The Kawasaki KRX4 Blackout Edition May Be The One Side-By-Side to Rule Them All

An Oregon rainforest elk hunt will break everything. It didn't stop the KRX4.

Photo by: DangerSoup

By: Justin Moore

Jun 23, at 7:03am ET

Add RideApart as a preferred source in Google

Comment

Rule may be too strong a word, but you would be hard fought to find another side-by-side that can cover all the bases as the Kawasaki KRX4 Blackout UTV does.

Are there machines with more power? Absolutely. More cargo capacity? Yes. But what you get in a factory offering is substantial. I could tell you the specs, and they would all sound fantastic on paper, along with the additional features that Kawasaki tacked on for the Blackout Edition. But instead, I decided to basically beat the hell out of it to see just how well it held up to varying conditions.

Not only that, I had a hunt planned with a few companies, and borrowing this model just happened to coincide with what would be some fantastic testing grounds for just how well it would hold up in all conditions, as the Cascade Mountains in central Oregon are rough, jagged, and built out of vast amounts of lava rocks, cinder, and dust.

The OHV trail system here is fantastic and can take you from high lake to high lake with lots of hidden playgrounds of fine volcanic soil and sand everywhere. After picking the KRX4 up, we took it to the mountains right next to Hoodoo Ski Area, as the snowparks make for fantastic staging areas in the spring, summer, and fall as soon as most of the snow has melted. The middle of summer is brutal when it comes to dust, but spring and fall, when the air is crisp, and the ground is damp, make for unbelievable riding surrounded by some active volcanos and buttes.

There’s terrain for everyone.

2026 Kawasaki KRX4

Photos by: DangerSoup

One of the first things that I noticed when taking some laps around one of the sand pits was how smooth the travel was. The trails are pretty rough, and I didn’t have any issues with it bouncing around or losing control. My youngest son and one of his friends were in the back seat, and it was a smooth ride for them, even with the little amount of weight they added. The long wheelbase (125.8”) is almost exactly the same as a Nissan Frontier crew cab with a short bed, which makes it tight on some of the corners on the OHV trail, but the ride is smoother than a Barry White ballad on a 3rd date. The overall body length is about 4.5 feet shorter than the same pickup, however, which makes for fantastic ground clearance over really technical terrain and for squeezing around tight spots.

Speaking of musical crooners, the upgraded Hifonics stereo package on the Blackout edition is fantastic for being OEM. It easily connects to Bluetooth and has a special dirt/dust/mud/water-free space with a USB charging port that holds your phone secure while you tear over the dunes or bounce down a trail. The multiple 6.5-inch speakers, 10-inch sub, and 600-watt sub get plenty loud while cruising around. If you want something to keep the whole campground awake or thump like a teenager in a Honda Civic, this isn’t really going to do that, but Barry White will sound great… and there is a back seat. They’re bucket seats with more than enough room for two adults, which are really comfortable for sitting, any other activity, and your level of comfort is completely your responsibility.

2026 Kawasaki KRX4

Photo by: DangerSoup

The hunt was for Roosevelt elk on the Oregon coast, just down the road from the small town of Reedsport. I could almost see Winchester Bay from where we were hunting, which, if you’re from the west coast, you probably know as the home of Dunefest. Being that close to the coast means that the forests are incredibly dense and the likelihood of precipitation is a certainty any day of the week.

This particular hunt was a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Leupold Optics, Christensen Arms, and Nosler. Elk in general are a conservation success story, and Roosevelt elk are no exception.

Numbers in the late 1800s and early 1900s were really low due to unregulated market hunting and poaching, but now, with modern efforts, which include habitat management, regulated harvest, and trophy hunting (that’s right, trophy hunting is a conservation tool and it may not be what you think it is), Oregon now maintains one of the largest Roosevelt elk populations in the world. And that tradition continues, as the state's elk herds are funded by hunting revenue, donations, and organizations like RMEF and Oregon Hunters Association.

Combine that with the self-imposed Pittman-Roberston federal excise tax that companies like Leupold, Nosler, and Christensen Arms pay into with every sale ($18.66 million to Oregon in FY2025 and nationally around $1 billion), it gives states the tools to successfully manage wildlife. Now there are over 59,000 Roosevelt elk in Oregon and more than 74,000 Rocky Mountain Elk in eastern Oregon.

2026 Kawasaki KRX4

Photos by: DangerSoup

The elk in the coastal range are really good at staying hidden and somehow manage to squeeze through the thickets and briar patches with no problem, so catching them as they come out and feed in the mornings and evenings is always the plan. Logging roads with landings on the ridges make for great spots to set up Leupold spotting scopes and see if you can find a herd moving.

Two more important additions to the Blackout Edition are the Warn Winch and the K-Glow light package. I don’t know that I have to tell you just how important the winch is, but the light package is surprisingly useful. Multiple light bars mounted on the front and back are all controlled by factory-installed controls, making it easy to use and no extra mess from aftermarket installations. Not only that, but since it’s factory-installed, it’s also factory-warrantied.

Being right on the ocean makes the weather a little more unpredictable, too.

It can be raining at first light and sunny by lunch, then completely socked in by dinner so it’s important to just zip up your rain gear and go out when it’s nasty. By the second morning, not only did we find a herd of elk, but we managed to catch them out in the open. Like most wild ungulates, they like to graze either at night or right at first and last light. We managed to catch them between a field by the river and on their way back to the dense cover of the rainforest.

Two elk down within a short amount of time and within about a quarter mile of each other made for two happy hunters and one happy guide. And a quick pack out, especially when the Kawasaki is involved.

Photo by: DangerSoup

After cleaning the animals and getting them in the cooler, it was back to camp to start planning where to hunt next. The herd we had found that day probably was going to disappear for a short time, even though they really weren’t that spooked. It’s important to remember that these animals see some of their herd get taken down by predators all the time, so when one of them just lies down after a mellow crack of a rifle (thanks to the suppressors), it really isn’t that stressful for them.

Let's not forget the other thing that rainforests do really well… they grow mushrooms! Elk backstrap and wild chantarelle mushrooms, you would be hard-pressed to find a better pairing in any Michelin Star restaurant.

Photo by: DangerSoup

By the next evening, we had the third bull down. Another property about 5 miles away, same tactic, same result. We had just enough of a window in the weather to make it happen in a couple of days. Once we got back to camp, it really started to rain, right up until we left. The silver lining; that gave us even more of an opportunity to test out the side-by-side.

What do you think?

View

Comments

As it turns out, our guide, Jody Smith of Jody Smith Guide Service, raced dirt bikes when he was younger, so I handed the keys off to him, and we went along for the ride. It’s a good thing we waited until the last night for the joyride, since we ended up coming back to camp without one ounce of dry clothing. Jody was impressed with the machine, and we were properly entertained, had a freezer full of elk, and didn’t need to go out into the torrential downpour again.

Every piece of gear performed flawlessly, and the Kawasaki KRX4 covered all the bases and then some.