UTV Tests

Two-seat fun for the young ones By the staff of Dirt Wheels There’s no better way to teach your kids how to drive than starting them young. Car control, rules of the road and safety can all be learned in the dirt, making them a great driver years before they are ready to hit the road. We like to get kids behind the wheel early, and a new youth-sized UTV is a great way to do it. This test took place with a 2019 model, and the only changes Polaris made to the machine is to add green and white color options. On…

One-month wonder By the staff of Dirt Wheels Few people would question Jeremy McGrath’s dedication as a racer. His Supercross career is unrivaled with two 125cc SX championships and a championship—the first of eight—in his rookie year in the 250cc (then the Premier class) class. Some of our staff watched as he attempted the nation’s toughest motorcycle hill-climb in Billings, Montana, where he missed winning the event by one-tenth of a second riding borrowed bikes he had never sat on before. In another lesser-known…

Built for abuse By the staff of Dirt Wheels Building a project machine is always rewarding, but we like it best when we get to start with a great machine. Collin Duffy is our project specialist, and he set his sights on Polaris’ RZR XP Turbo S Velocity for an epic adventure build. The goal for this RZR, which we have named “Rocky,” was to tackle nasty desert obstacles like you’d find in Southern California’s Johnson Valley, home of the infamous King of the Hammers UTV race. To do so, you must protect the machine’s…

A UTV for bedheads By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am’s Defender line has been a real hit since it was introduced five years ago. There are many models of the Defender, and arguably the standout of those models is the pair of Defender Pros—the DPS and XT. We have come to expect a certain look for rec-utility UTVs: short front end, big cab area and a compact bed area. Can-Am has changed that look with the Pro. The concept began when a Can-Am engineer was looking at a Crew model. He realized that a standard cab on a…

Trails to anywhere By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am and Honda make two of the newest and most impressive 1000cc, normally aspirated, trail-focused UTVs on the market. It seemed only natural to get them together for a rigorous comparison to see which one has the goods for trails, and to find out where they excelled. Can-Am sent the all-new 64-inch 2020 Maverick Sport X xc that starts at a price of $21,199. It faced off with the $19,999 Honda Talon 1000 X. Of the two available two-seat Talons, the X is most comparable…

Wide-paws ’Cat By the staff of Dirt Wheels Once Jason Craycraft saw information on the release of the Arctic Cat Wildcat XX, he was sure that he had found his UTV. As the early-release machines reached dealers for sale, he snapped one up. And in a show of patience that we can hardly comprehend, he waited four months to drive it! He intended to make sure that it was just like he wanted before taking it out for a maiden voyage. We have to tell you, we couldn’t do it. WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE Before the car…

Ryan O’Hara’s Fuel General build By the staff of Dirt Wheels Life isn’t simply about the destination, but the roads that get you there. In our case, that’s the best dirt roads and trails we could ever imagine to find. Adventure riding and driving runs deeply through our souls, just like it does for Ryan O’Hara. Ryan eats, sleeps and breathes off-roading. He is so into our sport that he works for Fuel Off-Road and gets through terrain with their impressive wheels and tires. O’Hara’s dedication to adventure shows in his…

What you need to drive By the staff of Dirt Wheels Can-Am is focused on designing machines that provide the driver with the right tool to get the most out of their off-road experience. Can-Am offers everything from pure-sport powerhouses like the 195-horsepower X3 Turbo RR to the work- and recreation-ready Defender. In between, the line is well-rounded with multiple Maverick offerings. Can-Am sent us out onto the trails with their all-new 64-inch 2020 Maverick Sport X xc that starts at a price of $20,199.…

Fun with friends, family and computers By the staff of Dirt Wheels We were in the room when Honda announced the 2020 Talon 1000X-4 and Talon 1000X-4 Fox Live Valve to the dealer network. There was no mistaking the dealers’ excitement; however, our enthusiasm was somewhat tempered by the announcement that the 1000X-4 siblings would be based on the shorter-travel 64-inch Talon 1000X rather than the long-travel, wider Talon R. A great percentage of long-wheelbase, four-seat sport UTVs are sold where driving conditions…

From a racer backwards By the staff of Dirt Wheels As cool and purposeful as race machinery looks, few people ever bother to drive a race build for recreation. The sad truth is, the restrictions required by race organizations (largely for crash safety) are anything but user-friendly. Assault originally created this General 4 as a racer for a NORRA Baja-based 1000-mile rally-type stage race. While it was hoped the car would make a successful weapon for that one race, the General idea (see what we did there) was to have…

Four-season fun By the staff of Dirt Wheels In this fifth year of the Defender there are nearly 20 variations of the model, and the Limited is top dog. The Limited is a cab model, meaning that it has a fully enclosed cab with sealed doors, glass windows and even a front windshield wiper. Can-Am has other Defender cab models, including six-seat Max models, that all have a heater and defroster. The Defender Limited (in single cab or Max) has a heater, but it also has air conditioning! One of the recent trends in…

Competing in the most challenging and damaging UTV race in the States is no small feat. Hubert Rowland has made a name with informational YouTube videos on upgrading UTVs. Hubert is also known as everyone’s favorite “RedNek” or as we call him the Nitro RedNek, from Nitro Circus and Travis Pastrana’s mechanic. He repairs and upgrades all sorts of machinery to take the hardest beatings imaginable. Subscribe to the print or digital Dirt Wheels Magazine HERE. Rowland knows exactly what parts will survive the toughest UTV…