In this ever changing world, the option to have a utility vehicle to meet a wide array of demands is more appealing than ever. Purchasing a vehicle purely as a toy might fit a few, but imagine a functional machine that also packs enough punch for weekend fun! Kawasaki’s motto for the Teryx has been, “Unleash your inner outlaw” and it will do just that. So, when faced with the ultimate showdown between work and play, the Teryx should be your weapon of choice for this duel! When the dust settles and the fun begins, the Kawasaki Teryx will be your Huckleberry.

So what better place to test the Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI 4×4 Sport than in the great Southwest! Where there are miles of wide open places, dusty trails, rugged terrain and scattered old ghost towns. Any outlaw should feel at home here and we put the Teryx through the ringer to see if it did just that.

Our test Teryx Sport is considered as the hot rod of the Kawasaki RUV (Recreation Utility Vehicle) family, but don’t let the Sport badge fool you. This workhorse has a tilting cargo bed that has a 500-pound capacity and its reinforced bed frame offers maximum rigidity for excellent durability. Don’t think the bed is just for hard labor, it also makes for a pretty nice table or seat for tailgating while out on the trail or around the campfire. This feature was very popular, especially around other UTV owners in the gang as they were left standing while I had the luxury to kick back and relax. Another big utility oriented feature that comes standard on the Teryx is the full size 2” receiver hitch. This sounds like a no brainer, but there are other UTV’s on the market that come with a puny 1 1/4” receiver. With the Teryx you can quickly connect any 2” sized hitch that you might have laying around from your car or truck and tow up to 1,300 lbs of sweat equity or even your most prized possession. 1,300 lbs is a significant amount, but at the heart of this trusty steed is a 749cc SOHC, liquid-cooled, four-valve-per-cylinder fuel-injected, 90-degree, four-stroke V-twin engine. This air ingesting, gasoline pumping power plant will give you enough giddy-up-and-go to scoot through the country or pull those hefty loads with ease. Pulling might be one thing, but stopping is another! The dual front 200mm disc brakes are clinched by rigid-mount 27mm twin-piston calipers and provide powerful, fade-free braking. The rear brakes are sealed in an oil-bathed multi-disc system that provides worry free braking in almost any condition. Since the rear brakes are sealed to outside contaminants, there is less maintenance and reliable braking while in the dirt, muck or snow.

Whether you’re talking utility or sport, a solid 4wheel drive system is a must. Kawasaki has done a great job of integrating an adjustable and durable 4 wheel drive system into this platform.  There is a conveniently located 4WD switch on the dash for moderate duty.  Also, there is a variable front differential lever next to the gear shifter to distribute torque equally to the front wheels for maximum traction. The rear gear case keeps the rear wheels locked and turning together for maximum forward thrust and performance. All of this combined with lightweight alloy wheels, 26” tall Maxxis tires and multi-adjustable gas-charged shocks, make for a smooth ride across a wide array of rough, off-road terrain. The Teryx also boasts 11.6 inches of ground clearance and a width of 58.5 inches. This wide track provides for a stable ride while cornering on uneven terrain, but is still narrow enough to fit in a standard pickup truck bed, a win-win!

Packed to the gills or parked on a hill? Not to worry, the Teryx also comes equipped with a parking brake.  You will never yank the gear selector and cringe at the sound of grinding cogs! There is also a safety built into the parking brake when it is engaged. This is a feature that keeps the operator in-tune with the vehicle and extends the life of the parking brake.

Another creature comfort that the Teryx excels in is the seating position. The seating position enables you to clearly see all the obstacles in front, on the side and directly behind. It’s ideal for ingress and egress and there is no wasted time by “crawling” into the vehicle. The seats themselves lack a little if you’re sport oriented, but they do the trick for utility minded folks. Same goes for the non-tilting steering wheel. The fixed position isn’t bad for my 6′1 frame, however it could be awkward for others and should be adjustable in the sport model. Storage is another plus. There is a lot of accessible space in it compared to the competition. The glove box on the passenger side is large, seals well and is easy to reach. The slide-away cup holder is a neat feature as it is centrally located, high up on the dash and can be stowed away when not in use.

