UTV PROJECT: SECTOR SEVEN POLARIS RZR PRO R 4

 

When it comes to buying a new UTV, especially a high-end, in-demand expensive one, the most vital component of the purchase is an excuse. For those with strong finances, you might be able to swing a new ride by claiming that there is more room for family, and that will result in quality family time. With the right finances and compassionate significant other, you might be able to swing a deal as positive for mental health. The true golden excuse is to own a successful business that relies on fresh machines in the stable to ensure fitment of current parts and to develop new products for the latest machines.

Lynn Hodges owns innovative Sector Seven. The company is famed for its amazing U.S.-made, LED-lit billet-aluminum Spectrum mirrors. Sector Seven and its sister motorcycle companies Fastway and Pro Moto Billet are constantly developing new products. Once the products are designed and built, SS goes to work updating fitment to embrace new models.

As Sector Seven grows, the Hodges family has the perfect excuse to embrace and own new models it feels will be important in the industry. And with multiple machines to test products on, the family does have more inclusive family UTV adventures. Hence the addition of this new Polaris RZR Pro R 4 to the stable and this first iteration of its build.

PRODUCT PROGRESS

Since the mirrors were introduced, Sector Seven (SS) has expanded its mirror line, as well as the selection of mirror mounts, accessories and options. All the SS mirrors have a beautiful convex mirror glass, complex billet mirror head and quality mounting hardware.

The lighted mirrors have two pods of LED lights on the front that aim to the front and to the side. You literally see around corners at night. We’ve completed dune night rides with nothing but the Spectrum mirrors and the stock lights. We had no vision problems at all. Early in 2023 Sector Seven added a new lighted mirror with even more features. The company named it the Prizm. It has a smoother, more elegant look than the Spectrum with a curved light element made up of multiple LEDs. The Prizm’s single light illuminates ahead and around corners like the Spectrum does with its two lights. Using a phone-based app the owner can program the light to display in different colors or even make patterns.

Although the lights are what has made the SS mirrors famous, the convex mirror glass is every bit as impressive. The image in the mirror is remarkably sharp and clear, and the convex shape expands the area you see in the mirror without it looking odd or distorted.

Since purchasing the RZR Pro R, Spectrum has come up with a product specific to it. It is a slick little billet-aluminum spacer for the rear-facing camera mount. It helps move the camera free of the bodywork and slightly adjusts the angle of the camera for optimum camera view. Other Sector Seven products on the machine are not so specific to the Pro R.

There are multi-direction whip mounts that should allow a mounting that will please on any cage. There is also a quality, quick pull-to-release fire extinguisher.

One of the coolest Sector Seven products on the car is not for sale. SS uses electroluminescent panels on the doors under the wrap. If you look closely, you can see where the wires wrap around the front of the door under the wrap. The logo is a reverse wrap, and SS can light its logo at night while playing in the dark. Everyone loves it! It’s a complicated installation, so SS hasn’t seen too many other UTV companies or enthusiasts attempt to do theirs.

ON TO THE BUILD!

Much of the look, shape and style of this Pro R is thanks to TMW. The profile is streamlined with the svelte cage design. TMW’s cage is stronger than the stock one, and it has removable intrusion bars. All RZR Pro R versions are tall enough to make entering and exiting the cabin a chore. TMW adds a well-located handhold into the cage on each side. Climbing in was a snap, so we found that a nice detail.

Smooth doors with a tubular inner structure for strength make another significant change to the side aspect of the Pro R. They are ideal for graphics, and the door tops are more than tall enough to add a safe feel to the cab. The door tops and the angled body line bent into the door skins extend the natural lines in the Pro R’s existing bodywork. In this case, the door skins are a perfect display area for the day-and-night Sector Seven graphics. Inside the doors are TMW door bags that add storage and knee padding.

TMW designers make grills for the front openings punched in a pattern with six-sided holes. The clever design makes the front winch bumper work with the grill inserts and the white front wrap to completely reshape the look of the car’s front. Behind the bumper is a Warn Xenon winch with a Factor 55 flat link. Even though we drove the Pro R and shot the photos in the sand at Glamis, this car will do it all. It lives in Idaho, so that winch will come in much handier there than at the dunes.

