When is a farm bike not a farm bike?

22nd July 2010

WHERE’S the line between a farm bike, a quad bike, an ATV and a farm utility vehicle? The lines are quite blurred these days and there’s some great machines available for all-purpose use on the farm.
Farm utility vehicles are the new thing, and  there’s quite a range of machines to choose from.
Kawasaki’s Mule range is certainly something to check out.
If you want a farm vehicle a bit bigger than a quad bike and smaller than a ute with the luxury of a tipping tray and four wheel drive, this could be the ticket.
We test drove the Mule 610 on the weekend and it was a lot of fun.
The 610 has a 401cc, four stroke, air cooled engine, which puts out plenty of torque at low revs for a wide range of farming and commercial operations.
The single cylinder industrial motor is matched to a reliable, continuously variable transmission, don’t worry about gear changing in this baby.
You do have choices though. You can run in low or high ratio, can switch from two wheeled drive to four wheeled drive and manually operate the rear diff lock.
As well as the dual mode diff it has independent front suspension and sealed hydraulic brakes.
There’s even a glove box, plus a 48-litre storage space under the front bonnet and more storage space under the seat.
The little tray is a ripper.

You can carry over 180 kilograms, and being a tipper opens up quite a few possibilities.
The tailgate has nice easy latches to operate, and of course there’s lights for working late. It’s even got a couple of cup holders.
The engine has no shortage of power. It can tow up to 500 kilograms, and when we took it up a steep hill it was no effort for this little beast.
A great turning circle for those tight spots makes a Mule an easy machine to drive.
A good machine for a farm, lifestyle block or orchard.
Nice to just slide on to the seat and take off – like a farmer’s golf cart. Still, the gruntiest golf cart I’ve driven. No throwing the leg over and hoping the dog can stay perched on the back seat. The Mule is a little more refined.
A farmer’s choice
Farm vehicles have changed a lot over the years.
Once the choice was between a horse, Shank’s Pony or a new fangled tractor.
In the 1960s one revolution was the Mountain Goat, a small farm bike invented and made in Taranaki.
Two wheeled farm bikes grew quickly in popularity and they gave way to the three wheeled models, which proved to be a bit dangerous in some situations.
Along came the quads. Plenty of features and towing power but a bit limited in some situations.
The lines between different style farm bikes and farm utility vehicles are now really blurred and that’s good. Anything goes nowadays and this little beauty goes well.
It’s basic, so simple to drive the cat could take it down the road and it will go over any paddock.
There’s two other models to choose from in the Mule 600 series and a host of other Mules to look at, including twin cab models.
The Mule 610 can be brought from Taranaki Motorcycles for $12,884 (excl GST).