Kawasaki Rolls out the Red Carpet
By Bruce Henden
Kawasaki recently invited members of various media outlets to Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania ATV/Teryx Ride. The newest version of an already great quad, the 2012 Brute Force 750 4x4i/EPS, was unveiled at the future Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area in Northumberland County, PA along with updated Kawasaki Teryx UTVs. This author’s size 13 boots proved an obstacle to having any seat time in the Teryx due to difficulty in getting to the brake pedal in a timely fashion. The Teryx’s brake pedal is very high. It would require you to move your foot back, then over a few inches to the left, and finally to lift your foot high to get it on the brake pedal. As we were riding in a group I felt it would be unsafe for me to not be able to hit the brakes quickly, so, I will concentrate my efforts on the 2012 Brute Force.
First Impressions
Approaching the Brute Force from the front can be a little intimidating. It has that glaring, “ride me if you dare”, front fascia. If it was a living creature I’d recommend giving it distance based on the killer looks. New six spoke wheels with Maxxis tires provide the traction. Although they aren’t all that aggressive looking, the Maxxis meats didn’t leave anyone in our group stranded out in the goo.
Sitting on the seat feels just right, and has a lower height for railing through the corners. Not too soft, not too firm, Kawasaki added a dual foam process to the seat to increase riding time without pain and fatigue. Footwells were updated to keep more of the trail debris from soaking the rider. The only spot I found to let the trail juice through was the left front of the footwell. Not bad when you consider the trails had plenty of mud/waterholes to blast through.
EFI provides effortless startup under any condition. Cold, elevation, moist, or dry. Turn the key to the on position, press the green start button on the left handlebar and you’re treated to a symphony of exhaust and engine notes that will make the most jaded rider smile.
Rider ergonomics are excellent. The shift, with Hi, Lo, N, and R is located under the right handlebar, the 4×4 button near the right grip, and the front differential lever is on the left grip near the brake handle. Lights and shut off switch are also on the left grip area for easy reach and operation. The ample footwells have the rear brake pedal within easy reach for quick braking.
Brute Force, Indeed
Kawasaki revised their already potent Brute Force 750 to produce greater low end power to launch this quad with even more torque and performance. With new cylinder heads the compression ratio was increased from 8.8:1 to 9.3:1. New camshaft profiles, revised timing, and valve lift were also tweaked. These changes equate to an increase in get up and go to match the mid and high range power. From the seat of the pants view, it means it’s a pin and grin throttle. There was more than enough power to lift my 300+ lbs. off the line for ready wheelies in high range. Just sit back a bit, pull up on the bars a touch, hit that throttle, and you’re in speed heaven. It’s hard not to smile with that kind of power on tap. But, it’s not just a low end machine. It readily pulls through mid and high speeds with plenty of strength to a high speed that I wasn’t able to attain due to terrain. But at 55 mph it still had plenty of speed left to keep accelerating.
Suspension and Steering
All this power on tap would be like lipstick on a pig without the ride and handling to deliver it. And with revisions to the steering, stabilizer rods, front and rear shock absorber geometry, and a newly reinforced double cradle frame, Kawasaki has delivered the goods. The biggest update to the Brute is that electronic power steering is now available! I can’t put into words how well Kawasaki’s engineers have tuned the EPS to this machine. Programming in the EPS CPU boosts power steering in low speed tight twisties to the point where arm fatigue was non-existent. EPS Low speed riding in rocky terrain was comfortable, with the EPS taking much of the shock from logs, roots, and rocks. In mid speed the power steering offers a combination of less boost and shock absorption. Hitting a rock, root, or log will not leave you feeling like you have busted your wrists. I found myself purposely looking for obstructions to see how it worked. In a word: superbly! At high speeds the EPS CPU senses the speed, and tapers off the assist. High speed riding with the EPS never had me feeling like I’ve lost touch with the trail. The IRS front and rear suspension soaked up the bumps very well and doesn’t leave the rider feeling abused at the end of the day. The suspension was stiff enough to rail through corners but soft enough to absorb the hits. Lean into the corners, shift your weight a bit forward, and pin the throttle. Power slides were predictable and smooth with all that power at hand.
Braking
The front and rear brakes of the Brute Force slow the beast down quickly. With somewhere around 50 miles of riding, there wasn’t any fading or panic attacks. The brakes work great. Even better is the Kawasaki Engine Brake Control. During low and slow riding conditions brakes weren’t even needed. The EBC allows you to crawl down slopes at a very controllable speed without adding any weight to the quad. The rear sealed brakes are some of the best in the ATV world. You don’t have to worry about mud, water, dust, or other debris getting into the brakes and causing problems. Disc brakes provide the stopping power up front.
2wd/4wd Functionality
Our group went through mud and water holes that were up to the top of the tire. The Brute can be shifted into 4wd on the fly and engages 4wd with a limited slip front without a hiccup. If you find yourself needing more traction Kawasaki has a variable limited slip system operated by a lever near the left brake handle. The more you pull it back the more it engages the front locker all the way up to full lock. It is both simple and effective. The only drawback I’ve found with this system is you have to keep holding on to it. It’s less convenient in that respect when compared with a button like Yamaha and others have or than the automatic systems used by Polaris and Can-Am. Also, if you find yourself in an off camber situation that requires you to get all your weight on the right footwell, you may find the reach less than desirable. Kawasaki also moved the CVT tube further up, facing rearward in front of the air cleaner. We never sucked any water into the airbox or CVT. Deep fording is now worry free when it comes to concern about hydrolocking the engine.
Other Updates
Other revisions that may make you take a good long look at the new Brute Force include: more cooling, better on board storage, increased generator output, and new instrumentation. The radiator size was increased for more cooling in conjunction with a 20mm larger fan, and 5mm larger hoses for greater flow. On board storage includes, larger, stronger racks with more tie down options, a new storage bin in the middle of the front rack that can hold a couple 16 ounce bottles, a netted pocket on the front right fender, and a lidded area on the left front fender. Generator output has increased from 25.2 to 33.5 amps so you can run more electrical gadgets with less risk of draining the battery. The digital instrument cluster includes speedometer, odometer, tripmeter, fuel gauge, engine temperature indicator, clock, and hour meter. Indicator lamps are included for EPS, neutral, reverse, 2wd/4wd, belt indicator, and oil warning.
Final Thoughts
The newest Brute Force 750 with EPS is a great quad in just about every way. Its comfortable riding, easy on the arms due to the EPS, very capable, and as powerful as most flagship quads out on the market right now. Good in the fast lane, great at crawling, fantastic looking; this is a quad worth a look. It can do it all and will leave you wanting to get back out on the trail right after you get home. If I was in the market right now, it would be among my top picks.
Special Thanks
Heartfelt thanks go out to the organizers that are working on making the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area a reality. Although not officially open, we were treated to open, high speed trail sections, narrow rocky climbs, mud and water holes, and some great vistas that had me looking for a God signature in the lower right hand corner. Even though coal was extracted from this area, much of the landscape remains unchanged. And areas that saw active mining have seen nature reclaim its land. Just riding the areas we rode, you could easily spend a full day or more exploring. It’s a work in process, but it’s already taking shape to be a boon to the local economy in the near future. This area, like many coal industry locales, has seen an economic downturn. When this park fully opens, I can foresee increased revenues in restaurants, lodging, and gasoline sales. For more information see: http://www.anthraciteadventure.com/pages/
