Polaris RZR XP - The Performance Details

It doesn’t take much of a look to see the differences between a RZR and the new RZR XP! It’s taller, wider, and longer. That may be simplifying the issue a bit but it’s true. About the only place the XP is the same as the other RZRs is in the cabin. Same seats, same steering wheel, same gauges, same everything.

So let’s take a look at the differences:

Up front is a new tubular subframe designed to hold even longer a-arms. These arms are an additional 2 inches longer than the already extended arms of the RZR S so they can provide 13 ½ inches of wheel travel. That’s a lot of travel, but as Doug Roll always said, long travel doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t work! In this department, Polaris added a set of Fox Podium 2.0 shocks. These shocks have plenty of height-pre-load adjustment as well as adjustment for compression damping.

Although the front suspension is greatly enhanced, it is the rear suspension that is the most visibly changed! Like many off-road racecars, the rear suspension now consists of a 3-point trailing arm system that provides 14 inches of travel.

The advantages of a trailing are system is multifold. First, it provides a more controlled travel and camber gain so that the tire will actually lean in at the top a bit as the travel goes up. That camber allows a longer movement with less scrub. Polaris still designed some camber in the system so that during hard cornering, the tire will lean in and keep from rolling over as much. In addition to better travel, the trailing arm set-up is also a much stronger system for off road use.

And, as on the front, the rear is equipped with long-travel Fox Podium 2.0 shocks with plenty of adjustment for preload and height and adjustment for the compression damping.

 Now for the other very big difference in the XP – the new engine! Designed from the ground up for this machine, the ProStar 900 is a work of art, looking more like something that should be in a racecar rather than a UTV. Oh wait, this is a racecar!

The 875cc twin cylinder DOHC engine now sits in a more conventional direction, with the cylinders and crankshaft running side-to-side rather than front to rear like in the other RZRs. And it’s built for performance, with the pair of 46mm throttle body injectors mounted right next to the cylinder with a very short intake manifold. Also helping to get plenty of air into the engine is a new intake system that pulls air in from the left side of the body and directly into an air box that in essence stores a mouthful of air ready for the engine to suck up when the throttle is mashed.

There’s also a new air filter that has 90%  more capacity than the old-style canister system. And it’s mounted in a box located under an easy-access panel right under the bed.

Polaris also designed a stainless steel exhaust for a freer-flowing path to extract the used air and fuel. All this helps the ProStar to produce a whopping 88hp from it’s 875cc’s.

But wait, there’s more! The ProStar is designed with a dry sump oil system. This allows the engine to sit lower and the oil to be held in a tank away from the heat of the engine’s block. It can also provide a larger oil capacity for better cooling as well. In this case, 3 ½ quarts are held in a finned plastic tank that located under an access panel on the left side of the bed. And that’s also where you check the oil level.

With an eye toward night duning and late-night racing in the desert, the engine is fitted with a large capacity stator that provides an incredible 500 watts at idle, and 750 watts at revs.

There’s also a new CVT transmission with a zero-clearance set-up and helical cut gears for faster takeoff and stronger, more reliable operation.

All of this sounds good but the prove will be in how it works. We’ll take it out for a test next.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

My Favorites Off-Roaders -

I’ve made no bones about the fact that I love the King Quad. I loved it from the first ride. It had everything I needed – 2wd, 4wd, and 4wd with a front locker. It had a great gauge package. But best of all it was smooth – the engine was incredibly smooth for a big single. And to help in the smoothness department the KQ had a higher ratio transmission that allowed the engine to turn at a lower rpm – something an old guy that liked to short-shift when cruising really appreciated! Of course it still had its Achilles heel, a far too steep of a front caster that caused some steering and handling problems – especially when fitted with better tires.

That caster and handling problem was all fixed with the addition of power steering – not so much as the EPS itself makes it handle better, but the powered steering made it possible for the Suzuki engineers to add in a proper amount of caster!

As the King Quad competitors improved, another feature of the KQ became more apparent – it didn’t have a parking brake in the transmission, but stuck with a simple parking brake on the handlebars. I like this set-up for a couple of reasons. First, when shifting into reverse you never have to try to keep from hitting park inadvertently. And second, sometimes when working or even stopping along the trail it’s easier to simply leave the machine in drive and set the parking brake to keep it from rolling while you reset the GPS, look at the map, or check a fencepost.

