GEARHEAD Chronicles by Jared Burt

This morning, Kawasaki introduced the 2012 Kawasaki Teryx4, a Teryx with 4 seats instead of 2. Appropriately, the introduction was accompanied by the Kenny Chesney hit, “Live a Little”, belting out, “stressed out, running LATE, racing down the interstate…”. Kawasaki is definately late and stressed out. About, 2 years behind Polaris on the introduction of the Polaris RZR4, the Kawasaki Teryx4 has some unique features that will appeal to gearheads that like taking the family or buddies for a ride. Kawasaki has been losimg marketshare to Polaris on the ATV side, making it important for Kawasaki to focus on the growing side by side market.

Built in Lincoln, Nebraska, this is a completely new chassis for Kawasaki making more room for a 6’4″ guy like me in the fron or back seat. There’s more shoulder and head room in the Teryx4 than the RZR4 also.

The V-twin motor has been upgraded with 8 more horsepower than the standard Teryx with the mew dual overhead cams. The wet type centrifical clutch gives natural engine braking and better reliability than the dry CVT system used by Polaris.

The suspension sports piggyback shocks in the front and rear and has oversized tires. Stability is great with torsion arms in the front instead of the rear!

The hard doors are a must to accomodate the kids in the back seat. Its easier to get in and out of than the RZR4 and feels alot more roomy. Its got a 250 lb cargo capacity for the cargo box on the Teryx4 making a nice spot for my giant cooler.

The air cleaner is really easy to get to under the tilt up hood making it much more servicable than other side by sides.

The optional power steering has the same system as the Brute Force and has a tighter turning radius than the RZR4 with a 86″ wheelbase compared to 103″ on the RZR4.

The width on the Kawasaki Teryx4 is 2 inches wider than the RZR4 overall which is noticed very little on the trail, but really appriciated in the cockpit!

Accessories for the Kawaski Teryx4 will be available soon on http://www.gearhead.com, the best supplier for Kawasaki and Polaris side by side parts and acessories online.

I have some friends that still don’t ride motorcycles, but depending on thier 2 wheel experience off road or on road, these are some great cruisers to consider when the budget is tight and you’re just starting out. In no particular order, these are motorcycles that you can find in dealership showrroms with a “street price” of under $6,500, even thought the MSRP might be higher. They might be non-current models, but that doesn’t affect the factory warranty unless the dealer has registered the motorcycle as a demo unit.

1. Honda Rebel
2. Honda Shadow Spirit
3. Kawasaki Volcan 500 Limited
4. Kawasaki Volcan 900
5. Kawasaki Eliminator 125
6. Suzuki Boulevard S83
7. Suzuki Boulevard S40
8. Suzuki TU 250
9. Yamaha V Star 650
10. Yamaha V Star 650 Classic

For an entry level commuter at 250 cc’s or under, the Honda Rebel 250, Kawasaki Eliminator 125 and the Suzuki TU250 are great bikes with amazing fuel economy. The Suzuki TU250 is my favorite with a rating of 78 MPG and really will get 60 MPG commuting around. The style is retro and much better looking than the GZ250 counterpart.

In the mid-size class (500cc-750cc) you’ve got alot to choose from with the Suzuki Boulevard S40 (650cc, formerly know as the Savage), the Yamaha V Start 650 and 650 Classic, the Honda Shadow Spirit (carbureted to get for under $6,500) and the Kawasaki Volcan 500. The carbureted Spirit is not being manufactured by Honda anymore with the fuel injected models coming out for 2011, but there are still some left in dealerships with nice rebates. The V Star’s have the best fit and finish and are really close in power to the Shadow.

For the best motorcycles under $6,500 that you would consider riding 2 up and long distance, go with the Suzuki Boulevard S83 or Kawasaki Volcan 900. These have big rebates right now and are available in many Suzuki and Kawasaki dealerships. The new models that will replace the carry-overs will be $8,000 so it saves to buy a non-current!

Motorcycling can be done on a budget and these are the top 10 Motorcycle Cruisers you can buy Brand New for under $6,500! As of June, 2011 Rexburg Motorsports has all of these models in stock. And, if you’re willing to fly to Idaho Falls, Idaho, I’ll pick you up at the airport, hook you up with a bike, and you can ride your new motorcycle through Yellowstone National Park and past the Grand Tetons and have a happy Day!

Jared Burt is a principle with Rexburg Motorsports and Gearhead.com in Rexburg, Idaho. Contact him through email at jared@gearhead.com.

The Throttle Freaks are a group of Idaho rednecks that ride together every Thursday night…when there’s not snow on the roads in SouthEast Idaho. Rides start at about 6pm at Rexburg Motorsports http://www.rexburgmotorsports.com the Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Polaris, Can Am, Ski-Doo and Arctic Cat superstore in Rexburg, Idaho.

Rides include dinner and 75 to 150 mile cruises around East Idaho and Western Wyoming. Some of the favorites are the Felt Drummond Loop, Pinecreek Pass, and the ride we did tonight, Red Road.

The Red Road ride takes us on Highway 33 west to Mud Lake. Ya, it’s called mud lake because most Idaho Lakes are full of clear water. It’s the lake like every lake in Mississippi but without alligators and catfish. The Freaks ate at K and G’s Diner in Mud Lake….classic burgers and fries. Then north up to Monteview and east over to Dubois and Enter Red Road. Not too long ago, Red Road was a dirt road. Now paved and still windy, the red road makes for a great bike ride but you have to watch out for antelope and cattle.

It’s great to wind down after a stressful day at work with a bunch of hippies and rednecks from all walks of life on motorcycles.

Bakersfield to Reno took us 440 miles through some surprisingly interesting country. The Mammoth mountains along the East side of the Cascades and Sierras of Central California are a good day on a motorcycle. This last stretch on the Goldwing and Spyder totalled 1,450 miles on the bikes. We would have been glad to do another 1,500 miles on the bikes to enjoy the miraculous mountain passes, scenic reservoirs and lakes, artichoke, avocado and apple orchards, wine orchards, river bottoms and of course the Pacific Coastline.

We couldn’t have been more comfortable with our Fly and Scorpion riding gear from gearhead.com. It was nice to be able to talk bike to bike on the Scala Rider G4 Powersets with MP3 compatibility so I could jam to my playlist when Lance and I weren’t talking about the next route or rest stop to take.

The smells you experience while riding a motorcycle are a big bonus. During this ride, we passed a little cafe in the middle of nowhere and turned around to eat after taking in the smell of freshly grilled beef and apple pies. Then, we passes a flower farm. The mountains have the most clean fresh air in contrast to the cities. In Carson City, NV, i was at a stop light and smelled a deliciously sweet smoke. After pulling up to the next stop light, I smelled it more intensely and next to me were two dudes sharing a joint smoking weed with their car window rolled down enough for the white smoke to clear out so they could see out the windshield. Nice.

Overall, the riding through California was incredible. Thank God for motorcycles and all the places we have to ride them!

This is a few hundred yards from where James Dean died in car accident.

Motorcycling on Highway 1

Highway 46 MotorcyclingGearhead.com loaded Honda Goldwing enjoying Highway 1