Other features of the car fall into the same category. It has a Corbin Custom Works turn-signal kit so it can have an Idaho license plate. California doesn’t care. Your out-of-state plate means nothing. Don’t try the street in Cali. The same is true for the Double Ott split removable windshield. It will be great in Idaho, but for warm California, there wasn’t a need for the windshield. Consequently, it was not on the car for our test.

LOOKING GOOD

Sector Seven always comes up with a polished look for its builds, and this Pro R continues the trend. We hate to admit it, but photos don’t do the Prismatic Powders Diablo Candy finish on the suspension arms and roll cage justice. The Candy Metallic finish is amazing. We have always felt the same way about the Metal FX Offroad wheels. We were amazed the first time we saw them with the contrast-cut option. Basically, the forged beadlocks must be manufactured and machined, polished and color anodized. Those finished wheels are mounted back in the CNC machine. They are machined again to add aluminum highlights in the anodized surface. They are simply stunning, as well as light and strong.

This may be the initial stage of this build, and there might be more changes in the future, but it is a great-looking machine with everything we need to enjoy the ride.

HOW SECTOR SEVEN LIKES IT

“The Sector Seven Pro R is proving to be a fantastic machine for us. It’s a great combination of a sand shredder and trail conqueror—a solid dual-sport machine. Able to pass cars left and right up Oldsmobile Hill at Glamis on the weekend to cruising the canyons of Idaho. We’re happy how it’s come together!

“For aggressive dune driving we’ll probably need to stiffen the front end a bit, but out it the desert it’s smooth. We don’t spend much time bobble-heading around.

“Should we do seats? The stock seats are comfortable and the fold-down back seats are convenient. We could see wanting more comfort for long rides. Maybe even seat heaters for our cold Idaho days! For now, we’re very happy with the Pro R! Let’s go ride!”

Our impression drive in the Pro R 4 was at Glamis. When you drive the Pro R in the sand, you realize what it is built for. It truly never feels dragged down by the sand. Having too many paddles on the tires can drag a car down and make it feel slow. The maximum number of paddles that Rogue offers for a 34-inch tire is 16. Despite the tire size of 2 inches taller than stock and many paddles didn’t faze the Pro R. It rips in a straight line and remains surprisingly nimble for such a long machine.

We had no issue with the stock seats, and the rider comfort and ride comfort are astonishing. On some cars, tires that are too large corrupt the feel of the machine, but the 34-inch tires are unnoticeable. We didn’t drive at night, but the dark is where this machine comes alive. The Prizm mirrors add a great look, amazing rear vision and add a great deal of forward light for front vision. Then there are the innovative lighted door logos, and the Buggy Whip lighted whips make it stand out in the dark.

For us, we’d happily drive this project Pro R day or night and in the dunes or the desert.

PARTS AND SUPPLIERS

Sector Seven by Pro Moto Billet: (866) 466-4762, www.promotobillet.com/sectorseven

Prizm lighted mirrors

Rear camera spacer mount for RZR Pro R

Accessory mounts (multi-direction whip mounts)

Quick-release fire extinguisher kit

Electroluminescent panel door logos

TMW Off-Road: www.tmwoffroad.com

Cage with removable intrusion bars

Doors

Front grille

Front winch bumper

Door bags

Coatings Plus Boise: (208) 377-0900, https://coatingsplusboise.com/

Prismatic Powders Diablo Candy

Rogue Sand Tires: (602) 975-8332, www.roguesandtires.com

34x13R15 16-paddle rears

34x13R15 buffed fronts

Metal FX Offroad: (714) 891-7684, www.metalfxoffroad.com

Forged Delta Pro R beadlocks

Buggy Whips, Inc: www.buggywhip.com

Lighted whips

Warn: (833) 727-8784, www.warn.com

Xenon winch

Factor 55 Precision Engineering: (208) 639-1674, www.factor55.com

Flat winch link

Corbin Custom Works: www.corbincustomworks.com

Turn signal kit

Double Ott UTVA: (208) 559-7890, www.doubleottutva.com

Split removable windshield