I’ve also had a long love affair with 2-seat ATVs. For years I struggled with which one I liked more, the Can Am Outlander 650 or the Sportsman Touring. Both had some advantages and some disadvantages. But with the introduction of the 2011 XP Touring I was able to make a decision. The new Touring with its ADC now goes down hills without trying to swap ends. It now allows me to quickly remove the second seat and have a stable single seat machine with plenty of rear rack space. And as a tourer, the Touring is without competition in the plush, comfortable department.

It’s so good that I can almost overlook the things I don’t like – a single brake lever, the park position in the transmission, and the 4wd system that keeps me from choosing what I want it to do.

But life is more than about handlebars. Being a guy that got his first car (a Meyers Manx of course) at 14, I’ve always had an affinity for holding a steering wheel. I longed for a side by side for years before they came out, even going so far as to be designing a side by side ‘buggy’ out of a Kawasaki Prairie.

So I was excited when Yamaha brought out the Rhino, but I fell in love when I saw the RZR for the first time. Like a lovesick teenager I can remember that first look even today – a great looking, powerful, and 50” wide machine! And I soon found out it was relatively quiet (as compared to the existing Rhino) and handled incredible!

And yes, I’m constantly driven crazy by some of the glaring problems I find with the RZR. Every machine needs a parking brake, something that used to be called an emergency brake because it was a separate ‘mechanical’ system that could be used to stop a vehicle if the primary braking system failed! It would be a tremendous comfort to have a lever to pull when heading down some fast, twisting trail in case a brake line gets ripped and you no longer have a brake fluid to operate the hydraulic system. I won’t even mention how good a nice lever at the right side of the seat is for helping set of a machine for tight corners ;-)

Then there’s the fact that the RZR still sends all of its engine braking to the rear wheels – something that can be extremely irritating on some of those steep, rocky trails I love to explore. That’s something that could be easily fixed with the addition of the ADC system like’s found on the Touring!

But even with those glaring problems the RZR does what no other side-by-side buggy can do – go on the 50” ATV trails. And do it in comfort and with the ability to carry enough camping equipment for the two passengers! So until something better comes along, the RZR is one of my favorite off road rigs. The proof of this can be found in the fact that there has been a RZR sitting in my garage every single day since they came out! The only other machines that can say that are the Suzuki King Quad and the Kawasaki Prairie!

But, my life is more than just riding for fun – living on 20 acres requires something for work – something to haul wood and hay, and tow the rough-cut mower. And living in a small town where things like this are still possible, it’s nice to have something to run to the Post Office, or to the small general store. We’ve used Kawasaki Mules for this for many, many years, with everything from Diesels to Crewcabs sitting here over the years.

It was only recently and as a fluke while at a Polaris new-model introduction that I got to use an electric UTV, the Ranger EV. You guessed it, I fell in love. While certainly not quiet the machine of choice for exploring the trails, thanks to the inability to actually carry any spare volts along in case you run out, it works perfectly around the farm or ranch. Quiet is good in many ways. You don’t upset animals, and in fact actually can here them while you drive by. Perhaps the most noticeable advantage I’ve found to the EV’s quiet operation is when towing stuff – especially something like the rough-cut mower. With no engine sound coming from the EV, you can now more easily hear if the mower is running okay or bogging down, or if you’re dragging it across the field with the blade stopped ;-)

But wait, there’s more! I have one more need. I need something to haul people around – more than just one! For this I need a crewcab something or another. I’ve tried the Mule Transcab. While it’s quiet and good for around the farm or town, it struggles horribly out on the trails. The RZR 4-seater is just too difficult for easy entrance and exit.  The Ranger is too big and wide, so big in fact you might as well be driving a Jeep around. But like Goldilocks I’ve found the crewcab that’s ‘just right’, the Ranger 500!

Yeah, it’s still long, but it’s pretty hard to have a good 4-seater without adding some un-wanted length. Where the 500 Crew shines is that it is narrow enough to fit on many of the trails and it has the suspension to get over them without beating all the passengers to death. And the 500cc EFI engine has adequate power to even climb up the mountain trails with a full load of people on board.

