In true Kiwi fashion, farmers have put these machines to a wider range of tasks over the years, for example towing, and the engine capacity has been increased to cope. But with rising complexity and power has come higher prices – often more than can be justified if the quad is used largely to get people around the farm carrying a few tools. In such cases a two wheeler has until now been the more cost effective option.
Kawasaki have responded with a 4 x 2 300cc quad that does everything but tow the boat, yet only costs $6434 + gst – the Brute Force 300.
Pukekohe dairy farmer Brian Gallagher, who was kind enough to host Rural News for a test day on his farm, has been buying Kawasaki for years now and was keen to compare the Brute Force 300 with his current ride, a 2006 KLF 300. Both quads are 4 x 2, but the new one is more sharply priced relative to the market than his old one was in 2006. Price point will be a key to the Brute Force's success.
The farm we rode on was moderately hilly with a few steep bits. Brian says two wheel drive is more than adequate for his needs, and the new
300 had no trouble with the hills and races we tested it on.
At its heart, the Brute Force has a liquid-cooled 271cc single cylinder engine bolted to a fully automatic CTV transmission and centrifugal clutch. The engine features electric start with backup recoil starter and a balancer for smoothness. This unit is not of the massive power outputs we are now seeing from the big 800cc bruisers, but is more than fit for purpose and never felt underpowered around the farm.
Despite the competitive price, this quad doesn't lack anything, with disc brakes up front, "big-ATV" styling, and long travel suspension (double wishbone up front with 131mm travel and swingarm rear with 141mm travel). Some entry-level quads really feel cheap, but this one punches above its price point in terms of the way it goes and the build quality.
The ride was comfortable across heavily rutted ground, with only the occasional big jolt being transmitted to the handle bars.
Without the front differential and driveshafts of a 4WD, the curb weight is 243kg, rendering power steer unnecessary, and making for an easy handling quad. Towing capacity is still reasonable at 227kg (some farmers will no doubt exceed this, but that's another story).
Practical features include a sealed front storage area that holds the equivalent of four half-litre bottles. This is where the tool kit lives. It also has steel carriers that hold 20kg front and rear and have a number of tie-down points. Instrumentation includes speedo, odometer, clock, fuel gauge and coolant temperature light.
Both Rural News and Brian Gallagher were on the same page by the end of the ride; if your requirements are farm transport with that bit of extra carrying capacity, comfort and safety, the Brute Force 300 ticks all the boxes. And it's the same price as a decent two wheeler.
If Brian's old 2006 KLF wasn't going so strong, he might have even bought one, and when time is up for the old girl, he will probably consider it, given his previous buying history.
In the meantime, he is looking at adding a Mule to the fleet. We'll cover that in the next issue.
