The Kawasaki Teryx4 is a rock solid machine. It’s tough, powerful, comfortable, and it’s more nimble than any other four-seater on the trail. We love it! We also can’t leave well enough alone, and after a couple trips to the woods, we decided that the Teryx4 was the perfect candidate for a few, simple bolt-on accessories to make our trail riding experience even better.
PICK and PLAY
Choosing accessories depends on two things; priorities and, of course, the budget! We always look at safety items first, and we prefer bolt-on type products that relate the best to our type of riding. Our needs are pretty much like most riders, and after a short team meeting at our favorite watering hole, and when our glass was empty (again), we had formed our wish list. We needed extra wind protection, a rear view mirror, extra lighting, a good winch, and even some trail tunes just for fun.
KAWASAKI GLASS
Windshields are on everyone’s short list of accessories, especially for those that ride in the dust or cold weather. There are several aftermarket windshield manufacturers, but we chose the factory Kawasaki windshield for a guaranteed fit. This might sound like a simple item to pick out and install, but it’s not! In sandy, dry, or dusty conditions, some windshields will even create a swirling dust cloud inside the cab, but we were confident the Kawasaki windshield would do the trick and we were right. Kawasaki has designed this windshield with an extra large lip at the top to help deflect the wind, but it still lets enough air flow thru to keep most of the dust out of the cockpit. Installing the windshield was a snap and looks great too! Installation time was about 15 minutes and Kawasaki uses rubber grommets in the holes to allow the windshield to flex without cracking, and clamps to secure it to the cab corner posts. There are many windshield, roof, and rear window combinations to choose from, but the simple Kawasaki half windshield is the right choice for us.
LOOKING BACK – SuperATV Mirror
Another seemingly small item that has large benefits is a rear view mirror. On any trail, we want to stay focused and looking ahead, not trying to look over our shoulder, especially on tight trails through the woods. When you have rear passengers, looking back can be very difficult and also dangerous. For this must-have accessory, we turned to SuperATV.
The SuperATV mirror is designed specifically for UTVs and is rubber mounted to the roll cage. Installation takes only minutes, and once you have one, you’ll love the convenience. Position the mirror in the same location as the one in your truck, tighten down the clamps, and you’re good to go.
LIGHT BRIGHT – LEDs from WICKED BILT
Although our new Teryx 4 comes equipped with a factory installed set of LED lights, we like to turn the dark into daylight so we made a call to our friends at Wicked Bilt for some additional lighting options. As always, they exceeded our expectations.
Wicked Bilt has many LED lighting options to choose from. We went with their 36 inch CREE overhead light bar, a set of CRAZY EYES round LED lights on the front bumper, and a pair of EVIL EYES on the rear of the Teryx. That would give us complete coverage in any direction, even when backing up. When we received the lights, they were top quality and came complete with everything we needed to install them. Since we were using all LED lighting, which has a very small current draw, there was no extra battery power required.
Wicked Bilt supplies a good set of instructions and complete hardware to install the lights, but we always like to take our time and do a clean job. It just looks so much more professional that way. With the help of our buddy, Chris Geer, and a couple evenings in the shop, we got everything installed just the way we wanted it, with wires routed neatly up through the chassis and dash, and everything held in place with plenty of zip-ties (We never skimp on zip-ties). Darkness couldn’t come fast enough as we were excited to give our new lights a try.
HOLY BRIGHT LIGHTS!!! The Wicked Bilt lights lit up the woods like a full blown alien ship encounter! Instantly it was more comfortable riding at night and we could now ride with complete confidence. You can actually see every detail of the trail while riding with these lights, but you’ll definitely want to shut them off for oncoming traffic or when riding anywhere around others because they are bright!!
PULLING POWER – KFI WINCH
Everyone knows that it is never in the plans to get a 1500 pound vehicle stuck, but it can happen. When it does, it’s better to be prepared rather than wishing you had more friends and a tow truck nearby. Choosing the right winch for your needs is as important as filling up with gas before your ride. We like to have a winch that is rated at or near three times more than the dry weight of the vehicle. For our Teryx4, we went with the KFI STEALTH 4500 pound winch kit and this winch truly is awesome. It runs smooth, reels out nicely, and it even comes with synthetic rope! That means no more corrosion on cables, and no more fraying cable to cut yourself on. KFI sends you all wiring necessary, a corded remote, easy install color coded wires, and a dash mount rocker switch. Vehicle specific mounting brackets are sold separately, but when you call them to order, they will be sure to get you set up with the correct bracket. The stealth series winch is very good looking, smooth operating, and built to last.
TRAIL TUNES - AUDIOFORMZ
Since we had made our Kawasaki Teryx more user friendly and better equipped for the challenges on the trail, we thought it would be fun to add a stereo as well. Who doesn’t like to hear a few tunes from time to time? However, we didn’t want a system that we could only hear at the stop signs or took an engineering degree to operate; we were after a system that would be simple to operate and would sound good. AUDIOFORMZ had several units to pick from and after a quick call, I had my answer. At Audioformz the possibilities are endless. They can custom make the stereo to fit anybody’s needs and they are knowledgeable and very nice to talk to. It’s much more comforting than just pushing an order button and not knowing what you’re getting for sure. A few days later, we had just the ticket and a really good quality system to install.
For our Teryx sound system, we went with a Bluetooth Receiver, a mini amp, and two 6 inch overhead mounted speakers. This setup is loud enough to make the neighbors think you’re having a party, and like all Audioformz kits, ours came with everything that was needed to install and operate. We like it!
LAYING OUT YOUR PROJECT – INSTALLATION TIPS
When installing accessories on your pride and joy, there are always things to consider first. Some accessories stand alone and can be added without a lot of complications by simply following the directions provided; others must be planned out. In our case, we added the extra lights, winch and stereo that all require battery power, and that means a lot of wires to secure. When installing multiple accessories that all draw power, it’s best to get all your supplies (connectors, tape, zip-ties, etc.) and tools together first and take your time. Next we laid each item out to be installed. Some small disassembly is required when you have to connect wires so my plan was to only do this one time. One of the challenges is to neatly hide your work while making sure the wires and parts you are installing are in safe locations and not obstructing any functions of your vehicle. The best advice is to take your time! Fortunately, most installation kits have easy to follow directions and with a few small tools, the job can be accomplished. One trick we use sometimes is to dab a little silicone on wire connections to waterproof them. Lastly, be sure to have the proper fuses installed for the safety of your new equipment.
TO THE TRAIL
Nobody knows better than you what accessories will work best for your type of riding. We ride in a broad range of conditions that can require a winch, lighting, windshields, and more. Anyone that has been in the north woods can attest to the conditions that change with the season, and often times by the day! We focused on the items that will most benefit our type of riding. What’s next for us? A trip to the shock doctor to improve our stock shocks. Wherever you ride though, a few, simple bolt on accessories can really improve your ride too!
Kawasaki
SuperATV
Wicked Bilt
KFI Products
AudioFormz
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