Now here’s where I say that like every Polaris, the crew is not without some glaring faults that if I were the Product Manager that I’d fix. There’s no parking brake what so ever! And, well, that’s it I think. Wow! I think I just amazed myself – I can only find one fault! I better go for a ride and make sure that’s right.

Don’t get me wrong now, there are a lot of good machines out there and something I like to point out to everyone that asks me which ATV is best for them. And maybe that’s exactly what I’ll talk about in the next blog. It’ll help me update the FAQ page on the website.

But for now, you know exactly what I beg the PR folks to allow me keep sitting outside my office ;-)

Just in case you wondered what a Meyers Manx was ;-)

God Bless -

Doug

Where are ATVs Made

Where are ATVs made? That’s a question of almost mythical proportions and a question with most answers with just about as much knowledge as a myth. Many people who are thinking they’re buying an American ATV are pretty quick to point out their purchase as patriotic and just as fast to point their finger at their friend’s new purchase as an act bordering on a being traitor to our country.

This all came to a head for me a few years back when we tested the new Toyota Tundra. The comments on You Tube were an amazing mix of how good the truck is and how horrible it is to buy a Japanese vehicle.

I attempted over and over again to point out that the Tundra was made in the United States, but the haters pointed out that the ‘profit’ went back to Japan! I wonder what money they are most concerned about – the money paid to workers or the profit to the corporation?

So here we go with the same information about ATVs and UTVs. It is meant to clarify many misconceptions. Of course I’ll also then confuse the issue later…..

The manufacturers in alphabetical order:

— Arctic Cat. All Arctic Cat ATVs and UTVs are made in the United States except the newest trio, the 350, the 425, and the 450i 4x4 Crossover.

— Can Am. All Can Am ATVs and their one UTV, the Commander are all made in Juarez, Mexico.

— Honda. The Rincon, the Rubicon, all Foreman, all Ranchers, the Recon, and the 250X and 400X are all made right here in the United States. The rest of the Honda lineup is made in Japan. Honda's UTV, the Big Red is made in Mexico.

— Kawasaki. All Kawasaki ATVs and UTVs are made in the U.S. except the KFX90.

— Polaris. Polaris recently made the announcement that they would move a part of their manufacturing to Monterrey Mexico. In essence, what this means is that the ATVs and UTVs that will be sold in the southwestern part of the U.S. will now be manufactured in Mexico. All the ATVs and UTVs sold in the northeastern part of the U.S. will continue to be made in the U.S.

— Suzuki. The King Quad 750, 500, and the 450 are made in Rome Georgia. This includes both the standard models and the EPS models.  The sport ATVs like the LT-R450, all the kids ATVs, and all motorcycles are assembled in Japan.

— Yamaha. The Rhino, the Big Bear 400 4x4 IRS as well as all of the Grizzly 350s and 450s are made in Newnan, Georgia.

So while that just may clear up the question as to where ATVs are made, let’s take a look at the ramifications of where ATVs are made.

The most obvious are the advantages for the Japanese manufacturers to make their machines here in the United States. First and foremost they can cut down on the cost of delivering the machines from the factory to the dealership. Second, they are helping the economy of the country where they are selling their merchandise. Is there a downside? One might think that because the Japanese manufacturers are so well known for their quality that that could adversely be affected by building the units here in the U.S. That has been proven to be false with the proof being that it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between any of the ATVs made here or there. Proven false I say because the quality of a machine is designed in first, and can be controlled in the manufacturing process second.

The harder thing to do is to point out the advantages for the U.S. and Canadian manufacturers to make their machines in Mexico. First, Mexico lowers the cost of the manufacturing process. Taxes are lower. Wages are lower. And employee benefits are less. The bigger question is whether the quality is better or worse than if they were built in the U.S. Once again, I believe that that is more a question of design and workforce management than simply location.

So what does all this mean?

I don’t know about you, but to me it means good ATVs can be made anywhere in the world. So can bad ones. Does it make it right? No. But it’s how it is.

Anyone? Anyone?

Around my house, when someone is rambling through the rooms looking for another family member, we often use a quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, calling, "Bueller? Bueller?"

So staying in character with Ben Stein, Bueller’s Economics teacher, I ask if there are any ATV manufacturers out there still making new models? Anyone? Anyone?

