Kiwi Rider June 2022 Vol.2 | Page 54

fly . I used 4WD most of the time as it was hilly and this meant the machines tended to slide less with the front-end drive pulling the RZR straight , making it less tail happy and , more often , quicker . Of course , two-wheel drive can sometimes be more fun , because the rear will slide around more creating plenty of sideways fun – the choice is either a 4WD business-like approach or full hoon 2WD .
NOT WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING A few things I didn ’ t really expect from these RZR machines was a reversing camera – bloody handy though when trying to do a three-point turn in tight steep terrain . The 7-inch Touch Screen shows a decent view behind , but can also display radio settings , suspension action and GPS location including where your mates are on the track near you - if they ’ re all linked into the system . The specification is high . While chatting with Publisher Vege on the way to the test , we contemplated whether anyone really needed over 180hp for blasting around rough farmland . The answer ... was a resounding “ Yes , absolutely !” Having spent the day driving
them it ’ s fair to say that they are bloody quick with an excess of power at times , but that ’ s what makes them so awesome and exciting . The power really is fantastic , you can certainly use it all in places , but mainly you always have extra power at hand ( or foot ) to play with and some spare in the bank . Steering with the throttle is never an issue . What really got us talking on the drive back to KR HQ was that the all-new RZR Pro R Ultimate EPS ( with 225hp ) would be incredible to hoon around in when it arrives . An exciting prospect . Having been a steep hill-country farmer for most of my life , I thought I had a decent understanding of what side-by-sides are capable of , but these sporty Polaris models certainly opened my eyes , and I came away very impressed . They are fast , hugely capable , amazing fun , deliver huge excitement and are , largely , very safe . I ’ d also go as far as saying they are much better bang for buck compared to some motorcycles out there . They certainly got me thinking .... I ’ d love one .
54 KIWI RIDER