JULY 2007 RHINO ACCESSORY. EXTREME CUSTOM UTVs RZR

Transcription

1 JULY 2007 RHINO ACCESSORY BUYER s GUIDE EXTREME CUSTOM UTVs << RZR ACCESSORIES FIRST TESTS: - PROWLER - RANGER - E-TON ROVER

2 E-TON ROVER The first UTV for kids! When you think about how much fun ATV Buggies like Yamaha Rhinos, Polaris Rangers and RZRs and others are, it seems obvious that a kids version would be a a blast, right? E-ton s Rover is the first such machine on the scene. Naturally, UTV Action is the first to test it. HOW DOES THE ROVER S PRICE COMPARE WITH KIDS ATVS? The price, $2799, is about $300 more expensive than most 90cc quads. Suzuki s new Z-90 and the Polaris Outlaw 90 are $2499. Honda s TRX90EX is $2749. WHAT IS IT MADE FOR? The Rover is made for cruising trails at a casual pace. It s not at the same performance level as modern 90cc quads. A throttle limiter holds top speed at 15 mph. On rough ground, the suspension can t deal with much more. WHAT KIND OF ENGINE DOES IT HAVE? An 88.4cc, fan-air-cooled, two-valve, pushrod, overhead valve four-stroke. It s not exactly a technological marvel, but this engine is well proven and nearly maintenance free.

3 Louis Burrows roosts a turn aboard E-Ton s new Rover.

4 WHAT KIND OF TRANSMISSION DOES IT USE? A fully automatic, continuously variable transmission (CVT). The driver just moves the tiny range selector from neutral to forward or reverse, presses the gas pedal and begins roving. Since the transmission continuously sets the transmission range to the torque and speed demands of the situation, the E-ton never bogs or over-revs. ANY UNUSUAL SAFETY FEATURES? Yes. Just as in some high performance cars, the Rover comes with an engine detuning valet key and a full-performance key. The Rover s top speed isn t too ferocious, but it accelerates forcefully, so the detuning key is a nice extra that will let younger riders get behind the Rover s wheel more safely. There s also the seatbelts and the safety net on the roll cage and the roll cage. All in all, E-ton made the Rover a pretty safe way to travel. WHAT KIND OF SUSPENSION HAS IT GOT? It s simple, but adequate for kids riding needs. Single A-arms are used up front, and there s just over two By definition, the Rover isn t an ATV, so there s no CPSC recommended age for it. Typical ten-year-olds are large enough to reach all the controls and there s even enough room for six-foot adults to squeeze behind the wheel.the Rover is destined to be a popular pit vehicle. The engine/transmission unit moves with the swingarm, as on many small buggies.that s a lot of weight for the shocks to control, but the system works well. E-TON ROVER 60 E-Ton gave the Rover enough power for kids to ride real trails, and the safety features are amazingly thorough.there s a seat belt and a safety net to keep the rider in place. Single A-arm front suspension does a good job on this machine.the shocks are preload adjustable. inches of travel. That s good; more travel, with the camber change that comes with single A-arms, would hurt steering precision more than it would help ride smoothness. The rear suspension is not a high performance design, but it absorbs bumps. The engine-transmission unit moves in an assembly that carries the rear axle. That gives the shocks a lot to handle, but they re tuned for the job. WHAT S IT LIKE ON THE TRAIL? If you re close enough, you ll probably hear the driver laughing. The Rover is a whole new way for young

5 There s not a lot guarding the belly of the beast, so you may want to point your more rowdy kids away from the rocks. people to trail ride. It is fun, steering and sometimes almost sliding around turns and flooring the gas pedal. Rough trails can be pretty bouncy for the rider, but kids see it as all part of the fun. WHERE DIDN T THE ROVER DO WELL? We found it s best to avoid extremely off-camber terrain and very steep climbs. The driver can t shift his weight to maintain control as effectively as he would on a conventional ATV. E-TON UKI-90 ROVER ENGINE/TRANSMISSION Engine type...fan air-cooled, OHV 2-valve, 4-stroke Displacement cc Bore x stroke...47mm x 51mm Compression ratio :1 Lubrication system...wet sump Fuel metering...svr 22mm Starting/back-up...Electric/none Starting procedure...in neutral only Choke...On dash Air filter access...remove fiter cover (6 screws) Transmission...Fully automatic, singlerange CVT w/reverse Reverse procedure...move range selector to R Final drives r...shaft/shaft DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES/WEIGHTS Fuel capacity gallons Wheelbase " Overall length/width/height "/40.2"/65.9" Seat height " Ground clearance...5.2" Dry weight lb. Hitch...No ROLLING CHASSIS Frame...Round steel tube Suspension/wheel travel: Front...Double A-arms/ 2.1" Rear...A-arms, j-arms/3.1" Brakes/actuation: Front & rear...left foot pedal Parking brake...lever on left of dash Tires: Front...18x7-10 Maxxis Rear...18x8-10 Maxxis ELECTRICAL DC outlet None Lighting Front...None Rear...Single tail/brake light DETAILS Instruments...Speedometer, odometer, trip odometer, hour meter, fuel gauge, clock Colors...Red, yellow, blue Minimum recommended operator age...16 Manufactured in...taiwan Suggested retail price...$2799 Contact...E-Ton: (800) IS IT FUN IN THE SAND? Yes. It s a cool way to get around, but speed isn t the main attraction. The fun of driving is. The Rover s fuel tank holds nearly three gallons of gas, so kids can enjoy continuous motoring with no fear of running out. HOW ARE THE DETAILS? Pretty neat. We already told you about all the safety features, but there are a few other things we like. The semi low profile tires keep the Rover s steering direct. There s a big storage trunk under the front hood, and the cargo bed has a tailgate that lowers. WHAT IS OUR FINAL ANSWER? The E-ton Rover is much like we imagined a youth ATV buggy would be; we re just a little surprised E-ton smoked all the bigger manufacturers by introducing it first. Kids are going to crave the thrill of driving that they see adults enjoying, and the Rover is a rugged, affordable way for them to enjoy it. MOTOR/TRANNY Overall power... Low... Mid... Top... Throttle response... Idling smoothness... Shifting/tranny... HANDLING AND CHASSIS Overall handling... Turning precision... Turning stability... Powersliding... Steering ease... Off cambers... High-speed stability... Jumping... Brakes: f... Brakes: r... Suspension: f... Suspension: r... Low-speed ride plushness... High-speed bump control... Ground clearance... Undercarriage protection... Traction... Hillclimbing... Downhilling... Water/mud... Rock hounding... RIDER COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE Overall ease of use... Start-up ease... Seat comfort... Vibration... Bars/seat/footrest location... Mud/water fender protection... Air filter access... Choke access... Control ease... Range selection ease... Storage box size... Storage box access... Front rack space...na Rear rack space... OVERALL RATING Overall design... Fit and finish... Overall sport... Overall utility... Overall rating... =EXCELLENT, =ABOVE AVERAGE, =AVERAGE, =BELOW AVERAGE, =POOR JULY 2007 / 4-WHEEL ATV ACTION 61