You know how much I sing the praises of Suzuki King Quads – I love them. I would love to seem some new changes like Special Edition models with better shocks and tires. I’d love to see better racks. Or how about a 650 model? Or maybe most important, a side by side to compete with the RZR. I have heard inside rumors that they have a RZR fighter but don’t want to release it at this time. So I (unfortunately) can only imagine what these models would be like, or how great they’d be, simply because there are no new Suzukis. Bueller? Bueller?

And then there’s Kawasaki. My history with Kawasaki goes way, way back. I know them well and respect them in many ways. I know too that they had something they called a Super Mule – a Prairie-based side by side in testing well before the RZR was released. What’d they do? Fired the guy that was responsible. Hmmm. They still refined the Brute Force until it was formidable competition with anything on the market – at least until power steering became an issue. Bueller? The there was the Teryx, a better Rhino, but that’s all the farther it went. Bueller? And then there’s the most popular class of ATVs, the 400cc class. Could Kawasaki come out with a 400cc Brute Force? 450cc Prairie? Bueller?

Yamaha. The first Side by Side! The first ATV with power steering! The first ATV to really get that mass centralization perfected. Many, many great machines. Of course I even had spy photos of a new 950cc V-Twin, short wheelbase 4-seat Rhino that was due to be released in February of 2010. Bueller? Yes, Yamaha does have a good, solid line up of ATVs but they do lack a twin. And in spite of the inside rumors I’ve heard about spreading out Rhino line to include more sport machines and more recreational machines, what we really got was new colors and graphics. Bueller?

Honda? Same-o same-o. Their new and incredible UTV is the size of a Toyota pick up, and almost the same price! Although they’ve entered the realm of power steering and IRS, their most incredible ATV, the Rubicon continues on almost identical to the day it was introduced. Wasn’t it Honda that introduced the ATC? The 250R? The hydrostatic transmission. The Pilot! The Pilot? Can you imagine what the same Honda that introduced those machines would do now? Bueller?

Okay, Arctic Cat just came out with some new machines. Fairly good ones too if you are not looking for anything new - and if you’re looking for another ATV made in China. For a great company filled with American pride they’ve gone awol. Bueller?

Hey, what about Can Am? They’ve come out with some great new stuff! The Commander, Can Am’s first entry into the UTV market is a good machine. They put power steering on their ATVs! They also have those special editions with nice wheels and better tires, winches, and other niceties. They have a good, full line of machines but seem to continue to develop using the ‘Bigger is better” mentality rather than “Better is better.”

And of course there’s Polaris, seemingly the only company that continues to introduce new models at a rapid pace. An alarmingly rapid pace actually. It’s as if they intend to be the only ATV company still in business when this is all said and done. And considering their line-up of models I doubt we’d lack much – except maybe two-lever braking to 4 wheel discs. And engine braking that goes to all 4 wheels without having to push a switch. And a true 4wd system with a locker. And perhaps most importantly, a design team that spends a little more time making their products with a little more quality rather than a little more profit!

And that brings us back to one of the biggest advantages of competition in the marketplace.

Anybody? Anybody?

An All-new Polaris Side by Side is Coming on 1-1-2011

I’ve been keeping my mouth closed for a while knowing I was going to go to a secret location at an undisclosed time to test a new Polaris, but now Polaris has leaked the first news that I can share about this – There’s a whole new class of Side by Side coming on January 1^st!

While I knew it was coming and that I’ll be one of the first of the media-types to take it for a spin, what I still don’t know is what it is . . .

So the best I can do is guess – or wish . . .

Let’s just say for a moment that the ‘term’ “whole new class” is a marketing term. So unless we see a street legal RZR, or maybe a RZR with wings, ‘whole new class’ may be a bit of a stretch.

But if we think of the RZR4, or the RZR S as a whole new class of Side by Side then maybe we can guess at what we’d like this new RZR to be.

Personally, I’d like to see a 50” RZR XP. That means it would have the smooth 850cc engine and transmission complete with ADC. Or even better would be a RZR with a conventional 4wd system complete with lockers front and rear. Of course it would also be nice to see it come with a longer travel suspension like we’ve done to our RZR.  It should have a mechanical parking brake. And a better looking cage. And come with radial tires and a winch.

Well, that’s all just wishful thinking I suppose. Right or way wrong, at least we don’t have long to wait to find out.

Leave to Polaris though to break new ground when everyone else is hiding in their offices afraid of the economy.