The digital display is nicely organized and is easy to read. It’s standard on all models and allows you to keep track of the following vitals:

• digital speedometer (mph or kph)
• clock
• dual trip meters
• 2WD/4WD indicator
• water temperature and fuel-injection warning indicators
• digital fuel gauge
• hour meter
• parking brake indicator
• CVT belt warning
• neutral and reverse indicators
• low oil pressure warning lights

Hopefully, one would never have to lift the hood, but in the event that this is needed, the Teryx will accommodate. A hinged, forward-tilting front hood and headlight assembly make accessing the front of the vehicle a breeze! This makes for effortless access to the radiator and front suspension components for maintenance and suspension tuning. The hood and the rest of the exterior bodywork is constructed of Thermoplastic Olefin, which has a high-gloss finish and is more scratch resistant than polyethylene. So it has utility, sport and looks – a triple threat!

With all these great appointments and features, the Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI 4×4 Sport is well rounded and is worthy of the UTV name that it is synonymous with. It is a true Utility Terrain Vehicle that can be used for work, sport or just plain fun! If all the above features aren’t enough, Kawasaki has an entire lineup of useful accessories that can be purchased on Kawasaki’s website or ordered and installed at your local dealer.

So enough talk, it’s time to see the 2010 Kawasaki Teryx sport in action! Kickback, relax and enjoy the following video in High-Definition clarity:

Have more questions? Please visit us over at TeryxForums.net for all discussions pertaining to the Kawasaki Teryx!

The Lonestar Racing SR1 Team had a very interesting weekend, packed with highs and lows. They were welcomed into one of the nicest race tracks in the U.S., Miller Motorsports Park. This facility is 1st class, complete with asphalt pits, garages, huge covered grandstands, on site race fuel station, showering facilities, indoor race control complete with timing monitors, and the list goes on. Things were a little disorganized as this was the 1st event LOORRS has put on at this park, so it was to be expected. Once they finally got their pits set up after having to move it twice, LSR team put in a brand new clutch into the car, because it was slipping on the last testing session.

After the first practice session, LSR realized this was going to be a tough weekend. The track was one of the biggest they had been on, but they added a lot of obstacles to keep the speeds down, and the excitement up. With only a few short hours before the next session, Greg decided that some shock changes were in major need, so the crew began to make some pretty major changes to handle the very different track. With about 15 minutes to spare, Greg headed out for 2nd practice. The changes really helped the car perform. Greg was able to power through the rhythm section, and hammer down through the larger whoop section, and get enough speed out of the corners to clear some of the doubles on the front stretch. While looking for some different lines, Greg hit a finger in the S section, and that kicked up the back of the car, and sent it into a violent cartwheel that flipped the car end over end about 4 or 5 times. Amazingly, Greg walked away without a scratch, let alone any soreness thanks to his Simpson Safety gear and Jet Trim seating that kept him locked in place. The car on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. The front right side of the car took most of the punishment, as it destroyed a wheel, spindle, brake rotor, tie rod end, brake line, uni-ball stud, and ball joint. The front bumper, upper shock mount, and body mounts got bent, along with the back bumper. Overall, the car was in really good shape with all things considered.

Luckily, between LSR and Weller Racing, they had enough spares to get Greg back on the track for Saturday’s qualifying and Main event. Greg qualified in 2nd position for Saturday, so he was able to enjoy another start from the front of the pack. After the green flag, he quickly realized he was getting brake fluid all over his feet, from a leaking reservoir cap. Not knowing how much longer he could go, he kept pushing. In second place with only a few laps to go, Corry Weller spun out in front of him, and he almost plowed straight into her, but luckily, he was able to glance off the side of her and continue into 1st place. Unfortunately, the hit ripped off Corry’s front wheel putting her out of the race. He was able to secure 1st place for Saturday’s main!

Sunday was time to do it all over again. In qualifying, Greg was only able to put in 1 lap before broken motor mount bolts caused him to pull off the track. So it was again time to start at the back of the pack for the main. Starting in last place, he was able to work himself into 4th pretty quickly, and battled with Tyler Herzog for a few laps, getting into 3rd place, and getting knocked sideways and having to fight back to get into 3rd for the competition yellow. The car was running perfect, and was fast through the rough sections where others couldn’t run as hard. Within 2 laps, he passed Doug Mittag for 2nd place, again behind Corry Weller. He was on Corry’s bumper for 2 more laps and went for the pass in the rhythm section. Unfortunately, he had just a little too much speed, and caused him to fly out of control, hit a jump sideways, bounced off a water barrier, and back onto the track loosing some ground. The car was shaking violently from the rear end, and was leaning very hard into corners, so with good communication from his spotters, he was able to keep it in 2nd place for the remainder of the race. After taking a quick look at the car after the race, it suffered from a rear wheel half full of dirt from hitting a jump sideways, and caused a rear sway bar link to break, so damage was minor, but felt a lot worse.

