Kawasaki

Every ATV & Side x Side rider has a little bit of explorer blood coursing through their veins.  A century or two ago, the riders of today would have no doubt been the ones to turn their horse West and venture out into unknown territory as the fur trappers, mountain men, scouts, and pioneers of the time.  It would have been the chance to live on one’s own terms, to explore mountains, prairie, rivers and plains, and with a little luck, to possibly even strike the mother lode.

It’s our job to let you know exactly what to expect from every vehicle we test.  We want you to know what a machine is capable of long before you hand the dealer a check, and that means everything from fit and finish to average maintenance tasks.  We use our test ATVs exactly like you do; for work duty, for weekend play, and as hunting buddies.  After a year with the Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4x4i here is what we’ve found. 

The Green Team has been on a roll. In the past year, Kawasaki has introduced all-new Brute Force 300 and Brute Force 750 ATV’s, and at their dealer show, they previewed the new Teryx4 750 4x4 Side x Side. That was only a teaser and we weren't allowed to ride the new Kawasaki at their Florida dealer meeting. So when Kawasaki’s Jon Rall called asking if we would like to come to Tennessee’s Brimstone Recreation to try the new Teryx4 750, we grabbed our gear and were on our way.

If you read our coverage of the stock 2011 KFX450R, you probably know that we think quite highly of the Kawasaki. It doesn’t boast show-stopper numbers as far as horsepower or suspension travel, but its great feel, performance, and overall fun factor earned it great reviews from our test riders. It was a natural on the XC course, and we even put in some surprising finishes on the MX track in bone-stock form against many highly modified 450 sport quads.

It’s always exciting going to a manufacturer’s dealer show. It’s where they bring out their entire product line for dealers to get up close and personal with each model and there are usually a few surprises with all-new models. It’s just like Christmas for powersports lovers, and this year Kawasaki had the biggest box under the tree.

The old saying is, “It’s not the size of dog in the fight, but the size of fight in the dog.” That can now go for ATVs as well. Kawasaki’s new Brute Force 300 doesn’t know it’s an easy to ride, 300cc machine perfectly suited to work around the yard or go for weekend trail rides. It thinks it’s the leader of the pack, and it may be right!

Most riders use their ATVs for trail riding, for work, and even as a hunting buddy, but the best times are when out play riding with friends. For the simple joy of play riding on the trials or the dunes, we want an ATV that offers all-day comfort, a sporty look and nimble handling, and an excellent engine with enough power to conquer hills and provide plenty of thrills. Kawasaki’s KFX 450R fits the bill perfectly.

The old saying is, “Good things come in small packages,” and one of the best examples of that in the off-road world is the new Kawasaki Brute Force 300. Though only slightly smaller than the other Brute Force models, it’s a huge overachiever.