UtilityOffRoad.com Presents:
2008 Kawasaki Teryx
Performance Assessment
Sand Hollow State Park in St. George Utah offers several different types of terrain in which to test the capabilities of any machine and it was the perfect location for testing the Kawasaki Teryx. The assortment of challenges can surely test the limits of both driver and machine, while at the same time offering spacious areas for inexperienced riders to try new things. With my experience being limited to rock crawling I was completely ignorant to the joys of jumping off a sand dune or zipping through high-speed loops and I found the Teryx to be very forgiving of my inexperience.
Rock Crawling
As a rock crawling enthusiast I consider rock crawling to be the ultimate test of both rider and machine. There is no way to fake the skills or capabilities of either when creepy crawling where the big rocks live. You cannot cloak a lack of experience or performance with momentum and if you try to you'll bust up your machine if you're lucky or yourself if you're not. Rocks are unforgiving, and can range from aggravating to punishing but few things bring the satisfaction of having defeated that big rock that told you "NO!".
The majority of my Teryx review is in regards to how it performs in the rocks, as this tells me everything there is to know about a machine.
Suspension: If I had to single out the most critical component in a rock crawler I would have to say it comes down to the suspension. While lockers are also critical for traction, if your tires aren't planted firmly there is no traction at all. Although I will explain the specifics of the Teryx suspension in my "Good, Bad, & Ugly" page, I will state that the Teryx suspension had me completely sold without regards to any other aspect of this great machine. You could place a 5hp Briggs & Stratton engine in this machine and (if geared properly) I would still want it just for the suspension. The long arm suspension in the front did an amazing job of keeping the tires on the rocks, and the rear suspension with reservoir shocks was tuned perfectly with no adjustment necessary.
Locker: Although the rear drive is spooled, the front drive has a differential with a manually operated locker. I found the locker to be very effective in providing an immediate 100% differential lock. With the front locker engaged, if any tire on the machine could get traction the machine would move even if it meant climbing straight up.
Gearing: Creepy crawling your way over steep boulders and finessing your way through technical areas requires gearing low enough to provide abundant torque while traveling at a snail's pace. I found the low range gearing in the Terxy to be perfectly suited for rock crawling. Reverse gearing was also low enough to enable you to back over anything you could crawl over while moving forward. This was of special interest to me since it is a precise criticism I have for a competitor's machine.
Torque: In rocks there is hopefully no wheel spin so you want massive raw low end torque to drive you up and over resisting obstacles without the aid of momentum. While I had already determined that the big 750 v-twin provided beautiful power in its upper ranges I was pleasantly surprised by its equally beautiful low end torque. The consistent torque curve provided more torque than I needed to get over any obstacle I encountered.
Braking: While the front disc brakes are massive and effective, I was most impressed by the sealed rear brake. The braking capability of the Teryx far exceeds the weight of the machine and this is always a good thing. I was able to bring the Teryx to a complete and abrupt stop any time contact friction over-powered gravity and/or momentum.
Engine Braking: For years I believed that Yamaha and Arctic Cat were the only companies that truly understood CVT engine braking, but I can now add Kawasaki to that list. Pictures and video rarely show how steep a hill really is, but when descending a hill such as the one shown above engine braking is critical for control. The Kawasaki CVT provided excellent engine braking on the steepest of hills and kept me in control of the Teryx at all times.
Sand Dunes
Being my first time ever in sand dunes I learned quickly that the only thing capable of taking you over a 100' high dune is momentum, and the only way to build momentum in sand is through raw power. In fact I now believe that for running sand dunes there is never any such thing as too much power because the dunes just keep getting bigger and steeper. While I believe that you can always use more power in sand, I found the 750 v-twin provided plenty of power to climb the tallest of dunes. The consistent torque curve made considerable power throughout.
Worth noting is how well the 750 responds to aftermarket modifications. While there certainly was no shortage of power in stock form, when the aftermarket fully unleashes the potential of this engine the dune racers better be ready for the baddest buggy on the dunes.
While the suspension, steering, braking, etc. were all good they just didn't seem to critical in sand dunes.
High Speed "Whoops"
Riding high speed "whoops" was a new experience for me, and I quickly learned that there is a lot more involved than just going fast. Being able to time each whoop and coordinate that with the application of power takes a skill that I have by no means mastered. Despite my inexperience I once again found the Teryx to be very forgiving. With the proper application of power the near perfect weight distribution enables the Teryx to seemingly hop gently from one whoop to the next. The superior design of the suspension became more evident in the whoops than anywhere else. As hard as I tried I could not find the bottom of the suspension and began to wonder if it even has one. The benefits of the powerful 750 v-twin engine were obvious for this type of riding. Power was abundant and throttle response was immediate launching the Teryx from each whoop.
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