So to conclude the weekend, after thinking our chances were slim with a broken car in the beginning, the LSR race team battled through getting the car back into race form, and got on the podium with a 1st and 2nd place in just the 3rd weekend of the series. Combined with a couple cars that did not show up will drastically help move them up in the points after such a successful weekend.

The LSR team would like to thank all of their sponsors for supplying them with flawless parts that can take the abuse of a super rough track. At the end of the race, Greg said his arms and hands were so tired, he could barely remove his gloves, he was so worn out!

LSR is very confident that they will be getting top finishes for the rest of the season, and hopefully can get up into the battle for the championship!

Next race is at Glen Helen, in Southern California, the weekend of August 6th. Make sure to come out and see all the action!

Here are some links to some of the videos:

This one is from the Lucas Oil Regionals, that LSR got 2nd in as well, at Speedworld in AZ from a couple weekends ago.

Well its official! Doug Siddens, in his 2009 Polaris RZR-S, is the first person ever to drive a UTV at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb!

On June 27th, 2010, Doug was the only UTV in the Powersports Exhibition class. Not only did he finish first in his class, but he also beat out over 40% of the 152 competitors on race day with his time of 14:03.

Just reaching the top of this monumental mountain is a mechanical feat within itself. To do it in the time he did is more than respectable. There were also some other variables on race day that make this run even that much more notable. For one, it was snowing about the last three miles of the climb, and two, Doug has no professional racing experience. Not bad for a small town guy with no factory backing and an entire Powersport resting on his shoulders!

But you don’t have to hop in your RZR and try to visualize what Doug’s historic run was like, as he captured it all thanks to several ContourHD camcorders. So load up the beautiful HD version of the video below, turn the sound up and enjoy a ride up the gnarliest hill climb in the world!

If any of this racing talk has gotten you in the mood then come on over and talk with us at UTVRacing.com!

Also, a big thanks goes out to offroadwire.com for the great action photos!

In the world of Powersports, it seems as though it’s getting harder and harder to perform something new or compete in an event that hasn’t already been done a million times. Whether it is a unique trick, particular racing style or a specific event, chances are someone has already been there and done that. One would think that is would especially hold true when referring to the second oldest race in American history, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Man and machine have been participating in this historic race since 1916 and it is second only in age to the Indianapolis 500. Well after more than 8,700 machines have raced up this monumental peak, we can now say that Doug Siddens in his 2009 Polaris RZR-S have accomplished a new first and can be added to the elite who have conquered the same feat!

Competing in the 88th race to the clouds in the Exhibition Powersport Class June 27th, 2010 will mark the first time a UTV has ever participated in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This is a huge step forward for the UTV platform and further cements this Powersports presence in the world of racing! Don’t worry though, you don’t have to wait until June 27th to see Doug sprint up the hill in his RZR as you can watch a teaser video of his first official practice session below.

For more information about this race and what it took to get there, please visit RZRForums.net or find exclusive racing news at UTVRacing.com.

Saturday’s main event was a great experience being able to start inside of row 2. Taking turn 1 fighting for the lead, and sending the long step down jump with nothing but a clear track ahead was awesome feeling.
He ended up carrying a little too much speed in turn 3, and spun out losing some positions. At the competition yellow flag we were in 3rd place, and slowed for the regroup. But to our surprise, we were passed just before the start/finish line and moved back into 4th place. When the competition yellow flag comes out, its full racing until the start finish line, which we were unaware. So note to self, keep it pinned until the start finish line! With 2 laps to go, we lost a rear cv joint due to over traveling the suspension, so we slowed to a crawl and finished in 6th place.

With the outlook high on Sunday, we went into qualifying with the intent to be up front again, but another CV joint mishap kept us from the front of the pack. We tore down the rear end again, and reevaluated what was going on. We made some adjustments to the carrier to minimize the binding, and had Fox shorten the shock shafts. After running the car on the stand at full droop for a while, we were confident we had the issues taken care of. Everything was working how it should.

