KAWASAKI TERYX 750I SPORT 4X4

High-performance sport UTVs like the Polaris RZR XP 900, Can-Am Maverick and Arctic Cat Wildcat provide more performance than UTVers ever dreamed of when the sport started, but, on the other hand, sport UTVs also offer far less utility than the vehicles that made UTVing so popular. Kawasaki’s Teryx Sport is a recreation/utility vehicle that is fun on the trail but doesn’t sacrifice utility for speed.

HOW DOES THE PRICE COMPARE?

High-performance UTVs like the RZR XP 900 start at $16,000, so you stand to save a bundle with a recreation/utility machine like the $12,599 Teryx Sport. The base Teryx goes for $10,999, but lacks the Teryx Sport’s fully adjustable piggyback shocks and alloy wheels. In terms of engine performance, equipment and suspension, Yamaha’s $12,999 Rhino 700 Special Edition is the Teryx Sport’s closest competition, but it’s only available in Tactical Black.

WHAT SEPARATES RECREATION/UTILITY UTVS FROM PURE SPORT UTVS?

The major differences are price, utility features, and engine and suspension performance. Pure sport UTVs are faster and have considerably more suspension travel-12 to 17 inches versus the Teryx Sport’s 7.5 inches. Pure sport UTVs also lack the Teryx?.?ª™s more conventional cab, which is easier to enter and exit, and the large tilting bed, which is handy for hauling or carrying gear for hunting and camping.

WHAT POWERS IT?

The engine is a fuel-injected, 749cc, single-overhead-cam V-twin with four valves per cylinder. It’s a potent powerplant for its size, but we prefer the higher-performance engine Kawasaki uses in the larger, heavier Teryx4 four-seat UTV.

WHAT KIND OF 4WD SYSTEM DOES IT USE?

It uses selectable 2WD/4WD with a manual, variable, locking front differential control. It sounds unusual, because it is. Selectable 2WD/4WD is common on UTVs, but the variable, locking front differential isn’t. On the Teryx, you set the front differential lock control to the degree of lock you like. Regular 4WD mode provides easy steering and enough traction for most tough terrain, but when things get ugly or you get stuck, you want the front differential fully locked. Since you can’t get a Teryx two-seater with power steering, you can’t have easy steering with the front differential fully locked.

HOW FAST IS IT?

It’s quick for a 750, with better acceleration and a higher top speed than a Rhino 700, but bigger recreation/utility UTVs and pure-sport vehicles can easily get away from the Teryx in a drag race. The rev limiter on the Teryx cuts in at 50 mph.

HOW IS THE POWER ON THE TRAIL?

There is ample power. The Kawasaki can take you practically anywhere you want to go, just not as quickly as some of the ferociously fast machines around today. The Teryx isn’t optimized for whooped-out, wide-open terrain like a pure sport UTV, so you can’t even use all the power it has in those conditions. If you ride where the trails are tighter, slower and more challenging, the power and suspension are well-balanced, and you’ll be impressed with the pace the Teryx can maintain. The 750 has the beans to claw to the top of tall, scary, technical hills and churn through treacherous mud.

WHAT KIND OF SUSPENSION DOES IT HAVE?

The suspension is high-end, recreation/utility UTV stuff. The Teryx has double A-arm front and rear suspension with a rear swaybar to control body roll like most recreation/utility UTVs, and its 7.5 inches of travel is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s the shocks that make the Teryx Sport special. They’re gas-charged, piggyback-reservoir KYBs with adjustable compression, rebound and spring preload. Base Teryx models come with nonadjustable, non-reservoir gas front shocks and adjustable, piggyback gas rears. Most base recreation/utility UTVs come with nonadjustable, non-gas shocks, front and rear.

HOW DOES THE SUSPENSION WORK?

The suspension is very good, but it has its limits. Piggyback-reservoir gas shocks give the Teryx Sport a more refined and controlled ride than UTVs with basic non-gas shocks. The suspension has a compliant, fluid feel on rocky terrain with good bottoming resistance for unexpected impacts and unavoidable ruts. We could manage a pretty quick pace on bumpy trails, but 7.5 inches of travel acts as a speed limiter on really rough terrain. Increasing the compression damping helps control bottoming for higher speeds but can’t replace longer travel. The Teryx Sport’s suspension is fine for cruising trails and dunes and even small jumps.

HOW DOES IT HANDLE?

The Teryx is agile and stable. It is 58.5 inches wide, so it’s narrow enough to maneuver easily in tight woods, but wide enough to feel well-planted in hard cornering. The Kawasaki’s mid-engine design also gives it a balanced feel, and it’s relaxed, even on loose dirt roads at top speed. Semi-long travel suspension makes the Teryx feel secure on steep climbs and sidehills, and unless the traction is incredible, the Teryx slides predictably.

HOW DOES IT DO IN MUD?

Mud is no problem. A potent engine, surefooted four-wheel-drive system, and 11.6 inches of ground clearance make mud bogs and sloppy sections of trail fun to navigate in the Teryx.
The bodywork doesn’t offer as much protection from mud and water coming off the tires as some recreation/utility UTVs, but it’s better than the minimal protection sport UTVs provide. The Teryx Sport’s all-terrain Maxxis tires are adequate for the soft stuff, but if mud is a big part of where you ride, you can get more grip with soft-terrain tires or dedicated mud meats.

HOW IS IT FOR HILLS?

It’s a capable climber. Strong engine performance, impressive traction and excellent balance make the Teryx able to conquer hills most drivers wouldn’t have the nerve to try. Going back down, the Kawasaki provides good four-wheel engine braking in four-wheel drive. Powerful front disc brakes and the fade-resistant, oil-cooled rear brake make it easy to slow the machine. Working alone as a parking brake, the sealed rear brake has its hands full holding the machine on steep hills, and there’s no park position on the range selector.

HOW IS IT ON THE ROCKS?

Pretty smooth. The Teryx had all the traction, grip and ground clearance we needed to navigate rocky trails, and the skid plates provided good protection for the vehicle’s underside. Some UTVs, like Kawasaki’s Teryx4, have a centrifugal clutch to protect the transmission belt in rough rock-crawling conditions, and some offer power steering, which makes maneuvering in rocks easier.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The Teryx works as well as it plays. Utility features have all but disappeared from sport UTVs, but the Teryx can earn its keep with a tilting bed rated for 500 pounds. The bed has tie-down hooks in the corners and comes with a cargo net. You can tow 1300 pounds with the 2-inch hitch receiver.

HOW ARE THE DETAILS?

Some of the details are great; some need work. The engine is responsive and sounds great, but it’s not excessively noisy in the cab. The cab is roomy, comfortable, and easy to get in and out of. The retractable drink holder is handy, and the Teryx fits in most full-size pickups.

Unfortunately, the Teryx Sport’s seats are unimpressive compared to what we’ve enjoyed on other recreation/utility and sport UTVs. They’re very upright with short backs, more like what we expect in pure utility UTVs. The Kawasaki’s side nets are fine, but not as nice as the doors that are showing up on some stock vehicles. The foot operated parking brake with the small dashboard release lever are less convenient than a console-mounted hand lever, and the brake isn’t as strong as some. The transmission has no park position, either.

WHAT IS OUR FINAL ANSWER?

Kawasaki’s Teryx Sport 750 is a fun, reasonably fast version of the classic UTV formula. It’s about casual offroad fun, not strafing whoops at trophy truck speeds, and unlike pure sport UTVs it can really haul.