy button, is your future expectations.
Do you want to buy new whips every season or do you want a pair that will last for years?
We offer a lifetime warranty on our whips for anyone who wants the latter.
The Short and Long of It
At R1 Industries, we’re known for making durable and dependable LED light whips, backed by a lifetime warranty. No matter which size you choose, you get high-quality whips that are designed to withstand rough terrain and crazy speeds. Our whips have been tested on UTVs with 850+ horsepower. But, they also look nice on easy-going machines that never hit more than 30 MPH.
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