Any thoughts?

A street-legal RZR would be a “whole new class of Side by Side!”

Tires and Snow

I received an interesting email from Lynn in Canada with a great question about snow tires. It seems that although the Mudzillas he runs on his Wolverine work great in the mud and muck, they don’t work well at all at pushing his snowplow down his driveway .

So what’s up with that?

Well, tires are far more complex than most folks realize. Think about how much controversy goes on surrounding tire wear, choices, air pressure and compound in NASCAR, F1, or any other racing you may follow.

While we may not be quite as ‘leading edge’ as racing, the same technology applies.

So to answer the question why certain tires work better than others, let’s first take a look at the tire’s compound. Hard rubber will wear slow, but it also doesn’t ‘grip’ the ground, especially when that ground is sand or snow. So a tire with better performance is a softer tire. Too soft though and it will wear out as you look at it. But too hard and it won’t grip at all.

The next part of the equation is the tread. Sure, big tread can move mud just like a paddle moves sand or water for that matter. But in snow (and performance on dirt) the tire’s tread needs to flex. The flexing allows the rubber of the tire to stay in contact with the ground longer, but also gives it a slight slingshot effect in moving the machine forward. Part of this ‘flex’ is helped by the small little slits in the tread called siping. These sipes also help the tread to flex, or squirm, thus allowing it to grab to the surface more. The tread also needs to trap enough of the surface to allow it to grab, but also be able to release that material so it doesn’t ‘clog’ the tread and not allow the tread to work as designed.

Now let’s look at air pressure. Air pressure has a similar but different effect on bias ply and radial tires. But basically you need to have a low enough pressure to allow the tire to flex (there’s that word again) to allow it to grip better, but not so low as to allow the tire to wallow around and roll over in cornering. Basically tire pressure is a very subjective item and the correct air pressure can only be found with a bit of experimenting on your part.

So to sum it up, snow requires a soft tire with a flexible tread with siping to make it even more flexible. That gives it the most traction. You also need to run the tire’s air pressure as low as possible without doing harm to the tire and wheel.

That sounds all well and good until you try to add that information to a specific ATV. In case you haven’t discovered this, ATVs are not all created equal. This inequality for our purpose here, can be focused mainly on the operation of the front differential.

And here’s the problem with front differentials – while lockers are pretty straight forward in their ability to apply equal traction to each front tire, the so-called ‘limited slip’ differentials are exactly that – limited!

Here’s what happens when a limited slip differential detects slip - a difference in the speed of both front tires. When one tire tends to move faster than the other, or slip, the differential tries to bind and attempt to limit the excessive speed of the faster spinning tire. To cut to the quick here, what happens when you have bigger tires with more traction is that they can overwhelm the design parameters of the limited slip differential and it can’t bind the differential enough. So, your limited slip differential doesn’t work as planned!

That means that on many machines with limited slip differentials (and those can come in many fancy names, but are basically every 4wd system that doesn’t have a lockable front differential) a tire with too much traction can actually cause you to have less traction.

Confused? You’re not alone. And if you’re not confused I could go on until you are.

But I won’t.

What did we learn? The best tire is one that has a soft compound with flexible tread and siping. You need to adjust you tire pressure to as low as you can for the conditions, and on ATVs without locking front differentials you also need to remember not to overwhelm your drive system with too much traction.

And just in case you were observant enough to notice the many pictures of the ACT and wondered – yes they are my favorite all around tire…….

The UMP Filter for the Polaris RZR:

As you may remember, I have searched for a solution to the RZR intake problem for quite sometime. If you’re a RZR owner or even a RZR want-to owner you no-doubt know what we’re talking about.

We’ve had a new RZR every year since they came out and we have never had a problem with the stock filter system not doing its job properly. But we continue to hear enough horror stories about RZR engines being destroyed to think that there must be something going on. Although Polaris claims to have fixed the so-called intake leaks on the RZR, it seems the talk continues about dirt leaking into the intake and ‘sanding’ the engine, sometimes with several hundred miles of use!

No matter what, there’s enough talk that I wanted to be sure that my RZR wasn’t going to suffer a dirt meltdown if there was a way to prevent it. After all, I’m too-often too far from civilization to have more things to worry about…

We’ve talked to RZR owners with their solutions – most of which require home-built fabrications. What I wanted was a bolt-on solution that I could be sure of.

