UTV Tests

-- On The Rocks UTV Test --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am has made certain that Dirt Wheels has been along for the entire rise of the new Maverick line. The first release was the 50-inch Maverick Trail 800 and 1000. Fifty-inch machines are vital for some trail networks, but they are by definition a little limited in appeal, so we were not at all surprised when Can-Am released the Maverick Sport. Using the same basic skeleton and V-twin engine architecture, Can-Am announced the 60-inch-wide Maverick Sport…

-- A wild old-timer custom build -- By Casey Kramer Most of the builds we feature in Dirt Wheels magazine are all about the bling and the speed. This diamond-in the-rough XP 1000, on the other hand, was chosen because it caught our attention with its unique design and purpose. Being a mechanical engineer by trade, project owner Jonathan wanted something with style that would withstand his “work hard, play harder” mentality. The inspiration for the “Old-Timer” originally came from a love of classic ’30s-era trucks…

-- Testing a fast 60 inch wide woods UTV --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels A quick tap of the brake pedal sets the slide in motion. As you actuate the throttle, the crisp awakening of the Can-Am Maverick Sport’s 1000R V-twin engine has a throaty tone that fills the cab. The UTV begins its lean, while the outside Fox Podium shocks settle into their compression stroke, as the inside wheels lighten. A hefty roost of tacky dirt and rocks sprays the trail and trees on the outside of the corner. You counter-steer your power…

-- Single seater build by Sector 7 -- Pro Moto Billet has been an innovator in off-road for many years. It started with billet parts, added Fastway to the stable, and now has brought its own brand of innovation to the UTV market. Its signature UTV part is a truly exceptional mirror set with powerful built-in lights that illuminate ahead and to the side. Do we have lights available? Or mirrors? Certainly, but Pro Moto Billet’s UTV arm, Sector 7, is combining both in a quality, innovative package. PMB is a family company,…

-- 2019 performance UTV test -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Polaris’ RZR XP Turbo S made advancements in stability and suspension travel that gave the RZR line the weapons needed to do battle with its closest competitors. Before the release of the S in 2018, Polaris had nothing to match the 72-inch, long-travel Can-Am Maverick X3. The Maverick X3 X rs Turbo R is a fast, smooth and exceptionally suspended machine. Can-Am sales spiked, and the RZR XP line wasn’t getting the attention that Polaris was accustomed to…

Take a look at the facts between two electronically controlled suspension 4 seat sport UTVs.

-- Kombustion Motorsports project UTV -- Kombustion Motorsports builds have graced the pages of Dirt Wheels in the past, and their impressive machines are just too nice to not feature here and there. Travis Gardner took on a 2017 Polaris RZR XP Turbo four-seater and changed its appearance, form and function to create a stylish yet off-road-worthy showpiece that is a mix of overland and dune styles. Sand is generally the favored terrain for this RZR, but we found it lurking around the desert, rocks and random dunes of…

-- Testing one angry ’Cat -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Evo Powersports is known for ramping the power up on turbocharged UTVs. With Evo products, you can make some massive gains. In fact, we have driven the company’s 400-horsepower Can-Am Maverick X3. But this Textron (now Arctic Cat again in 2019) Wildcat XX is an entirely different breed of ’Cat. Evo went into this project gambling that they will have a head start when and if the Wildcat XX comes in a turbocharged version. They readily admitted that the R&D…

-- A six-speed sport UTV that handles the hype -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Our first drive in the all-new Honda Talon 1000R literally lasted minutes. Since then it has felt like the minutes would never end between that first ride and an opportunity for serious seat time, but the time finally arrived. We got a solid day in the Talon 1000R at Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah. Sand Hollow is stunning to look at, and it has a wide range of riding and driving conditions packed into a single riding area. Plus,…

-- Testing out the many new changes & improvements --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels Yamaha is world famous as an innovative performance company, and it was critical that its first performance UTV have what the company calls “pure sport character.” Part of the pure sport concept is having an immediate, direct connection to the drivetrain and chassis. For Yamaha, a belt-drive machine would not meet its pure sport requirements. Even though Yamaha has very high standards for belt longevity and endurance, they knew…

-- BFD Off-Road cages the beast -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels BFD Off-Road lays claim to being the number-one manufacturer of high-performance sand cars and UTV accessories in Southern California. What we know for sure is that it makes some radical-looking sand cars, and that sand car style is carried over to its UTV parts. The signature BFD Off-Road part is the Can-Am X3 bolt-on cage and matching contoured composite roof. The cage offers race-car strength and safety, and it is a very nice piece, but the roomy…

-- Making it faster, wider & more fun -- By the staff of Dirt Wheels Every extensive UTV build is an undertaking of multiple magnitudes. We often cover projects that others have put together in their own garages, shops and front yards, so we don’t experience the build process. Every once in a while we take on the task of generating our own projects, and this build was one of our most involved. Polaris RZRs are pretty straightforward in construction, and that simplicity makes working on them somewhat easy.…