In the fall of 2019, Kawasaki finally brought their first sport UTV to market with the Teryx KRX 1000, a 999cc naturally aspirated beast of a machine that blew away the competition in terms of size and strength of most components. However, stock just isn’t enough for most people, so we’ve come up with a list of what we consider to be the best accessories for the KRX direct from the original equipment manufacturer.
Kawasaki Winch Installation Kit
Kawasaki uses a hidden winch mount that goes in front of the differential and behind the front frame plate. There have been a few aftermarket companies that we have seen try to make a less expensive plate than the OEM one, but none yet produced have matched the strength and fitment of the OEM manufacturer design. With as capable as the KRX 1000 is, it can go through tougher obstacles than most owners ever thought possible. However, taking on those challenges comes with the risk of getting stuck or getting into compromising situations. Having a self recovery option is one of the most important upgrades you can make to your KRX.
The Winch Installation Kit was made with the Warn VRX 4500 lbs winch in mind, however it will work with most standard fairlead mount UTV winches that are on the market today. Clearances are tight between the winch and front differential, so we have some concerns about additional damage or repair issues with a collision in the front, but this same concern goes across the board with all UTV platforms with winches of this type.
The Winch Installation kit uses a sandwich plate system to mount the winch and fairlead. One plate goes behind the front frame plate to mount the winch itself. Threaded tubes that match up with the frame plate are used to help locate, align and hold the plate during installation and also offer a degree of strength. Then the fairlead is attached to the second plate and is placed in front of the frame plate. It is bolted on to the threaded tubes of the interior plate, offering a thick and strong surface area that minimizes deflection of the zone during hard line pulls. Finally, it includes a contactor solenoid mount, which provides a bolt on solution for one of the more frustrating parts of installing a winch. With this included piece, you don’t have to worry about figuring out a secure location to mount the solenoid.
HMW Full Skid Plate Set
The Kawasaki KRX 1000 protects the underside of the UTV better than most straight front the factory. Little is exposed and the factory uses a combination of HDPE plastics and 14 gauge steel to protect the underbody. While this is fine for open trails, if you plan to really use your machine, you need significantly better protection underneath your rig. This is where Kawasaki’s HMW Full Skid Plate Set comes into play.
HMW, like HDPE, is a type of polyethylene. However, it is more impact and abrasion resistant, while still retaining the slick properties of polyethylene that allow it to not get hung up on obstacles that would grab steel or aluminum. The skid system utilizes 3/8″ thick HMW throughout its construction. It is a complete bolt on solution that utilizes factory frame points throughout the installation with the help of some spacers in key areas, meaning there is no drilling or cutting required. The skid system also features drain holes and cutouts in critical areas that allow you to easily drain fluids when you go to service your KRX.
Sport Front Bumper
The Teryx KRX 1000 needs something in the front to protect the factory plastics from damage and the Sport Front Bumper affordably fits the bill. The Kawasaki bumper offers a good degree of protection for your UTV. It comes in the same satin powdercoat finish as the rest of your KRX and if the main front fascia protection isn’t enough, you can easily expand the bumper to full coverage with the Kawasaki Headlight Guard attachment, which bolts right on to the base bumper.
Installation of the Sport Bumper is super easy and will take less than 30 minutes for most people. First, you install two support brackets behind the front fascia. Then you line up the bumper and put two bolts into the holes in the lower portion of the bumper and hand tighten them. The bolt the upper mounts of the bumper to the two support brackets you previously installed, align everything up and torque to spec and then you’re done. The bumper is compatible with the Kawasaki Winch Installation kit.
Finally, the KRX logo on the front of the bumper is simply a rubber material piece that can be removed. Behind the logo is a light bar bracket that is designed to hold the K-Glow 8″ light bar from Kawasaki. Other similarly sized slights can be used instead of the OE manufacturer’s product as long as the light uses the same side post bolt installation method.
Sport Rear Bumper
So admittedly, the KRX isn’t the fastest sport UTV on the market. For this reason, having a rear bumper might be one of the most important upgrades you can make to your KRX. Stop the hate mail, we love the KRX and we think it is hands down the best UTV on the market at what it was designed to do. That’s why we named it the 2019 UTV of the Year.
Like the Sport Rear Bumper’s front counterpart, installation on the Kawasaki rear is super simple and will take less than 30 minutes with common hand tools. It helps to have a second set of hands during installation to hold the bumper while installing it. Simply hand tighten the upper brackets to the mounting points in your UTV’s rear frame. Then install two bolts into the corresponding cutouts in the bottom of the bumper and through the bottom middle section of the frame of the KRX. Align, tighten and then you are done.
One nice feature that is built into the bumper is the addition of a hoop in the middle of the top section of the bumper. This is used in conjunction of Kawasaki’s Y-Strap so that you can mount a spare tire up to 32″ directly into the back of the bed of the KRX without the need for purchasing a separate tire carrier.
Audio System for Teryx KRX 1000
Let’s be honest, having tunes blasting on the trail is one of the best things about riding with your friends in UTVs. Kawasaki partnered with Hifonics to produce a full featured audio system that matches perfectly with the KRX interior styling. The system includes a head unit, door speakers, USB and AUX inputs, along with a fully powered 600W 12″ subwoofer with integrated amplifier.
We first got our eyes on this system when in debuted at SEMA in November of 2019 and were impressed with the fit and finish of the sound system. The head unit panel includes cutouts for four additional contura style accessory switches and runs a wire off into your upper storage tray for a USB input that you can charge or rear data. The extra feature also allows you to run an auxiliary cable directly from an audio source. The head unit is AM, FM and Bluetooth capable for streaming music and has a full color display for album art, along with song and artist information.
Two 6.5″ mid-range coax speakers are included and will look like they were installed from the factory once they are installed. The KRX doors were made specifically with these speakers in mind.
And finally, the flagship of the system is the formed 12″ amplified subwoofer. The sub is mounted in the bed of the KRX and the molded design of the box maximizes the sound of the sub, while minimizing its footprint in the bed of your UTV.
All components of the Hifonics sound system are IPX6 for dust and water intrusion, which is the highest rating for dust intrusion and means you don’t have to worry about it getting wet either. Hifonics had been working with Kawasaki for nearly two years to get everything right for when the KRX was released and we believe they knocked it out of the park.
