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Live Life Anywhere You Want With the Indestructible and Russian Sherp Max ATV

It looks like anytime someone hears of Russians building something, their eyes start to light up with excitement. With vehicles like the Sherp Max ATV, it’s no wonder.
SHERP MAX ATV 13 photos
Photo: SHERP
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You may have heard of the Sherp Max before, but this time, you’ll find out what makes this vehicle such a standalone piece. In my opinion, it’s so unique you’d recognize it among other ATVs in an instant.

The year is 2012, and the first Sherp vehicle goes into testing. A few years later, in 2015, the Moscow Off-Road Show debuted a Sherp. Leaving everyone stunned and asking for more, the team started producing these puppies in mass. Six years later, everyone seems to want one. Kanye West is known for giving these away like Oprah, so let's find out why they’re such a big deal.

Get a good look at this beast before continuing to read; it'll help you assimilate all the information and put this machine into perspective. As it stands, the MAX comes in with a length of 3,500 mm (11.5 ft), a height of 2,420 mm (7.9 ft), and a width of 2,520 mm (8.3 ft); it's basically a tank. The 600-mm (1.97-ft) clearance makes sure you can ride over and through just about anything.

SHERP MAX ATV
Photo: SHERP
Speaking about riding over stuff, the Max can climb 35-degree slopes, is highly buoyant due to the construction of its body, which makes it amphibious, and can even climb out of the water and onto ice. Mind you, that’s just the beginning. The Max can turn nearly in place, climb over obstacles 100-cm (39.3-in) high, and has a running time up to 70 hours. How is all this possible?

The first feature that's important to note is the body’s construction. Using aluminum, the team can create a lightweight but large vehicle, offering the buoyancy needed to float. The massive tubeless tires also play a role in the design. Overall, the body is equipped for two people in the cab, two sleeping in the Kung found at the rear; a passenger capacity of six people is the limit for the ATV. 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs) of carrying capacity and another 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs) of towing lets you bring along quite a bit of gear. You’ll need it when you get to the end of the Earth.

Using a Kubota four-cylinder engine with a max output of 44 horsepower (33 kW), the Max doesn’t sound promising. The diesel engine running under a six-speed mechanical transmission is the one responsible for that massive runtime. The land speed clocks in at a mediocre 40 kph (25 mph) and the water speed tops at 6 kph (3.73 mph). Sure, it’s not the hare, but slow and steady wins the race in this case.

SHERP MAX ATV
Photo: SHERP
As for what sort of terrains you can overcome in one of these, rocks, stones, scree, gravel, sand, swamp, and even asphalt are all suitable surfaces, not to mention water again. Helping you overcome all that are the low-pressure tires with self-inflating system and the pneumatic circulation suspension, which can even be lowered when loading or unloading the vehicle.

Sherp vehicles start off around the $100,000 range, but can reach as high as $375,000. However, the manufacturer’s website doesn’t state how much a new Max will run you. For that, you’ve got to drop your phone number, and you’ll be called. Whatever the price, remember to bring a few more bucks as Sherp offers a long list of options such as winches and mattresses to take your journey to the next level. If you’re thinking about starting a business with a herd of Sherps, the team has a leasing plan too.

Honestly, what more could you want? It sounds like the sort of vehicle meant to overcome just about anything. Imagine stripping one down and making a mobile home out of it. Ah, life on the Siberian plains.

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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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