10 Best UTV Upgrades For New Owners

If you're new to owning a UTV or side-by-side, these are the upgrades you'll need to make first...

Whether you’re buying a new unit from the dealer or a used UTV from Facebook Marketplace, you’ll want to make some of these best UTV upgrades before your first trip.

When picking up a new UTV, you can’t leave it in stock form for too long. If you’re like us, you’ve most likely been searching for aftermarket parts to make it suit your needs and desires. While many of these upgrades increase the looks of your new machine, they can also provide the following:

With so many aftermarket items available, it’s easy to customize your new UTV with upgrades and add-ons such as mirrors, stereos, doors, seats, and harnesses just to name a few. Doing these upgrades not only changes the appearance of the machine but can also increase its safety features. We’ve done most of the homework for you by compiling a great list of the best UTV upgrades you can make as a new UTV owner.

When making any upgrades to your UTV, we like to focus on safety first, and replacing the stock 3-point seat belts with a good set of 4 or 5-point safety harnesses is a great start. Upgrading to a safety harness-style belt will keep you more secure in the event of an accident. A solid choice is the 2-inch Pro Armor A114220 Black 4-Point Harness (two-pack) which features a quick-release buckle for easy in and out, padded shoulders with an adjustable sternum for not only safety but comfort. The padded shoulders also prevent the harness from digging into your neck. Installation is simple, quick, and universal to accommodate many mounting locations. These can be used on stock seats. As a bonus, each harness comes equipped with a water-resistant phone pocket and a mesh light pocket (including a flashlight) on either side.

When you’re sitting for hours on a trail ride, you’ll want to be comfortable. Now there are many different manufacturers of seats for you to choose from in our buyer's guide of Best UTV Seats that vary in color and style to match your ride, and the Pro Armor G2 is one of our favorites. Pro Armor has a great seat at a good price, with many features such as pass-through slots for harnesses, marine-grade vinyl to repel water on those wet rides, and a sand drain to help keep them clean and prevent puddling on rainy days. Additional benefits to upgrading from the stock seats are you will feel more secure in place giving you a much more enjoyable driving adventure.

The easiest modification we can do is to secure mirrors to our new ride. For some reason, the manufacturers don't install a set of mirrors but luckily there are many options available. When purchasing a set, you will want to determine the style and fitment you want and need from having a rear view, side, or both sets of mirrors. We prefer to have the set as it makes driving safer and helps you see if other machines are approaching from the rear. This Kemimoto package helps add visibility as well as creature comforts we're familiar with in our daily driver. Or, if you don't find the need for the rearview mirror, then a bomber set of sideview options from Assault Industries is a must. For even more varieties to "reflect" on, check out our buyer's guide on the Best UTV Mirrors.

When traveling off-road you encounter many objects and obstacles to traverse over and around to keep your trail ride moving. Of course, there are many things that can happen to bring your ride to a halt, but we can try to prevent some of those with the Super ATV High Clearance Radius Rods. These new radius rods have an arched design to provide additional ground clearance without lifting the machine. The added clearance prevents getting hung up on rocks and stumps, unlike the OEM set that can bend when made in contact with obstacles. All the necessary instructions and hardware are included to provide a simple and fast installation. With many brands competing for their piece of the pie, you have plenty of options to choose from that feature different materials and designs that suit your style best.

When we are out on trails we may encounter more technical areas with rocks, trees, and tighter areas to maneuver through, which can cause damage to the bodywork of your machine. Protecting your new machine from branches, rocks, and trees can be a simple solution as installing bumpers. SuperATV has designed a set of bumpers to enhance the style and protection of your machine while offering them in different color options to customize your ride. These bumpers are constructed out of 1.75" x 1/16" DOM Steel Tubing, CNC machined end caps, and UV-resistant powder coating for years of durability. Installation is a breeze with instructions and all the necessary hardware included to ensure a secure fit.

The factory doors help keep your body in the machine while driving over rough terrain, but most are only half doors that let debris and water enter the cab. Since the OEM doors have a nice style to them, why not just add a lower extension from KemiMoto. Installation of these lower door extensions is simple to accomplish, and all the needed hardware and instructions are included. The added rubber strip helps reduce noise and rattling while driving.

Okay, would we say this is a crucial upgrade? Well...depends on how you like to ride. We prefer to do it bumping out our favorite playlist (maybe you too?) When exploring new areas and creating fresh memories from the trail it can be challenging to hear music properly without quality equipment. Boss Audio has you covered with its sound bar that mounts easily to your roll bar in any location. This soundbar has many features such as Bluetooth compatibility, USB charging, a multifunction remote, and waterproofing for maximum durability.

Installation is easy with any 12v power source and adjustable mounting clamps provided. BOSS Audio has many years of sound experience so you know this product will perform at its best for many years. You can also check out other UTV sound bars and roof speaker systems in our Best UTV Sound Bars buyers guide to find one that best suits your needs.

It's not a matter of if; it's a matter of when. Heading off-road, you should always have some type of recovery system on hand. And the folks over at Rhino USA have developed a simple kit that consists of their 20’ strap and D-Ring shackles. The heavy-duty strap features triple reinforced loop ends, and protective sleeves on each end provide superior strength and performance. The strap is 3in wide by 20ft in length to provide optimal recovery power.

The D-Ring shackles have a rugged protective coating to prevent rusting or damage from harsh weather. This simple solution is compact allowing for easy storage until needed.

While this is one of our favorite pieces of recovery gear, there are many other options that you have to choose from by checking out our Buyer's Guide of Best ATV Tow Straps.

Adding a roof to your new UTV provides many benefits when your machine is being used out on the trail or it is sitting in camp and even at home. A few of the advantages of installing a roof on your UTV is the added shade when you’re driving, in addition to keeping rain, mud, and snow from falling on your head and lap. When the vehicle is parked it helps deflect leaves, snow, rain, and bird droppings from falling and collecting on your seats.

This durable aluminum roof from Kemimoto is easy to install and the soft foam helps reduce noise and seal the roof to the roll cage. The roof is powder-coated black to withstand years of abuse from the sun and harsh elements of Mother Nature. If you’re interested in even more options for a roof to put on your new UTV, be sure to check out our Best UTV Roof Buyers Guide.

While out on the trail we carry extra items such as keys, phones, sunglasses, snacks, and drinks, but have no place for them comfortably. KemiMoto has designed door bags to help organize these items while adding style to the inside of your machine while adding storage space to free your pockets of items for comfort. The added knee pad prevents your legs from any banging on the door that may occur on a ride and is removable for cleaning. These bags are constructed with high-quality zippers for smooth operation and 1680 D Oxford fabric for scratch resistance and long-term use.

Recent Updates

06/02/2022: Original post.

11/06/2024: Update to description, images, product descriptions, and addition of product preferences.

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