I have used K&N filters for many years on many different types of off-road race vehicles with never a problem, so that was my first effort. The K&N system went on easy enough, although requiring the removal of the bed and bulkhead for better access.

While the K&N filter system may do an incredible job of keeping dirt from entering the RZR’s engine, the one item I didn’t think to consider was the additional intake sounds due to its open design. Intake noise is seldom a problem on race cars, but on a RZR designed to explore the back country, quieter is a better thing to have rather than noisier!

Under acceleration or with enough throttle to climb mountains, the additional intake noise definitely was more than noticeable. For me it was bothersome as it really reduced the ability to easily talk with your passenger.

So I continued to look at options. One of you wrote me suggesting I check out the UMP filter system. So I did. It didn’t take long before UPS delivered the UMP for me to try out. The UMP is a great canister system that is designed to have the air flow spin into the system. Plus it is a fully sealed unit and pulls the air into the filter through the stock intake tube. One important item to remember in all this is that the K&N filter claims to add power (which it seems to do) and the UMP filter makes no claim other than to better filter the air that goes into the engine. And that it seems to do.

Like the K&N (and any filter system I suppose) the installation of the UMP filter requires the removal of the bed and the bulkhead. The first thing I noticed is that the UMP canister mounts very, very securely, better than both the K&N and the stock filters.

I like the idea that the UMP unit is a more sealed unit and uses the stock air intake tube. And that’s no doubt part of the reason that there is little or no increase in power for the UMP filter. But once again, this unit is not about increasing power, it’s about eliminating the destruction of your RZR’s engine without any additional noise irritating you or your passenger while trying to enjoy a great trail ride.

We’ll have an installation video and a follow-up as we put some miles on our RZR. But some times you can just ‘see’ that a product is built correctly and do the job it was meant to do.

I’m no longer worrying about getting dirt in my intake and ruining my RZR. No-sir-ee, now I’m free to worry about other things!

Arctic Cat New Model Introduction – What I Hope to See:

Arctic Cat has invited a group of media reps to Texas to look at and ride some all-new models being introduced for 2011!

Yippee I’m going, and here’s what I hope I see:

First and foremost I hope we see an all-new Prowler. Or maybe we should call it the ThunderCat  Side by Side. Built from the Thundercat it would be a 50” wide, 1000cc, all independent UTV. Although you’ll first think I’m thinking about an Arctic Cat RZR, think again. The Arctic Cat would be built to be the ultimate trail machine. The 1000cc engine would be detuned for more torque. The transmission would be an industry first centrifugal clutch. The rear would be a nice metal cage-rack system and another smaller rack system at the front. It would come with a spare tire, a large fuel tank, and a low, narrow cage to fit better under and around the trees. It would retain the great AC suspension but also come standard with a great set of radials – maybe the Carlisle ACT HDs!

Years ago we tested an amazing little Arctic Cat that I fell in love with – a 250CC 4x4. It was a small, Recon-sized ATV with 4 wheel drive. It was so nimble and competent and yet so manageable it was amazing….. So, that what I hope to see, a small 4wd ATV. Simple. Basic. Inexpensive. Competent. And fun! And hopefully it would come with a $3995.00 price tag.

I’d also love to see some sport versions of the Cruiser 550 and 700 ATVs. Now when I say ‘sport’, what I mean is really, an ATV set up ‘ready to use’! Better shocks. Good radial tires. A winch, heated grips, and good, sturdy cargo boxes front and rear. Maybe even with a set of RotopaX fuel packs attached…..

We’ll see just how close I get. If my wishes and hopes for Arctic Cat are no closer than my wishes and hopes for Polaris I’ll be 0 for 3! Oh well they’re loss.

And here I was going to help them rule the world.

Maybe another day………

ATV Update – Touring LE First Ride:

Polaris Touring LE First Ride:

As I mentioned earlier, I fell in love with the new 2011 Touring models when I first saw them at the New Model Introduction we attended up in Cascade Montana. I especially like how the new LE comes complete with a winch, Carlisle (MudLites?) on aluminum wheels, twin mirrors, handguards, and even grip warmers.

