Rock Crawling Area BFE
in our Built 2011 Kawasaki Teryx
Phase One - 2011 Kawasaki Teryx Buildup
I picked up a brand new 2011 Kawasaki Teryx back in late February,
and it has been a non-stop quest to get a bunch of work done to it in
time for my annual trip to Moab Utah. The goals for this build project
are extreme suspension, lightweight, performance and trail capability. I
really like the Kawasaki Teryx as a build platform because its v-twin
engine has great power potential, there are some very nice long-travel
kits available, the chassis is stout and aftermarket products are
plentiful.
With phase one of my build complete, I showed up in Moab with less
than 10 miles on the odometer, and the only testing consisted of hitting
a few speed bumps in my neighborhood. Not an ideal way to start out on
a wheeling adventure 15 hours from home, but I was confident in the
components. The first three days in Moab, we conquered Poison Spider
Mesa & Golden Spike, Steel Bender and Cliff Hanger. I was thrilled with
how capable the Teryx was in the rocks.
Wheeling our Teryx on Poison Spider Mesa and Golden Spike
With three days of wheeling, our attention turned to what to do for
our fourth and final day in Moab. The group started talking about Area
BFE. I had heard of this place after this years Easter Jeep
Safari. Lots of activity and events are held there and it piqued my
interest.
Area BFE is an offroad park that is most well known within the Jeep
and rock buggy crowd, but it is also a perfect place to explore in your
UTV. The park was created by a few individuals that had a vision to
create a place where people could go off-roading without the threat of
being kicked off of a fun little playground. The area opened in 2004,
and since then they have been working to make trails, a camping area and
many other fun destination points on the property.
We locked in on Area BFE for our Thursday run and I was really
excited about doing a little more extreme trails with my Teryx. In our
group for the day were my friends Bob in his RZR, Dave in his RZR XP,
Reid in his full tilt Teryx, Joey D from
UTVUnderground.com
in a LT Teryx, Dean in another LT Teryx, Jeff Knoll of King of the
Hammers fame in a bone stock Teryx, Casey Currie in another full-tilt
Teryx and Woody from
RockCrawler.com in his nicely setup RZR. The small group was a nice
change to the day before where we had 26 UTVs running Cliff Hanger.
Jeff and Woody had played around at Area BFE in 4x4s previously, so
they led the charge and we headed for Greed Day.
Green Day is one of the moderate trails at Area BFE, but
with a few optional lines it was tougher than Poison Spider Mesa, Steel
Bender or Cliff Hanger.
I came super close to rolling on this obstacle - Green Day Trail, Area
BFE
Other than almost rolling on one obstacle (I am sure it was driver
error), I was super thrilled with my Teryx and loved the challenges
offered by this trail. We ran the whole loop and ended at the start of
another trail called Helldorado. The trail is probably all of 1/3 of a
mile long, so we got out and walked it first. There was a broken Toyota
at the start of the trail. It had huge tires and was stuck right in the
first obstacle. At this point, I wasnt too sure that I wanted to even
run the trail with my brand new Teryx, so I walked along with an eye on
taking pictures of the others instead. Other than the first obstacle,
there were a few more that looked pretty nasty, then a waterfall at the
end that was impassable without winching.
I watched Woody, Casey, Reid and Dean go through the first obstacle
and I guess I got caught up in the moment and decided I might as well go
for it too.
Start of Helldorado Trail, Area BFE
Surprisingly enough, I made it though the first obstacle
without assistance other than a spotter. I think the long shocks
coupled with the +5″ suspension and traction from the Pit Bulls were the
difference.
We made it through a few more obstacles, then the the
trail got easier until the waterfall at the end.
The waterfall at the end is pretty much impassable for
UTVs and most full-size 4x4s so that wasnt really a challenge.
Pictures don really do it justice at all. Definitely felt a little
uncomfortable knowing you were going over if the line broke.
Winching up the waterfall on Helldorado Trail, Area BFE
Area BFE was big fun, and we only put a dent into what you can do out
there. If you are going to Moab, and have some extra time, put it on
your to-do list. Whether you go for the more extreme trails or just want
to cruise, there is something for everyone.