So starting at the back of the pack again, Greg knew he had his work cut out. At the drop of the green flag there was a mad dash for the 1st corner, and Mark Holz ended up sideways in front of Greg with no place to go, and all of the sudden RJ Anderson found himself slammed into the back of the LSR SR1 car.  With the rest of the pack pulling away, they finally got untangled. Greg worked himself up to 4th position just in time for the competition yellow. The green flag dropped again, and the R1 engine screamed.  The 3rd place driver was all over the track blocking every attempt that Greg threw at him to try and get around him. Even turning faster laps, our car was getting the door closed at every opportunity. We held 4th position for the checkered flag.

So with lessons learned about the competition yellow flag, fixing the cv issues, and learning that both the car and Greg are able to run at the front of the pack, it was a good weekend looking back on it. Now that the car is finished, we will have plenty of time for more testing to make sure the cv joint gremlins are behind us.

Next race is at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah outside of Salt Lake City on June 26th.

About Lonestar Racing:
Lonestar Racing is a production and custom manufacturer of the highest quality racing and recreational products for ATV’s and UTV’s. Having been in the business for almost 20 years, they have been producing race winning chassis and suspension components for all types of racing, ranging from the street to off road. Their 45,000 sq ft facility in Mesa, AZ is home to many dedicated team members that provide life to the 23 CNC machining centers.  LSR combines this with CAD software to eliminate errors in all of the tube bending, laser cutting, milling and lathe work,. They also have many TIG welding stations and an in house powdercoating facility.  LSR also offers installation and maintenance for your ATV and UTV needs by factory trained master technicians.  www.lsracing.com

Due to it’s longer wheelbase, the RZR4 is the perfect platform for a big motor swap or a whoop skimming desert racer. I didn’t think it would be long before one of the top names in UTV racing took a crack a modifying a 4 and I was right!

Holz Racing Products dropped us this delicious photo of their raced out RZR4 the other day over at RZRForums.net. They didn’t go into too many details, but we do know that we’re hungry for more!

Here’s what we do know:

It’s a two seater with the fuel tank and battery located behind the front seats. 99% of the chassis and sheet metal is complete and they still need to dial in the shocks and bolt on some different wheels and tires.

Either way, here’s a peek into what we can expect from future RZR4 racers!

***Update***

New photos are in and man it looks tough from every angle!

Minneapolis, May 18, 2010– Just three short weeks since the catastrophic fire at the Silver State 300 race where the Jagged X / Polaris racing 1919 race car literally burnt to the ground, the team rebounded to a second place finish in the Best in the Desert Blue Water Grand Prix, in Parker, Arizona.

Jagged X raced their Project X Monster Rock RANGER RZR as an interim race car. While the car had a good deal of the required structure in place it still required some long nights and some hard work to ready transform the purpose-built rock crawler into a competitive desert racer.

The Parker race was problem-free from flag to flag. This is the team’s only race with a full field land rush start where they came up a bit short and fell into the pack around sixth. After two laps, Brandon Schueler and co-pilot Mike West battled their way into the second place position but could not quite reel in the first place runner before time ran out.

With the points chase for the BITD championship very tight, Jagged X looks toward August and the famed “Vegas to Reno” to kick off the second half of the season.

Jagged X is sponsored by Polaris Industries, Mountain States Contracting, Elka Suspension, CR Designs, S&S Off Road, Simpson Products, ATL Fuel Systems, Tire Balls, MTA, Vision X Off Road, OMF Performance, Affordable Powder Coat, Robby Gordon Off Road, Trophy Engineering, Fullbore Innovations. 

About Jagged X 
Jagged X is a family owned business located in Phoenix Arizona. Formed in 2003 from a passion for off road vehicles, Jagged X quickly became a pioneer in the custom side by side segment and is known for bringing their customers quality and innovation with their own brand of style. In 2007 Jagged X formed an aftermarket partnership with Polaris industries with the introduction of the exciting new RZR. They continue to lead the pack in the development of exciting products for the RZR such as long travel suspension, billet and tubular accessories.

As if SR1 racing wasn’t as exciting enough, LoneStar Racing has given us yet another go fast toy to feed our adrenaline addiction. The new Kryptonite Green and Black LSR race car should be as devastating to it’s competition this year as the fictional element it was named after!