One of the coolest things is how the new Touring can be quickly converted into a single-seat ATV by removing the rear seat and handgrips and replace them with a box that blends with the rack! Not only does that make it more practical, but makes it what I think could be the best looking ATV out there. There’s nothing that looks better (to me) than a long wheelbase and short overhangs – nice. Real nice.

But this is about the first ride.

I must say, this thing may be the smoothest ATV I’ve ridden! Yeah, that’s right, smooth and quiet. And I’m not talking just about comfort from that soft cushy seat either. I’m talking about a silky smooth engine. A silky smooth drivetrain! It’s shocking and wonderful!

Also much to my surprise, the engine braking is phenomenal as well. Let off on the gas and the big machine slows down just as it should – not too much and not too little. Once again I’m wonderfully amazed.

Of course I also already mentioned that I’m really disappointed in Polaris’ cost-cutting measures that include the removal of one of the rear disc brakes! Yes, the Polaris still stops okay, even coming down the steep mountain roads at speed, but this is their Top-of-the-Line machine! It shouldn’t have a hub sitting there with the rotor and caliper removed! For Pete’s sake, just as an added slap in the face, the mounts are still there for it!

Speaking of the brakes and getting off of the 3-brake complaining - if I could tune the Sportsman, I’d add in just a bit more braking leverage. When you only have one brake lever it should apply more pressure, more easily to the braking system than it does. It’s especially noticeable to me due to how I use just a couple fingers to pull in the lever. Maybe few of you do that, but it’s a habit I got into years ago racing – the more of your hand you can keep wrapped around the grip, the less likely you are to get it yanked from your grip. Maybe that’s another reason I always prefer two-lever systems – better control.

The machine obviously has plenty of power, but more than that, it has good balance. You can just add power while twisting up through the trails to bring the rear end around as needed to aid in the steering or just plain have fun!

Speaking of steering. Why is it that Polaris cuts so many corners? Is it really worth irritating customers over a few dollars here and there? This time I’m referring to the plastic steering bushing at the top of the steering stem that is just too sloppy. It transmits all the bumps and giggles that the power steering should be isolating from the handlebars. It is actually loose enough that you can see it move back and forth as you wiggle the bars forward and back! I parked next to my friend’s 13,000 mile Honda and there wasn’t even a micro-mili-movement in its steering stem.

The Touring is so smooth and wonderful that this single fault is hugely irritating. So I suppose I can try to see if the local Polaris dealer can install one that is a tighter fit, or I can go out to the shop and cut up a beer can to wrap around the stem to fill up the space. Either way I imagine no buyer of a $12,000.00 machine will think they should have to do this.

But I love this machine and will continue to put a bunch of miles on it one way or the other. Hopefully I can get the steering stem fixed so that I’ll be singing praises rather than grumbling about the bean counters. This Polaris demands all the praises.

Test Updates

ATVTV Test Updates:

Polaris Sportsman XP 850 Touring LE  —

While at the Polaris 2011 New Model Introduction up in Montana, I fell in love with the new Touring models – especially the LE that comes complete with a winch, Carlisle (MudLites?) on aluminum wheels, twin mirrors, handguards, and even grip warmers. What, no seat warmer? Am I asking too much? Am I getting too old?

What I really like is how you can convert the 2011 Touring to a single-seat ATV! Not only does that make it more practical, but makes it what I think could be the best looking ATV out there.

Of course, I’m more than merely disappointed in Polaris’ cost-cutting measures that include the removal of one of the rear discs! The official explanation is that because it has a solid rear differential, one rear brake is all that’s needed. I just don’t know what to say :-(

Actually I do, as when have I ever been at a lack for words? Polaris’ downfall will be their cost-cutting procedures – plastic bearing carriers, moving their manufacturing to Mexico, and even things like 3-wheel disc brakes!

RZR –

The project RZR is pretty much completed, well, except for some changes we plan to make to the intake system. We need to modify the K&N filter we installed! It’s just too noisy! The more open (or less restricted) intake and the metal box that’s a big part of it, just make the interior sound of the RZR too loud for me. Under acceleration the induction sound reverberates enough to actually be uncomfortable on my ears. It also completely annoys my companion, Bob Dog. So I think my options are to try and quiet the K&N box down, put the stock filter back on, or find another filter system that’s not so loud.

Perhaps since it’s already installed we’ll try first to quiet this one down. Perhaps we can cover the open intake side of the box a bit. Or put some padding on the box itself.

