2002 Cannondal Glamis 440 vs Polaris Predator Shootout

ATV Connection was lucky enough to compare the Cannondale Glamis 440 and the Polaris Predator 500. We had a week to try the Glamis and only a few hours with the Predator but we still noticed a few differences between the newest high performance machines on the market, and it proved to be a fierce battle! The Imperial Sand Dunes, aka Glamis, was a great place to compare both ATV’s.

The Cannondale Glamis 440 is basically their Speed model with a few changes. Along with cosmetic changes, Cannondale slightly altered the fuel injection mapping to provide more low-end grunt. Cannondale claims this compensates for the heavier paddle tires and the extra power it takes to get them moving. They also adjusted the suspension to provide a plush ride in the sand. It has 9 inches of travel in the front and 10 inches on a link-less swing arm in the rear. The Predators motor is an all-new 499cc 4 valve, duel overhead cam, liquid cooled 4 stroke. It’s fed into a 42mm carb by a pulse fuel pump to insure fuel flow in rough terrain. It has 10 inches of travel in the front with 11 inches in the rear also with a link-less swing arm. The front end is an all-new design to the ATV market. Polaris claims zero bump steer with the unique design.

    Sitting on the quads the Predators seat felt narrower than the Cannondales. It was much easier to grip the gas tank area with your legs. The placing of the hand controls was good on both quads. We did need to make a few minor adjustments to the clutch lever and thumb throttle on the Cannondale. The shift lever on the Predator is way to high; it needs to be tilted down. Another thing we noticed (very trivial) about the Predator was the placement of the loop where a flag is bolted on. It makes the flag lean towards the rider. While riding it gets in the way if you shift your weight to the rear of the seat, also the flag likes to smack it’s pilot in the helmet! This is an easy fix by either mounting it more towards the rear of the grab bar or bending the tab backwards.

Our first testing was in a flat out drag race, both at the hill and on a flat surface with equal weight riders. Drag racing really doesn’t prove which quad is faster. There are to many variables involved with the largest one being rider ability. Other factors like which line up the hill you choose or the difference in whoops in each line. Drag racing still gives you a good feel of what kind of power a motor can put to the ground. All of our drag races provided different results. At the hill it came down to who got the holeshot first and whom did the whoop section correctly. Each quad was very close, with the Predator generally winning. We noticed the Predator was able to easily pull 3rd or 4th gear with a lighter rider, but with a 250-pound rider it needed to be in 2nd gear to pull the hill while the Cannondale could easily pull 3rd. Our test riders also noticed that the Predator does not like to be power shifted! On most ATV’s you can let off the gas and shift without the clutch. This is not very good for your transmission but in a racing application helps get you to the finish line first! The clutch had to be used in order to shift the Predator.

    In the handling department we found a few differences. During our drag races at the hill we noticed how smooth the Cannondale was through the whoops. If the rider didn’t let off the gas the Ohlin rear shock would keep the power to the ground and float effortlessly through the whoops. The Predators, Fox shock, was not as smooth. It felt as if it would ‘hop’ over the whoops only providing traction on the low sides of each whoop. An adjustment to the shock would most likely cure this problem.

    On a fast paced dune ride the Predators uniquely designed ‘PRO Steering’ proved to be a blessing, point it and it will go! Polaris says their new computer designed steering system offers close to zero bump steer and anti-dive suspension due to the strategic pivot points. The width difference is only 1.1 inches but our Predator was equipped with 1 inch offset front rims. This made the width difference 3.1 inches, which is what the Cannondale needs! The Cannondale felt narrow in a high-speed turn compared to the Predator. We had to slow down a considerable amount to be able to turn. The Predator was able to handle the turns at a much higher speed. Through choppy sand, area’s that had tire tracks going in every direction, the Predator felt much smoother and stable. The Cannondale had much more vibration in the handlebars while in this type of terrain. We feel this could be fixed if it had the wider ‘Moto’ front end along with a steering stabilizer. We also noticed a very minor amount of handle bar shake on the Predator at high speeds through choppy sand. A stabilizer would help here too. Never do you feel as if the bars are going to be ripped from your hands and there is no need for a ‘death grip’ on the handlebars like on the Cannondale in choppy sand.

    Power on both machines is incredible. 4-stroke technology has come a long way in recent years and sport quad enthusiasts are reaping the benefits! The Cannondales fuel injected motor is very ‘snappy’, just touch the throttle and the power is there immediately. It also felt much stronger in the low end and overall seemed to never stop pulling. The Predator was sluggish in the low end but pulled good in the higher RPM’d mid to top end. We found that it was not able to pull 5th gear when we were wide open on a flat surface. The power is much more linear compared to the Cannondale. All of our test riders felt that a lower gear ratio would help the Predator. Currently no one makes an aftermarket sprocket for the Predator but we found out a Honda XR650 counter sprocket will fit perfectly on the Predator.

    Which is better? Both machines were very impressive; it would be difficult to determine a winner. You need to determine what you want out of an ATV. The Predator’s price tag is close to 00 less than the Cannondale. The Cannondale has proven itself to be a durable high-tech ATV. Only time will tell how the Predator holds up.