UTV Tests

One wicked “Stepchild” By Lane Lindstrom Zbroz Racing has built a number of project vehicles over the years. We’ve lost count and so have they, but their latest is definitely one of the most unique. “Stepchild,” Zbroz Racing’s latest build, will turn heads pretty much anywhere it goes—snow, sand, desert, mountains or wherever. Stepchild certainly caught our eye and piqued our interest. So, we dug a little deeper, and here’s what we discovered. Let’s start with the name. Not everyone names their project vehicle, but…

A UTV born for the badlands By the staff of Dirt Wheels Dirt Wheels hasn’t had the opportunity to test the RZR XP 1000 Trails & Rocks model since 2016. Since then we have seen that the model is a popular choice for serious trail hounds, including some of the Rally on the Rocks ride leaders. For 2021 the Trails & Rocks gets a full makeover with strong styling cues and LED lighting from the RZR Turbo S. In addition to the new profile, the machine is a lush Metallic Polaris Blue with color-matched suspension…

When an engine builder tricks out the Pro XP By Allen Knowles and the staff of Dirt Wheels When new UTVs come out, we often have them for a day or two of testing at a new-model introduction. That gives us enough information to share our impressions with you. Other times we end up with the unit to do more testing and even make modifications. That is the case with our RZR Pro XP 4. We’ve had it long enough to log lots of miles in the hands of CT Racing’s Allen Knowles. Knowles has been a racer and engine builder for…

Large, in charge and brainy By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am’s Maverick X3 Max X rs Turbo RR Smart-Shox looks down at lesser machines from the very top of the Can-Am sport UTV model line. It may not actually be the highest-performing model, but it has the sheer size, speed and sublime capability in the fast rough that make it hard to ignore. All that while carrying up to four people in complete luxury. The four-seat 72-inch-wide flagship was truly groundbreaking when it arrived in 2017. It did more than raise the…

KRX e-suspension and wider, longer-travel Teryxs By the staff of Dirt Wheels Kawasaki has already announced a full 2021 lineup without hinting that more updated UTV models were coming. We don’t mind the secrecy, since the “Green Machine” has been hiding welcome additions. The new and latest variation of Kawasaki’s Teryx KRX 1000 line is the Teryx KRX 1000 eS. We are happy to say that the principle feature of the KRX eS is Kawasaki Electronic Control Suspension (KECS) featuring Fox 2.5 Live Valve internal bypass…

Finally, a General for the west By the staff of Dirt Wheels Our history with the Polaris General has been a long and pleasant one. From the first two-seater we gelled with the combination of sporty power, nimble handling, a bed for work, a tow hitch for convenience and an interior we love to spend time in. A long-wheelbase four-seater did nothing to hurt our opinion of the General line. Then, with the 2020 General XP and XP 4, longer travel and a wider stance made us even happier. Now, in the second year, the General…

Because it’s a Honda By the staff of Dirt Wheels Rugged Radios’ Kalani Corn is a long-term sport quad fan and Honda guy. He has full faith in Honda’s legendary quality and performance. So much so, when he heard that Honda would have a sport UTV, he sold his Brand P before ever seeing the Talon 1000R. Rugged Radios is always doing fitment projects with new machines, and the fledgling Talon 1000R was no exception. When it arrived, Corn set himself up to shepherd the new machine. At the time there were far…

An Alaskan ice racer turned desert racer Photos by Juli Moore/Dirt N Dunz Photography There is an old saying that the most important real estate in a racecourse is the 6 inches between the driver’s ears. In other words, the racer’s brain. In recent years we have seen plenty of evidence that racers are racers. If you know how to race, you can adapt to other formats. We see that with quad and motorcycle pilots making good in UTV off-road racing. Plus, we have seen drivers like the Miller brothers switch from woods…

Having fun on a budget By Nick Serino and the staff of Dirt Wheels As much as he would like to be bombing off-road in a high-end UTV, that isn’t reality for Nick Serino. In spite of not being ready to step to a new and expensive machine, he did want to get off-road with his wife and ride around with his brother-in-law. He bought a 2008 Polaris RZR 800 in February of 2018. For most of his life, Nick found his dirt thrills on dirt bikes, and he still has one, but he admits it doesn’t leave the garage much: “I have a job…

Named for kids, but built for adults By the staff of Dirt Wheels Most of us are lucky to get a new UTV. An even smaller number can personalize that new machine in just the way we want. Once we make that sort of financial and time investment, we are committed to that machine. Travis Gardner is a major force behind Kombustion Motorsports near Salt Lake City, Utah. For the good of the business, he needs to have different projects to keep up on new developments in technology. Plus, his customers are frequently taken with…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels 2020 CAN-AM MAVERICK X3 TURBO From the earliest introduction of the Can-Am Maverick X3 line, the byword has been” performance.” One year there was a normally aspirated model, but we never saw one. We have only experienced X3 versions with factory-installed turbos, and the lion’s share of those are intercooled turbos. Now there is the new 2020 Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo. In 2018 Can-Am started selling a lower-priced non-intercooled model simply called the X3 Turbo. That put it at 120…

By the staff of Dirt Wheels CUTTING EDGE FABRICATION YAMAHA YXZ1000 Ralph Fickett and his son Shawn are long-time off-road diehards who have embraced the world of UTVs. Ralph has been involved with quads, dirt bikes, and snowmobiles; in fact, any toy with a gas engine, so he was open to the UTV world. Thus they came up with their  Cutting Edge Fabrication Yamaha YXZ1000. He jumped in when Can-Am came out with the first Maverick 1000. Before starting his own fab shop, Cutting Edge Fabrication, Ralph’s…