It can be quite a challenge to target an offroad vehicle at two seemingly different groups.
We're not talking about those of us who will race vehicles not necessarily designed for racing or jump just about anything when we get the chance to regardless of the vehicle we're in. There are always those who push the envelope.
No, we're referring specifically to Kawasaki's newest vehicle, the Brute Force 300. Kawi has two target user groups-maybe even three-for the Brute Force 300: an entry level ATV for those testing the waters of four-wheeling and farmers and ranchers who are looking for a smaller work vehicle. The third group could be ATV riders who are ready to bump up to a size bigger than a 90-those riders who are 16 years and older, of course.
We can easily see how teenagers-again 16 and older-and those new to four-wheeling can take to this 300 and have a lot of fun with it. We don't fall into either of those two groups but got to spend a day riding the Brute Force 300 and found the new for 2012 vehicle sporty and definitely not intimidating in size or horsepower-especially to those who are new to four-wheeling.
The tougher sale might be convincing a farmer or rancher that the Brute Force 300 is big enough for their needs. This is no Mule afterall, but it was never meant to replace that workhorse. This Brute Force, which is obviously modeled after Kawasaki's flagship Brute Force 650 and 750 models, has a different purpose on the farm and ranch. It may fill a different role but it's still a worker. It can haul and pull small loads. Attach a plow and you can push snow. Need to check your irrigation water? The Brute Force 300 can get you there and back, reducing the need to drive a much larger vehicle like your pickup.
The Brute Force 300 can take on many of the smaller tasks on a farm and ranch. And to drive that point home and make the vehicle a little more appealing to farmers and ranchers, Kawasaki has put the price tag at $4,199. That's just $600 more than the Bayou 250 the Brute Force 300 replaces.
We didn't test ride the Brute Force 300 on a farm or ranch but instead on some trails at the Mines & Meadows (http://minesandmeadows.com) riding area in western Pennsylvania. It was actually an ideal place to test the Brute Force 300 with the right kind of terrain to have a lot of fun. There were small hills, plenty of mud, water, rocky stretches, lots of trees (read: downed logs) and even an underground mine to ride through.
For the kinds of conditions we rode in the, 271cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke single cylinder engine performed fine. Yes, we like the Digital Fuel Injection on the larger Brute Force models versus the carbs on the 300 but the smaller Brute Force is a price point vehicle so you can't have all the bells and whistles when you're trying to keep the price as low as possible. For a 300, this Brute Force has decent low end power and torque and the 20-plus horsepower at peak rpm won't scare anyone who is maybe riding it for the first time.
Looking at the powerband from a first-time rider's point of view, it feels smooth and plenty spunky. Experienced riders, especially those who are used to a fuel injected engine will think this 300 is not as smooth as Kawasaki's DFI vehicles, but again, that's where you have to give up some luxuries to keep costs down.
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with centrifugal clutch is a good combination of riding ease and control, which as Kawasaki points out, is especially important for first-time ATV riders. The CVT on the Brute Force 300 is based on the same general design Kawasaki uses on its flagship ATV, the Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS. The company designed the transmission and belt converter ratios for optimum power delivery to the ground and the speed range which fits nicely with a small ATV like the 300. For those first timers, not having to shift will be a nice feature.
Included as part of the drive system package is natural engine braking. That's always a nice feature if you ride anything besides flat ground. The engine braking does work as we had several opportunities to test it in the Mines and Meadows riding area. That's one of those reassuring features a young or new rider will like-even if they don't know exactly what's going on.
Kawasaki did a nice job of making the vehicle easy to shift with the gate-style shifter. The shift pattern-L-H-N-R-is something a first-timer would appreciate. We rode mostly in High; only once did we have to use Low and that was up a short, steep incline. The rest of time we tackled the hills in High and it wasn't a problem.
This is probably a good time to bring up one of our "Man, I sure wish this Brute Force had." We wish the Brute Force 300 was a 4x4. But we get Kawasaki's idea of keeping the price low. However, it would be easier to plow snow or tow in certain conditions or even just ride in really muddy or rocky conditions if the vehicle had 4x4. We would like to know if 4x4 would have got us out of a particularly tough spot where we got stuck in some nasty ol' mud.
Here are some other select features of the Brute Force 300:
Chassis: A steel tube frame that is lightweight and durable. This really is a nimble chassis that is easy to "throw" around or maybe a better way to say it, maneuver. Long A-arms give the Brute Force 300 one of the widest tracks in its class. The front track width is 850mm and the rear track width 830mm.
Maxxis Tires: These tires were jointly developed between Maxxis and Kawasaki. These are plenty grippy in lots of different conditions as we once again found out in western Pennsylvania in muddy conditions. The tires also performed well in the rocky sections.
Carrying/Towing Capacity: We mentioned this briefly above but here are the numbers. The front rack has a carrying capacity of 44 lbs. while the rear rack can carry 66 lbs. the front and rear racks also have tie down pins to help make attaching a load a little easier to strap down. The towing capacity is an impressive 500 lbs. In addition, behind the front grill is space and a mounting bracket for a Warn winch.
Push-button Start: You come to expect push-button starters on today's ATVs but the Brute Force also has a backup recoil unit.
More info? Go here: www.kawasaki.com
2012 Brute Force 300 Specifications
Engine: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, single cylinder
Displacement: 271cc
Bore x stroke: 72.7 x 65.2mm
Compression ratio: 11.0:1
Carburetion: Keihin CVK32
Ignition: Direct Current CDI
Transmission: Two-speed automatic with reverse
Final drive: 2WD, Shaft
Frame: Double cradle, steel
Suspension front/wheel travel: Double wishbone / 5.2 inches
Suspension rear/wheel travel: Swingarm / 5.6 inches
Front tire: Maxxix 22x7-10 tubeless
Rear tire: Maxxis 22x10-10 tubeless
Front brakes/rear brake: Dual 148mm discs / Single 148mm disc
Overall length: 75.3 in.
Overall width: 42.5 in.
Wheelbase: 45.8 in.
Ground clearance: 6.1 in.
Seat height: 33.3 in.
Lighting: 35 W headlights, 5W tallight and 21 W brake light
Rack capacity, front/rear: 44 lbs. / 66 lbs.
Towing capacity: 500 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 3.17 gal.
Curb weight: 535.7 lbs.
Instruments: Speedometer, odometer, clock, fuel gauge and coolant temp light
Color choices: Aztec Red, Super Black
MSRP: $4,199
ED--All action shots of the Brute Force 300 were taken at Mines and Meadows riding area in western Pennsylvania
