Side-by-Side UTV

Overview

A side-by-side, or UTV, is an off-road utility vehicle that seats its occupants next to each other in a car-like cockpit rather than astride a saddle. That single difference drives the rest of the design: a steering wheel and pedals instead of handlebars, seat belts and a roll cage instead of a rider balancing the machine, and a cargo bed behind the cab. It splits the difference between an ATV and a small truck, nimble enough for a trail, but able to haul tools, feed, or game and carry a passenger or three in relative comfort. Farms, ranches, parks, and worksites use them as do-everything runabouts; sport trims push more suspension travel and power for recreation. The defining safety feature is the ROPS cage, a welded tube structure that, with the belts, protects occupants in a roll-over.

How it works

The machine is built around the Roll-Cage Chassis, a ladder frame carrying the protective cage and skid plates. A Gasoline Engine, a liquid-cooled parallel-twin cooled by a Radiator and Coolant Pump, drives the CVT Drivetrain, a Drive Belt CVT and gearbox that gives high, low, and reverse. From there a front and rear Open Differential feed all four wheels, with selectable four-wheel drive for slippery ground.

Each corner rides on a dual-A-arm Suspension Corner with a coil-over shock and Coil Spring, and hydraulic disc brakes stop the vehicle. The driver steers through the wheel and rack and sits in a bucket seat held by a three-point belt. Behind the cab, the Cargo Bed tilts to dump its load. A dashboard with an LCD Panel shows speed and gear, and the 12 V system runs lights and accessories.