KAWASAKIS IN UTAH
P80
Feature
once complains. It feels near bul-
letproof.
Before I know it, we're getting
right into the rocks and loose
gravel as we head up into the hills
overlooking Cedar City, and the
X's number one trump card of
near zero weight compared to the
1000 comes to the fore. It's so
maneuverable, so light on its feet,
the X is like a 300cc toy in the
loose stuff. I can't help but think
a 400cc version, with a little bit of
tuning, might just be the ideal ADV
bike, right, Kawasaki?
Eventually we cross into the
northwest corner of Zion National
Park, which was getting ready to
host the frankly bonkers Red Bull
Rampage mountain bike event
where riders send it off sheer cliff
faces in a time trial/style competi-
tion to the bottom of the canyon.
Look it up.
As someone who moved to this
country rather than being raised
here, the name Zion belongs
in the upper echelon of places
every adventurer must visit. It's
jaw-dropping pretty, like Sand
Canyon but wider, redder and
more famous, as the flock of
tourist traffic proved. We simply
ride through the National Park,
although the place is one of the
most mysterious and intrigu-
ing I've seen since calling this
country home. A 15-minute ride
through is not going to put a mark
on the ground in Zion, so a return
ride is already in the works for
2019.
DAY TWO
Now for something a little differ-
ent. Rather than riding around
the outside of the dunes, this
morning we're going to drive right
into them. Hang on, drive, I hear
you say? Yes, drive. Time was a
few years ago when Cycle News
would get the odd opportunity to
test out a side x side four-wheel-
er, all in the name of ensuring the
powersports industry was in good
health.
(Left) The
outskirts of Zion
National Park. I
doubt I've seen
a place quite
so naturally
beautiful in a
long, long time.
