Toward the end of the day, I looked at the hourmeter in the dash and realized that we had put about five hours of relentless abuse on the engine and drivebelt. These were definitely not easy hours because we were here to put it to the test and give our readers accurate feedback. Newsom has a reputation of breaking everything he touches, and as expected he pushed until something began to give. After repeatedly launching the Teryx at full speed over the aforementioned jump, the belt began to slip. This was definitely not expected because we were told that the belt life on these machines was 200 hours of use before needing to be changed. Perhaps this is for "normal" usage and not the overzealous manner in which it was being tested.
Overall Impression
Is this the best RUV out on the market now? Well, without putting them to the test side-by-side (no pun intended) it's hard to say. What I do know is that Kawasaki is stepping into a market it's looking to dominate. With the biggest engine in its class and the suspension to tackle any terrain with confidence, the Teryx could quite possibly be the next king of the side-by-side world. We were shocked and impressed, and we think you'll be, too. I guess a shootout is in order!
| + | Roomy cab, powerful engine and superb
handling |
Lack of doors, needs better passenger
safety handles and lower rear cargo net
mounting points | - |
| = | Strong contender for king in its class |
Lack of doors, needs better passenger safety handles and lower rear cargo net mounting points
Strong contender for king in its class
| 2008 Kawasaki Teryx 750 4x4 |
| Retail price: | $9799; LE: $10,599; NRA Outdoors: $11,349 |
| ENGINE |
| Engine type: | 90-degree, V-twin, four-stroke, four-stroke SOHC |
| Displacement: | 749cc |
| Bore x stroke: | 85x66mm |
| Cooling: | Liquid-cooled |
| Carburetion: | Dual Keihin CVKR-D 34mm |
| Starting: | Electric |
| DRIVETRAIN |
| Drive system: | Shaft, 2x4/4x4 |
| Transmission: | Continuously variable belt with high/low range, reverse, engine-braking, diff-lock |
| SUSPENSION (TYPE/TRAVEL) |
| Front: | Adjustable dual A-arms with gas-charged shocks/7.5 in. |
| Rear: | Adjustable Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) with gas-charged, reservoir shocks/7.5 in. |
| TIRES/BRAKES |
| Front tires: | Maxxis 26x8-12 |
| Rear tires: | Maxxis 26x10-12 |
| Front brakes: | Dual hydraulic discs with twin-piston calipers |
| Rear brakes: | Sealed, oil-bathed, multidisc |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wheelbase: | 76.0 in. |
| Claimed dry weight: | 1276 lb |
| Ground clearance: | 11.3 in. |
| Length/width/height: | 115.4/58.7/75.0 in. |
| Fuel capacity: | 7.9 gal. |
| Bed/Towing capacity: | 500/1200 lb |
| ELECTRICAL |
| Headlight: | Dual 40-watt |
| Instrumentation: | Hourmeter; gear position, low fuel, water temperature and oil pressure indicators |
| Colors: | Sunbeam red, Woodsman green; Realtree Hardwoods green HD camo ($450 more) |