To say the King of the Hammers event is a tough race but might be a fun challenge is a little like saying a Badger has a slightly intolerant disposition but would otherwise make a fine family pet. To even enter the event raises a whole host of questions, especially when you consider that almost 60% of those who start the race never finish, and in some classes the attrition rate is much higher than that!
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.
Polaris has had its share of ground breaking innovations in the ATV & Side x Side world, but every so often they’ll steer the sport in an entirely new direction. Their use of the CVT transmission eventually became the standard for utility ATVs, the first Ranger models broke open a whole new segment of the sport with seating for two, great off road capability, and hard working features, and the RZR lineup kicked open the door to high performance Side x Sides.
Whether you’re a lover or a hater of Arctic Cat products there’s no mistaking their all-new WILDCAT 1000i H.O. for a bulky, lumbering farm wagon of a Side x Side best suited to chasing cows and hauling bales. The new Arctic Cat is designed for hauling a$$ and running down every other Side x Side on the planet over the roughest terrain you can find.
There are companies that have a knack for finding opportunities in the market and then building a product to fill it. The Disney people never build a ride without a movie, toys, and a happy-meal to go with it, and in the powersports world, Polaris has always managed to find that untapped group of potential riders that didn’t quite find what they needed with existing models. Since the Side x Side market is relatively new, it’s been the habit of most manufacturers to concentrate on their top of the line models. Polaris has done that as well, but at the same time they never forgot those left behind.
