UTV Tests

-- More than just big power and great suspension --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Polaris introduced the RZR XP Turbo in 2016, and it had some teething problems that the company was diligent in addressing. For 2017 the Turbo saw big improvements in cooling, braking and air intake for both the engine and the CVT case. Here it is near the end of 2018, and the RZR XP Turbo Fox Edition has lost some of the luster after being top of the RZR line in 2017. It has since been eclipsed in the minds of many by the Dynamix or the…

-- Fully loaded UTV for $8,199 --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels In the October issue of Dirt Wheels we tested the Massimo Warrior 800. We pointed out that the machine was quite unique as far as machinery sourced from China goes, since it had a very different look. Most offerings from the region have a strong Yamaha Rhino resemblance. While the Warrior broke that mold, the Massimo T-Boss 550 sibling is vastly conventional in look and design. It breaks no new ground and (for good reason) closely imitates the original…

-- The UTV Indiana Jones would buy --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels If you take a look at the entire sport utility landscape, most offerings look basically similar—rear- or mid-engine layout with a relatively open cab area. In many cases, you need a pretty savvy expert to differentiate different brands from a distance. That is certainly not true of the new Massimo Warrior 800! As the name telegraphs, Massimo is aware that the Warrior has more than a vague military look to it. Our riding group took to referring to it…

-- And it can still be hauled inside a van! --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels - This could be the lowest-budget UTV project that we have ever covered in Dirt Wheels. Derek Hunt and his brother Chris spend their days creating incredibly exotic electric bikes for their company, Hi-Power Cycles (www.hi-powercycles.com). Don’t tell anyone, but despite their penchant for things electric, the brothers harbor a fondness for things powered by gasoline. Very few of their high-end electric bikes cost less than what Derek forked…

-- Lady Venom: When the passenger seat is no longer enough -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Famed Baja 1000 winner Malcolm Smith has the perfect explanation for how uncomfortable it is to ride in the passenger seat of an off-road machine: “The passenger seat is 20 mph faster than the driver’s seat.” When she first ventured into off-road, Kristin Flanders had very little experience driving in the dirt or in sand dunes. She didn’t grow up with off-roading, so was happy to let her husband Ryan handle the driving. As time…

Darin McGuffin just wanted something different than what everyone else had, and after changing a few things on his General 4 he now absolutely loves it.

-- Serious speed in the desert --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels We consider ourselves to be desert dwellers, but we enjoy it because the terrain is fast-paced, ever-changing, harsh and full of new difficulties to triumph over. Chris Leaming, the owner of XTC Power Products, was once a SoCal native, but he ventured to Arizona where their desert is vast. Chris’ company specializes in UTV electronic parts, such as street-legal turn-signal kits, and solutions to wiring up components to switches. When you own a company in…

-- New 2-seater gets the 850 twin engine too -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Yamaha called a while back with news of a secret introduction of a radically new product. Everything was high security and cloak and dagger. There was no desire on our part to pry the secret from them via waterboarding and truth serum. We immediately said, “Oh, an intro for the two-seat version of the Yamaha Wolverine X4 platform.” Give us a little credit. How long were Wolverine two-seater fans going to put up with a 700cc single when the…

-- Testing a great UTV for narrow trails --  When the announcement came that Can-Am had a new, secret sport machine coming for 2018, we couldn’t imagine which direction the Canadian giant could be going. With the Maverick X3s, Can-Am had the widest, longest-travel and, for 2018, the most powerful production UTVs made. The plan wasn’t to top the X3, but to push the Maverick family in another direction with an X3-inspired, 50-inch, legal trail machine. Four total Maverick Trail vehicles make up the Trail line: Maverick…

-- Testing a fast fun machine -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels We spend many thrilling and fun miles piloting Polaris machinery, and it is always tough to choose a favorite. Each Polaris ATV and UTV provides enjoyment for different uses. It wasn’t until the Ace 900 XC was released that we truly knew which Polaris topped the list for pure enjoyment! It’s too powerful for its own good, has long-travel suspension that is wide and stable, and did we already say it’s got too many ponies under the cargo bed? It has 78 of them,…

-- Testing the hottest X3, By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- When it comes to Can-Am’s Maverick X3 line, criticisms we make of the performance are truly nit-picking. In spite of the stellar performance of the X3 line, the AWD system is one area where the competition has an edge. Of course, that was before the X3 RC models arrived. Both of the RCs are specially equipped X3s designed to handle all technical trail situations including rock crawling. Can-Am’s Smart-Lok, true on-the-fly, front fully lockable differential with…

-- Testing a fast GNCC-style YXZ, By the staff of Dirt Wheels --  Teixeira Tech (TXT) is located in California, so when we heard the aftermarket company had a trick Yamaha YXZ1000R, we assumed that it was a typical desert build—wide and wild with monster tires. We were wrong in a big way. Teixeira sponsors East Coast GNCC UTV champ Cody Miller’s YXZ, so he built something of a replica of the woods racer. As you might expect, the build is quite different from what we are used to seeing! Yamaha’s YXZ1000R doesn’t…