“When you put 1,000 pounds in the back of our machine, all the payload is distributed evenly across the chassis to improve handling and take stress off the suspension.” “Our beds are wider, less deep and hold 1,000 pounds,” Gifford said. The cargo box comes with optional electric hydraulic lift for easy dumping. In addition, the Sidekick’s cargo capacity allows it to carry up to 15.2 cubic feet or a half ton of gears, tools or material in its heavy-duty steel cargo box. The machine can tow about 1,000 pounds of material as well. Kubota designed its Sidekick so that it can haul up to 2,000 pounds on flat terrain and 1,500 pounds on hilly terrain. “We’re taking (spreaders and sprayers) from our X series and putting them on this.” “We don’t have them yet, but we’re working on that,” he said. Gifford said the company is testing the Sidekick for sprayer and spreader attachments as well for landscape contractors. So, they wanted durability and the sweet spot of speed.”Ī full line of more than 50 new attachments and accessory options are specifically developed for the Sidekick, including a snow plow. The industry was giving them (the speed they wanted) but sacrificing durability. They really weren’t asking for 50 or 60 mph. “(Customers) wanted speed, so we focused on getting speeds they were looking for. “Customers can confidently take on any task or terrain with comfortable, convenient and capable features, and with the speed to get there fast, up to 40 mph fast,” said Roger Gifford, Kubota’s product manager for utility vehicles. The company showcased the new RTV at a media event this week at Lanier Islands in Buford, Georgia. The RTV-XG850 Sidekick features a 48-horsepower gasoline engine that travels at speeds of up to 40 mph, compared to the top speed of 29 mph for Kubota’s RTV-X series model. This allows the machine to draw in cool and dry air to help keep conditions inside the CVT housing moderated.For its latest RTV, Kubota focused on improving the vehicle’s speed, cargo and towing capabilities. The CVT is vented or plumbed into the ROPS structure, which is also unique to Kubota. It is complicated, but it works well and is very linear from dead stop to any forward or rearward movement. Basically, the primary sheave has a constant grip on the belt and the centrifugal clutch, riding on the crank, allows the engine RPMs to rise while spreading out spring loaded pads to engage the housing attached to the primary sheave. We did not get to see a breakaway of the clutch internals but it sounds familiar in some ways to other CVT transmissions with the same centrifugal clutching. It is a standard CVT or belt drive transmission, but has a centrifugal clutch inside the cases. Putting the 48hp to the ground is what Kubota refers to as the CVT-Plus transmission. The Kubota Sidekick does track straight and is a pleasure to drive. This is especially noticeable with the wider tires that our RTV-XG850 had been equipped with. As you speed up the assist is backed off and at very low speeds the power steering makes driving the machine pretty nice. The electronic brain takes many inputs and transfers that information to the controller for the EPS. This system, like many in the industry, is a regressive style. Once started and off into the greenery we did notice the amount of steering help we received from the electronic power steering. Our ride was in the capable gas-powered model, Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick and although the terrain was not exactly rough, we did get to know the machine a little better.Īfter a brief low-down on the machine, it was time to test out the Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick on the trail created on an abandoned golf course at Lake Lanier Island in Gainesville, Georgia. According to Kubota this machine is made for a consumer who wants to put it to work, including those urban farms or ranches that need a vehicle that is capable of moving across multiple terrain types. The acronym RTV stands for Rough Terrain Vehicle and this is very fitting for the new Sidekick. Recently, we had a chance to not only get to know the family of Kubota, but to also test out its new 2018 Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick UTV. The tractor company has built its reputation of reliable hard-working equipment since Kubota Manufacturing of America was founded in North Georgia in 1988. If you work around farming, you will most definitely recognize the Kubota name. Working is a big part of the UTV world and Kubota is building its brand around the hardest working outdoor industries. We had a chance to take the new 2018 Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick for a test drive. Kubota prides itself on building UTVs that can outwork just about anybody.
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