By David MacDonald
You’re on your 800 Polaris Switchback Pro-S LE. You’ve been boondocking – going through fresh powder – and poaching lines – climbing a hill in someone else’s tracks – all day, pushing your Cleanfire H.O. Engine to its limits. It’s 5 degrees and the temperature is falling faster than the sun. You’re hungry and 30 minutes from camp. You just gassed up but you’re not sure how hard to push your sled. Overheat your belt one more time and you could be hitching a ride to dinner on a 2-up – a snowmobile that can carry two riders. This is the kind of scenario that propelled Jorden Campbell, president and co-founder of Razorback Technology in Paul, Idaho, to develop his infrared-based belt temperature gauge. He has seen broken belts do some very destructive things to sleds: “Most of the time, the belt punches a hole through the clutch cover when it comes apart, and sometimes it even takes out one of the clutches.” The peace of mind that comes with real-time diagnostics that trump any clutch air temperature gauge is more than worth the starting price tag of US $249.00. And considering the longer belt life that goes hand-in-hand with owning and properly monitoring a Belt Temp Gauge, you’re looking at money in your pocket – which translates to gas in your tank – in the long run.
If you haven’t guessed by now, Razorback Technology is research and development (R&D) driven. Campbell and co-founder Justin Maughan live the four-step R&D Cycle: Synthesize and Theorize; Explore, Hypothesize and Clarify; Design, Develop and Test; Implement, Study Efficacy and Improve. They completed their first cycle in just over five months – from January to June 2015. The result was the Belt Temp Gauge – First Gen. The first units sold almost immediately. The Razorback Technology product line-up now includes a UTV Edition 2.0, a Snow Edition, and the promise of more to come.
“Infrared sensors have never been adapted to UTVs, Snowmobiles, or even Belt Drives in general,” Campbell explains. “Once we developed our systems, we took a step back and are now evaluating what other new technology can be applied to motorsports. Unfortunately, the high tech that is available to Electrical Engineers that work at Apple, Microsoft, Boeing, etc., usually takes years, or even decades, before it trickles down to the automotive and motorsports industry. And to compound the problem, there always seems to be a huge disconnect between the engineers who design the product, and the people who actually build or service them. We wanted to change that. We have a unique team of Electrical Engineers and mechanics, so the communication between the two groups helps bridge that gap. Typically, an Electrical Engineer’s knowledge of motorsports is pretty limited. But working alongside mechanics and motorsports enthusiasts allows our Engineers to use today’s tech to solve today’s motorsports problems.”
The soon-to-be team of 10 at Razorback Technology – Campbell and Maughan are bringing in a Marketing Manager in the near future – have something very unique going on, apart from the product itself. “Another advantage we have is that working side-by-side like this with a small team allows us to make rapid changes to prototypes and products. When we have an idea, we can immediately get to work on a prototype. We don’t have to worry about submittals, or getting small prototype changes approved. We can immediately get new circuit boards made, or have our machine shop guy put a prototype part through his CNC [Computer Numeric Control] machine. We feel like this flexibility helps us stay on top of the ever-changing technology available. We can make changes to products as fast or as slow as we need to stay on top of the market needs. Many times, flaws in a product only appear after a large quantity have been built and are being used by customers. The way we have our team set up, we can immediately make tweaks to the product and get a better version out the door – sometimes just hours after a product flaw was discovered,” Campbell explains.
“Justin and I are involved at every step of our product’s development. I actually engineer all the electronics and design the circuitry personally, while Justin works on the logistics of where to mount new sensors on the actual UTVs or Snowmobiles. Justin, our other employees, and myself all work in the same room, and although it can get a little noisy, everything flows pretty efficiently. The shipping and production guys know what’s happening down the pipeline for any products that are still in R&D, and our tech support always has a handle on how many orders are being shipped and helping new customers with their installs or questions. It makes for a great work environment, and we believe that every employee has something to offer, even if it isn’t in their particular area of expertise.”
This “homemade” feel is something Campbell and Maughan work very hard to maintain. Each and every Razorback Technology gauge, down to its last component, is American Made. “I sometimes get a lot of flak from people about this,” Campbell chuckles. “I’m actually a Canadian citizen with a Green Card. I’ve come to love this country and believe America is greatest country on earth. America has afforded me so many opportunities and because of this, I want to give as many people here as possible that same opportunity. Whether it’s using the machinist five miles down the road, or hiring a local high school kid part time, I believe keeping things local and in the U.S. helps all of us in the long run. It’s the least I can do.”
Campbell’s sense of civic duty is truly admirable. “At some point you have to look at non-cash profits,” he says. “There’s something profitable about keeping a local family afloat in today’s economy by keeping the machining here in Burley. Soldering a circuit board is almost a lost art, but we have high school kids in here soldering boards and learning skills they never even knew existed. We’re always looking for American ways to streamline our process. We work so hard to source our materials, including labour. It’s easy to cut corners in business these days. We just don’t do it.”
For the team at Razorback Technology the American Made guarantee equals a robust product. The way Campbell sees it, one or two days’ pay better be worth it. “So when someone has an issue with the product, we think of the money they spent and what it represents. We fix any problems immediately. If you accidentally damage your gauge, we fix it and get it back to you inside of a week. We ship everything in two to three business days, and sometimes even overnight at our own expense just so a customer can be ready for their weekend ride. You only get so many opportunities to ride each year, and your Razorback Technology Gauge will be ready to go for every time,” he boasts.
Campbell also enlists the help of his customers in Razorback Technology R&D. At www.razorbackusa.com/upload-your-temps, riders are encouraged to fill out a form that asks for: the make of the machine, any major aftermarket modifications, condition of the belt, type of terrain the vehicle frequents, ambient temperature, belt temperature, and the type of gauge.
“Right now we’re looking at this data – and more – and working on an improved Belt Temp Gauge that will be even more robust and accurate,” Campbell says. “People are taking their UTVs farther, and in harsher conditions, every year and we want our gauges to follow along. Our newest Belt Temp Gauge – 3.0 Edition will have a fully waterproof design, so you can take it through any mud hole, river, or pond that you find yourself up against on the trail. The Pro Sensor that will come with it is even more accurate at reading the belt temperature, and it will have a redesigned screen that is more functional and easier to read in the bright sun. We will also have more traditional gauges coming out later in 2016: Boost gauges, water temp, oil temp, and even oil pressure.”
The only thing more inspiring than Campbell’s vision moving forward is where the dream began. It’s a story many motorsports enthusiasts tell in one way or another. “My dad was always involved with Motorsports. My exposure to the world of horsepower started off with his ?67 Nova – with a big shot of Nitrous,” he laughs. “Over the years he transitioned from cars, to ATVs and snowmobiles. Being around the high horsepower snowmobiles is what really got me hooked. His sleds would pull so hard, you could hardly hang on, and ever since I experienced that struggle to just hang on from the acceleration, I was 100% in.”
The whole team at Razorback Technology is 100% in. You’ll find Razorback Technology Dealers across America: California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
Razorbackusa.com is a one-stop shop for everything Razorback Technology.