ATV machines are predominantly used by the man, and woman, on the land but an increasing focus towards more sporting and leisure focused derivatives is becoming more commonplace.

The main restriction to the family and leisure use of the machines has been their ability to only cater for one person but now manufacturers are coming up with more and more versatile machines that open up a whole new world of possibilities.

I don’t mind admitting that being strapped into a seat when heading off road is one of the least enjoyable things I can imagine. In short I would have more fun on a mountain bicycle, enduro motorcycle or an ATV rather than being strapped into the seat of a conventional four wheel drive.

On a bike or ATV the rider is part of the suspension and when traversing rugged ground generally is not resting like a dead weight on a seat getting their spine compacted over every bump while getting their internal organs rearranged.

So heading into some serious whooped out terrain in the Ranger RZR I was thinking of the upcoming chiropractic and acupuncture appointments that would be needed afterwards.

But thankfully the RZR rides like no conventional four wheel drive and is more reminiscent of a dune buggy. However rather than a backyard buggy concocted from assorted parts the RZR is a well proven and sorted product that already has a huge following in North America.

California is a hotbed of off road activity and there the RZR is hugely popular and the subject of many modifications from custom paint jobs, to massive bar work, flat screen TVs and monster stereo systems. King bling the way Americans do best. (Check out the four images at the bottom of the page for a taste of what they get up to with the RZR in America)

Rider and passenger sit side by side in the RZR despite the fact that the machine is scarcely wider than a run of the mill agricultural ATV.

The seats are comfortable and support your back well while sturdy seatbelts ensures you stay in place while netting and a significant roll cage adds to a considerable sense of security.

The driver sits on the left and hangs on to a rubber mounted steering wheel that is adjustable for angle and suspended on a small damper that helps to ensure that shocks are not transferred to the drivers hand or arms while the passenger has a handlebar to hold on to when the going gets rough.

A continuously variable transmission means there is no need for a clutch and the pedal layout is the same as found in an automatic car.

With the preload adjustable shocks set on their softest setting the ride was outstanding. After spending a few hours in the seat and covering some extremely rough tracks at a fair clip I was none the worse for wear. And that’s with one disc in my back already sliced out by a surgeon and another that constantly reminds me that not all is well. If that’s not a vote on confidence when it comes to comfort I don’t know what is. It was also surprising that despite two adults of considerable size occupying the open cabin we never once rubbed shoulders.

Selectable four wheel drive and impressive approach and departure angles ensure the RZR is virtually unstoppable. Powering the RZR up the steepest hill is a grunty twin cylinder four-stroke engine. From a standing start it leaps off its haunches to 60km/h in a measured five seconds before going on to a rev-limited top speed of 90km/h.

Even more impressive is the braking performance. Four wheel disc brakes combined with those four fat big tyres means that braking distances in the bush are ridiculously short. When being very aggressive on tight trails you brake on the RZR way deeper than you would ever dare on a dirtbike.

And at only 127cm wide the RZR can be punted down some very tight tracks indeed. To put that measurement in perspective it is less than 50cm wider than any enduro bike on the market.

But like no enduro bike the RZR enables you to, carry your partner in comfort along with 136kg of camping equipment on the rear tray and towing a trailer weighing in at more than half a ton.

How’s that for versatility?

Polaris Central in Midland already had five firm orders for the RZR before customers had even seen the machine in the flesh so it certainly looks as though the RZR might prove as popular here in Australia as it has done in the U.S.

The price of admission when the machine arrives in October has been set at $16990 and Polaris backs the machine with a 12 months parts and labour warranty.

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