Well guys, I picked up my new machine Saturday morning, and boy, is she a beauty! As I had reported in my original post, they had a leftover red unit in the back that was still crated. So, when I showed up to get her at the dealer, she was brand, spanking, new, with only 0.4 mile on the odometer! My first surprise was getting her loaded up on my 6x8 trailer. I put the loading ramp down, and she fit on just fine. Only when I went to close the ramp, there wasn't quite enough clearance to get it all the way up! Fortunately, my ramp comes right off, so I was able to deal with that pretty quickly. After taking some time to figure out exactly how to get the vehicle strapped down securely, I made the 45-minute drive home uneventfully, though I did stop several times along the way, just to make sure the straps were holding and the machine wasn't shifting. Not having any gate at the back of the trailer was definitely a little "different."
Anyway, after getting home and unloading her, it wasn't long before I grabbed my helmet and headed up the mountain! I must say that my initial impression about the machine is, "I LOVE THIS THING!" She ran great and definitely seemed up for whatever I asked. I've been careful not to push her too hard -- no sudden acceleration, no flooring the gas pedal, etc. -- but she seems to perform just fine. At one point, I had her well over 40 mph on a downhill without ever coming close to getting the pedal to the floor. And on flat ground, she'll run 35 mph free and easy without breaking a sweat. I went down a steep, rocky, powerline, and low gear provided good engine braking. And on the way back up, I locked the differential and again stayed in low gear and she made a smooth, steady climb back up to the top, no problem!
I also took her through some old surface mines with a couple stream crossings and plenty of muddy slop and she powered right though most of it without even having to activate four-wheel drive! The machine seems to have plenty of power, doesn't run all that loud (thought loud enough it is hard to have a conversation with your passenger when the RPMs are up) and gives an overall comfortable ride. The steering is really easy when you're moving, though it's definitely requires a little effort making a turn from a standstill or when you are moving slowly when the diff is locked.
Obviously, it's still early, but I did manage to get about 23 miles in this weekend. So, I'm almost a quarter of the way to my initial fluid changes. My boys and wife were impressed too. So far, so good, and I am feeling good about the purchase. Enjoy the photos below. Apparently, you can only post four photos per post, so I'll have to do t, and I'll continue to keep you posted!