I had a great experience in Moab once again. Always great wheeling,
and I meet several super cool people each year. Just wish I could stay
longer. And as far as my new Teryx goes, phase one of the build has
completely exceeded my expectations. My gears have been turning since I
left Moab on what do to next. I know for sure that I will be talking
with Muzzys about a big bore engine, and I really want to check out some
30″ tires. I live in northern California with the world famous Rubicon
Trail in my backyard, so I know that there will be some rock crawling in
my summer plans. Hopefully the rain will stop soon so we will be able to
get to the trail head sometime soon.
Here are a few highlights of the phase one build:
- The suspension is a +5″ LSR XTR-F kit. This setup utilizes
bolt-on shock towers front and rear that enables 8.5″ and 10″ Fox
shocks with Position Sensitive dampening. I have the ride height
setup a little higher for the rocks and it is just about perfect.
With the rear sway bar removed, the shocks are flexing really well
and the ride is very plush (I set the compression adjustment soft
for rock crawling).
- Power steering from Wicked Bilt is also super nice. Once you
drive a UTV with power steering, you will know what I am talking
about. Especially in the rocks, steering effort is greatly reduced
and makes driving much more effortless. Also no worry about ripping
a thumb off when you hit a big rock without notice.
- I am running 26.5″ Pit Bull Rocker tires on DFR Baja Crippler
wheels. This setup gives me a bit more ground clearance, and the
tires grab the rocks real well. I may look into something taller for
the rocks, but I am torn because the Pit Bulls have incredible
traction. A set of 31/10.50/R15 Growler LT's may be in my future...
- Factory UTV 1/2″ UHMW skids and rocker guards are key to
protecting the underside of my Teryx. Unlike aluminum, UHMW helps
soften the hits but is stout enough to last. I may add a few pieces
of 1″ box to the underside of the frame to support the skid better.
There are areas that could use some backing, and with repeated abuse
even 1/2″ UHMW will suffer without proper backing.
- I put my Warn RT40 winch to the test on Cliff Hanger. There were
a few spots that were a bit of a challenge for some and I winched a
good dozen times over 3 different obstacles. The RT40 never
flinched.
- The v-twin Teryx powerplant has a nice rumble to it, and with
the addition of a Muzzys exhaust, it just sounds awesome! One really
cool feature is the flexibility of this exhaust. You can run open,
with a Quiet Core, or with Muzzys exclusive Whisper Core. When
trail riding and rock crawling, I really like the Whisper Cores.
Exhaust noise is toned way down and it only takes a minute to swap
them in/out.
- The Teryx has been shortened to about 107″ overall with a bed
that was bobbed and narrowed. This give the Teryx a sportier look,
but also creates a much better departure angle when rock crawling.
Roggy Enterprises did an incredible job taking my vision and
executing the design that is strong and simple.
- Seats and harnesses I installed a set of Beard Fuel seats and
Beard harnesses. The seats are comfortable and provide ample
containment. They are also real tall and provide good head support
and protection. The harnesses are 5-point, but I was just running
the lap in the slow moving rocks.
- CBR Radiator was installed to help with extra cooling. Although
I dont really need the extra cooling capacity now, I plan to
upgrade to a big bore Muzzys engine, and dont want to worry about
temps in the dunes. The radiator is a complete bolt-up replacement
for the factory unit, but provides more cooling capacity.
2011 Kawasaki Teryx Build Partners:
Follow our build at:
2011 Kawasaki Teryx Build Project
Area BFE:
More information: Area BFE
Since Area BFE is private property, they cannot charge an entry
fee without the county getting way too far into their business.
Instead, Area BFE depends on donations from users to enhance and
maintain the area. Please donate, and also treat the property better
than you would your own so we can continue to have the privilege to
use this area.
How to get to Area BFE:
From Moab, go south on Highway 191
approximately 13 miles. Take a left on Pole Canyon Rd. which is just
opposite to the road to Behind the Rocks. The turnoff is just after
the passing lane comes to an end. The parking lot for Area BFE is in
about three miles on a maintained dirt road.
Trail Description: Green Day
- Trail Rating: Intermediate to Expert
- Description: Two distinct lines, intermediate and expert. At
least 14 Expert obstacles are present. Bypasses for difficult
obstacles.
- Requirements: Min. 33″ tires, at least a rear locker and a
winch.
Trail Description: Helldorado
- Trail Rating: Expert
- Description: The Famous Helldorado Trail. Prepare for
damage!
- Requirements: Min. 37″ tires, Lockers, Winch, spare parts
possible, a welder, and SPOTTER!
- Do not attempt alone!
Links:
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