Any suggestions? Whatever we do, we’ll let you know what it is and how it works.

Suzuki King Quad —

The modifications we’re making to the KQ are coming right along. We’ve mounted a pair of cargo boxes front and rear that seem to be what we are looking for for. Our biggest problem is with the mounting of the rear box. The problem is that the box I found that I like the most hinges at the rear! Yeah, while digging through my old boxes, I found a pair of Kawasaki-branded boxes that I really like. The size is right, and the shape is right, with flat tops so more items can be mounted on the top if needed. And although I really like the fact that the rear box hinges from the rear, it requires the fuel pack mounting brackets to be moved farther rearward. Even with that done, the box extends forward enough that the seat is difficult to remove and the fuel cap harder to get to.

We’ll see how that all works and if it’s a problem or if we can deal with it.

I also got the new 3000 pound KFI winch installed. What an easy thing to do. The mount installs so easily that I almost wanted to take it off and put it on again! Then, Suzuki has made the mounting easy on their part by first providing a nice plastic tube to run all the wires through, and second, by making a nice place to bolt on the connector box. The only problem is that to use the pre-drilled holes requires removing the rear plastic bodywork which also requires removing the rear rack. Actually they just need ‘mostly’ removed. Also this helps to make for a very clean install. We also mounted the remote plug right up on the handlebar with the switch – something we’ve never done before but makes for a simple (and clean) installation.

We think every winch should come with a synthetic cable. Once you use a ‘rope’ in place of a  steel wire cable, you’ll be sold on its safety. It’s both easy to handle with your bare hands and even more important, should it ever break, it contains no kinetic energy, so rather than whip around and possible cause serious harm, it will fall harmlessly to the ground! I still have the steel cable on my Prairie I use to plow snow with and the cable is already frayed enough to be dangerous to touch.

Mounting the synthetic cable is certainly easy enough. Remove the steel cable. Drill the hole that holds the steel cable on the spool a bit larger diameter. Thread in the synthetic rope. Bingo! Reel it in and you’re ready to go winching!

Looking at the pictures you’ll see that I also installed a set of Rotopax mounts on top of the front box. I like the added storage options but I’m a little unsure how the box itself will hold up to the added weight.

So we’re pretty much done with our mods with the exception of bolting on a better set of shocks, and putting some miles on it to see how everything works! Interestingly enough, we recently ran into a couple of guys on the Paiute Trail that had to have one of their KQ racks re-welded after it broke from hauling the weight on rough roads! And what they were hauling didn’t seem like too much to me. They even were running Elka suspensions! It kinda makes me wonder…..

Kawasaki Teryx —

The Teryx continues to perform flawlessly. No hiccups in its performance whatsoever. We’ve even used it twice to run up the mountain with a trailer and haul down a good-sized load of wood. No power problems and no braking problems. And never once was there anything that made me question whether I would make it back – or not.

It continues to be used hard and put away wet and yet like a faithful dog is always more than willing to head out again.

Of course we still wish it was a bit quieter (What’s new?), and more than anything else wish it was 50” wide!

Kawasaki Mule —

The same thing applies to the diesel Mule. It continues on with flawless operation. I continue to enjoy its sturdy, metal construction and its no-nonsense design. I do continue to wish for a Sport Edition Mule, with a little more suspension travel and no speed limiter so it would make a little better machine for casual trail riding. Fat chance I’m sure.

Polaris Ranger EV —

I continue to be amazed with the EV. I love the quiet operation. I do wish it had some kind of a back up system that charged the batteries while driving.

Also, for some reason I’m now finding that the throttle response from a standstill (what I always refer to as ‘tip in’) seems far more sensitive than before. Sometimes you start pushing the throttle and nothing happens and then all of a sudden, (WHAM), it starts moving – faster than you planned.

And I’m more used to having an increased gasoline bill than I am a larger electric bill.

Kawasaki Brute Force 750 —

Gee I wish I had something more to say about the Kawasaki’s we have other than their faithful operation. Even after spending its first several hours immersed, hopelessly stuck in a muddy spring stream due almost entirely to rider error, it has never once given me any reason to doubt its ability to get me where I want to go and back home safely and without any worry. That’s not something that can be said about every ATV that comes through our testing…..