Protection That Works
Story By: Staff of UTV Sports Magazine
Photos by: Brandon Bunch
Sometimes the simplest of things go overlooked when outfitting your UTV. Especially when those items aren’t flashy or even seen. Whether you are cruising through the desert, beating through the rocks, or bouncing off trees, the undercarriage of your UTV needs protection. Factory UTV has been leading the charge to make sure the chassis’ tubes don’t get mangled throughout a fun day of riding.
Our last trip to Moab, UT, we witnessed the need for quality full skids first hand. With our Honda Talon bound up in a rock garden, the rear tires slipped off the rocks and the car landed on the chassis. We thought nothing of it and wiggled the car out of the situation. A few days later, we loaded the car on the trailer and crawled under to strap it down. The caved-in chassis tube stuck out like a sore thumb and we all knew exactly where it happened.
Fast forward months down the road, Keith found himself in a riverbed with some massive boulders. The Polaris RZR Turbo S was equipped with the ⅜ thick Factory UTV UHMW skid plate. The same hit taken by the Honda happened rock after rock in the Polaris. Once back, we took a survey of the damage. The only ding was to a front lower control arm that did not have any protection.
The UHMW allows the car to slide over obstacles, and when the chassis takes a hard hit, the skid plate disperses the blow saving the chassis from damage. Installing the Factory UTV skid plates, you quickly notice how much better the material is than what might come stock, and how much more of the chassis it protects. Installing the kit was painless and we would recommend this upgrade for any UTV, no matter the riding style or terrain.