What would take most mortal men months or more to complete, the super human guys over at LSR completed this whole build in just 4 days! Don’t believe it? Well we just happen to have a time lapse video of the whole build as it went together in the LSR shop, or better known now as the Fortress of Solitude:

Modifications include, but not limited to the following:

Chassis: LSR SR1 Race Chassis
Suspension: XTR-F long travel
Shocks: Fox Position sensitive with dual rate coils and external compression adjustment
Steering: Unisteer Rack Zilla Rack, and Powersteering system
Spindles: Trinity Racing
Wheels: Hiper Dakar 14″ Carbon Fiber with dual bead lock rings
Tires: Maxxis Cerros 26″
Hood and Fenders: Fullbore Innovations
Race Communications: Racer X hand held and spotter radio systems
Seats: Jet Trim High Containment
Harnesses: Simpson 3″ 5 pt system with clip in mount and shoulder pads
Pedals: Wilwood dual mastercylinder brake and clutch system
Throttle: CNC flat foot pedal
Wiring: Micro Touch supplied mil spec weather proof sealed switches, circuit breakers, wiring and connectors
Sheet Metal work: SDHQ and LSR
Radiator: CR Racing Honda Civic
Oil Cooler: Deraile 16 pass
8 gallon Jaz fuel cell
Muzzy’s and LSR fabbed stainless 4 into 2 into 1 exhaust system
Rhino Parts and Performance supplied Oddysee battery, fresh air system, and fuel programmer from Dynojet, GoPro on board cameras
2008 Yamaha YZF R1 engine
Weller Racing engine mounting kit and rear drive assembly (cv’s, axles, etc)
QTM Brembo brake system up front
Starlane onboard lap timing system from YoyoDyne
Custom window nets by Simpson and LSR
All mounting fabrication and assembly done in house by LSR

The car is ready for action and will be flying high at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for rounds 5 and 6 of the Lucas Oil Off Road Series starting May 22nd, 2010.

Make sure to visit UTVRacing.com for exclusive pictures of this build, videos and race results!

Pit Bull Tires has teamed up with High Point Hummer & ATV to host a Trail Run on Thursday May 13, 2010 during the week-long Rally.  Anyone interested please RSVP Scott McFarland at Scott@highpointhummer.com or please call High Point Hummer 1-877-486-6833.

We plan to meet at 8am at the Spanish Trail Arena and from there we will have a police escort to the Moab Rim Trail.

Hot Dogs and Burgers to follow the run.

Be there or B [   ]

High Point Hummer

281 N. Main
Moab, Utah 84532

1-877-486-6833  
info@highpointhummer.com

Driving his Monster Energy/Kawasaki Teryx by FUNCO, Chad George took to the 1 mile long track on Saturday in a UTV endurance race for survival. The intense competition has teams squeezing power from every port, but many rivals succumbed to mechanical failures, and Chad was able to secure the final podium spot.

The Monster Energy/Kawasaki FUNCO team tuned the C&G Performance motor overnight in search for more speed and energy. With a few wrenches and a tip of the Monster Energy can, the team found what they needed as Chad drove flawlessly to hold off the competition through the checkered flag. The victory marked Chad’s first UTV Modified win of 2010 after last year’s championship season.

“Motors were blowing and UTV’s were slowing! Our C&G Performance Digitally Fuel Injected, V-Twin Kawasaki power plant simply endured the punishment of the long track and high temps. Anyone can go fast, but finishing is what can put you on top. Chad’s precise driving, experience and our reliable power put us on top this weekend.” – Grant George, Funco Team Manager.

As Chad shifted gears from UTV racer to SuperLite truck racer, Chad showed that there’s no substitute for extra time on the track as he swept the SuperLite class with 2 victories besting 12 formidable racers, the largest field this season.

Chad commented on the weekend SuperLite wins, “After the team meeting on Sunday morning, I knew I needed to be more aggressive on the track. If I put the pressure on, either they’ll make a mistake or I’ll already be out front.

Our Goodyear Tires were a big reason for our success this weekend, they drove hard into the corners and they put the power to the ground when I needed it. Another special thanks to Bull Outdoor BBQ and Beard Seats for boosting our SuperLite program this weekend.”

Chad will battle under the lights of “Sin City” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2010 Lucas Oil Off Road Series on May 22-23.