UTV Tests

-- 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…

-- Bolting on just about every accessory part available -- Russell Porter has the enthusiasm of a happy-go-lucky child in a man’s body. Buggy Whip, his successful family company, needed a rolling UTV showcase to help promote its products. Russ jumped like a kid in a candy store at the prospect of turning a Can-Am Maverick X3 X rs into a wicked display car. Buggy Whip has a great reputation, so many leading companies were ready to participate in the build. Russ was able to pick and choose, but he did a lot of choosing,…

-- LONE STAR RACING'S DREAM BUILD -- You may recall we featured Lonestar Racing owner Dan Fisher’s Can-Am Maverick X ds in a previous issue of Dirt Wheels’. Fisher built his X3 to compete in the Pro Turbo class for the Best in the Desert series. His car featured some very trick parts, including LSR’s MTS long-travel suspension kit and a stronger cage. There are many other trick parts from LSR installed on Fisher’s Can-Am, and the man behind most of the R&D, lead fabricator, race department manager and…

-- Is it the new king of UTVs? -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels, Photos by Pat Carrigan. Polaris is coming up with some truly interesting and exceptional machines for 2018. The latest and most extreme in performance is the RZR XP Turbo S. It is a two-seat platform that looks like a redux of the classic RZR XP rolling chassis from the outside. This is a case of beauty being more than skin-deep. Beauty starts with stronger bones for the frame. Polaris says “all-new frame,” though existing bodywork appears to bolt up. As…

-- A new definition of UTV from Mahindra -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Roxor is an all-new UTV built by the Mahindra Automotive Group. No doubt there is something a little familiar about it? Yep, it does look like a classic Jeep CJ-5 or CJ-7. When we first looked at the Roxor, we wondered if it was a smaller-scale vehicle than a CJ, but the Roxor is basically the same footprint. That should not be too big of a surprise. In the early days of Mahindra, the Indian company manufactured Jeeps under license from the…

-- RANCHO RACING'S RADICAL RZR -- By the staff of Dirt Wheel UTV racer Adrian Orellana didn’t drift into the sport by buying a recreational car and gradually adding to it. He bought a brand-new Polaris RZR XP 1000 and immediately tore the entire car apart and delivered the frame to Fabwerx. Fabwerx had no qualms about cutting nearly the entire stock frame away. Basically, Fabwerx started with the two main-frame rails and constructed a new racer from that starting point. Orellana’s race team is Rancho Racing. Rancho…

-- UTV TEST: Family fun for the woods, By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Have you ever heard of shooting skeet? Two fast-moving clay targets fly across from both the left and the right. The contestants have two shots to hit both targets before they hit the ground and break. With the all-new 2018 Wolverine X4, Yamaha has set a similar task for its design team. Yamaha shot for two targets with the same machine. The first target is rigidly defined. Yamaha wanted the X4 to have the most compact trail presence of any…

-- UTV TEST: Four-seat fun with technology -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Powersports king Polaris builds one of the best family-fun machines available. Droves of RZR XP 4 1000s rove the deserts and dunes of the western states. Some are filled with passengers enjoying a smooth and fun ride. Others have a single occupant enjoying the smooth, long-wheelbase four-seater’s handling and ride. Polaris has a variety of popular four-seaters, including models with three levels of suspension specification, turbo-inducted…