Built For Purpose

Located at the northern end of the Yorkshire Dales, on the edge of the Lake District National Park, MHB Motorcycles, as the name suggests, is the area’s main dealer for leading motorcycles marques, including trials, quad bike manufactures, and more recently, electric mountain bikes.

Sadly, for the two-wheeled enthusiasts among us, motorbikes weren’t the reason why I drove an hour and 45 up the M6 to meet Martin. I was invited up to Kirkby Stephen to find out more about the TerramaxX, a modified Suzuki Jimny, and his recent addition, the all-new TerratruxX Utility that’s based on the Suzuki Carry 4×4.

Martin first came up with the idea of modifying Suzukis after his less than positive experiences with UTVs, that are not only expensive, but don’t last that long in the hands of a typical UK farmer.

“There must be a far cheaper and more practical alternative.” he thought.

With donor vehicles and parts readily available, and servicing being cheap as chips, they make perfect sense.

With the idea formulated, Martin searched for a suitable and reputable company to start the build process, and being impressed with their workmanship, he now works in conjunction with Torque Performance 4x4 over in Keighley, West Yorkshire.

Obviously being donor vehicles, they have had a life before being modified, so before they leave Torque Performance 4x4 they’re fully fettled, which means being completely stripped back to their individual components. The chassis are refurbished and rust protected, then the axles are stripped back, sandblasted, powder coated and fitted with new seals, swivel bearings and so on. Each vehicle is then rebuilt with quality parts to create a machine capable of working in pretty much any environment.

Part of the pickup conversion includes new uprated suspension, an optional rear disc brake conversion and of course a new rear tub. Importantly, apart from from being totally refurbished, the chassis remains unmodified, so they’re still registered as a Jimny.

On arrival, Martin had two versions of his TerramaxX Jimny conversion for me to play with, along with a TerratruxX that I’ll chat about later.

To get a proper feel for them, Martin and Steve drove me to Martin’s family farm that’s located deep in the Dales to show off their ability.

Those who know about Jimnys are fully aware of how capable these gutsy little 4x4s are, but add some of the modifications that Martin and TP 4x4 provide and they’re simply unstoppable.

There really isn’t much to write about here, simply because both vehicles drove everywhere Martin, Steve and I pointed them - up bankings, through the river - everywhere, both are ridiculously capable and agile 4x4s.

Another thing Martin is proud of is how recyclable they are.

A good example is the big green one. As I mentioned previously, it had had a life before it was rebuilt, then Martin sold it to a farmer with the same rear body as you see in the photos, but back then it had a simple 2” lift. When said farmer decided to move on, Martin bought it back, and after inspection and any repairs, it was modified further to what you see now with heavy duty radius arms, adjustable panhard rods, a 3” suspension lift, wide arch front wings and a super low gearbox, oh yeah, and low ground pressure tyres. Inspect it with a fine tooth comb and it looks like new.

Martin has lived within the farming community all his life, so is aware how useful his creations are, not just to farmers, but land owners, contractors - the list is endless. I, on the other hand, instantly recognised the leisure 4x4 user.

Can you imagine what a superb UK green-laner and wild camper they would make? A low level drawer system in the back for tools, recovery equipment and food, whilst on top of that you have a fridge / freezer and space next to that for your camping gear and tent? The possibilities are endless.

After an incredible hour or so trying to get both Jimnys stuck, and failing, it was time to head back to the workshop to take out the all-new TerratruxX Suzuki 4×4 Utility.

The TerratruxX is of course based on the Suzuki Carry 4×4, and again built in partnership with Torque Performance 4x4 where the donor vehicle is taken apart back to its chassis then fitted with upgraded suspension and so on.

This particular example comes with upgraded suspension & brakes, steel wide rims fitted with low pressure tyres, LED work lights, an LED light bar, protective front bull bar and cab bars. The load bed is vehicle specific and heavy duty with all sides being detachable.

To show off the TerratruxX’s ability even further, Martin took me to one of the fells that his family owns. With such a low centre of gravity, side slope anxiety is a thing of the past. Sure, you need to be aware of hidden rocks, but Martin has designed it tough, with a sturdy steering guard and other underbody protection. Driving around his property, the TerratruxX was a proper mountain goat with both a hi and low gearbox and diff lock, and those small tyres meant that it has quite a tight turning circle.

With a 660cc three-cylinder engine and a curb weight of around 700kg, the TerramaxX is small, powerful and extremely capable, these bespoke vehicles are designed to work in tough conditions, and like the TerramaxX Jimny conversion, spares are easy to find, they’re cheap to run with low road tax to-boot!

The Jimnys that Martin and TP 4x4 source are from the UK, but the TerratruxX 4x4 Carry Martins buys from an importer straight from Japan, ensuring they’re rust free and low mileage examples.

Martin has specifically designed these vehicles for work around estates, farms and forestry, and because he has so much faith in the design and workmanship, he offers a 3 month warranty.

prices: TerramaxX - start from £11,000 + VAT TerratruxX - start from £8,000 + VAT

more at » mhbmotorcycles.co.uk