Been riding bikes for a long time, and had a scrambler 400 for about 5 years. Like the Polaris, but not sure about the Polaris 4WD system for a lot of rock climbing and log jammed mountain trails. I am looking at a new utility quad, and like the Sportsman 500 HO, but would like to hear from some of you about the way the 4WD engages.

I have not had the scrambler in this type of situation, so have no good experience to lean on. I know the rear tires have to slip 20% faster than front to engage the Polaris 4WD. Will this cause a problem when trying to go slow over a technical rock area, or over logs, when loaded with hunting gear? How much do you really have to turn the rear tires to get the front to pull you up on something? Should I go with another brand with a locker in front for this type duty.

Give me your experiences.

Thanks in advance.

Ken

 

Follow this post here.

 

dude what the hell did you do to your quad ? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

 

It engages so quickly, you won't even notice. And once it engages, it'll stay engaged until there is no more sign of slippage. It's truly seamless and smooth. I love the way it works, flip the switch and GO!

 

You obviously don't understand how the system works, so your input carries no weight here. There is no 1/5 rotation wheelspin. Where did you get that from? The rear tires have to spin 20% faster than the front, and from watching mine do it on ice about 100 times, the rear tires might, MIGHT move 1/2 inch before the fronts kick in. It's hardly even enough to notice. And once it does it once without a change in conditions, they both start out exactly the same.

And as far as your comment about not being made for rock crawling is just plain stupid. My SP600 crawls over rocks and such AND goes through just about anything better than my buddies Grizzly 660 ANY day. Just for reference, we both got winches before we went to Hatfield/McCoy Trailfest last October. I've had to use mine more than his.......to pull HIM out. His Grizz has gotten stuck about 9 times to my 0, and I go through stuff he won't even try anymore. So if there is any machine made for it all, it's the Sportsman. Period.

 

SP600towtruck, I bet your Polaris and the Yamaha have stock tires don't they ?? I like both machine, But I chose the Grizz, However the stock tires are worthless in the mud and the stock tires on the Sportsman are more agressive. Getting stuck or making it through the mud doesn't soley rest on what ATV you have it rests just as much or more on the person riding it in the mud. This is the same for trucks or anything, Two different drivers of the same vehicle may have opposite results just because of how they drive or ride. I'll bet that if you took several different ATV's with the same tires you would hardly notice a difference in the mud with the same rider. As far as riding down steeper inclines I would have to choose the Grizz for the all wheel engine braking instead of just rear wheels, But that is just a personal opinion.

 

I just bet the system is very expensive to fix. I know that the efi engine is costing my buddy a fortune on top of the fact he has hardly had it to ride. The 4x4 system does engage and disengage smoothly and if it wasn't for all the driveline noise it makes you wouldn't even know it is doing it.

Rich.

 

That noise isn't from the driveline AWD engaging/disengaging, it's the heavier duty clutching/weights. The AWD doesn't make any noise.


Thunderbolt,

I don't have any problems riding down steeper inclines. You just have to do it differently on a Polaris (using brakes and gas), but it's no problem. Some would say that it is actually safer on a Polaris AWD. If you have all 4 wheels locked on, let's say, a Grizzly, and it is slippery, and the whole machine slides while trying to engine brake, it could get out of control. The Polaris riders know how to control our machines in a downhill situation. It is just something that you have to learn if you're not used to it.

 

I love my Sportsman(s).[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] The AWD is great, the braking is great, the suspension is great, the handling is great, the ..... Need I say more?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

You can't go wrong with the Sportsman!!!!!

 

I can agree with you on the braking as I have never ridden a Polaris down an incline. I can see how having all wheel braking could cause a problem on ice, However I probably wouldn't go down a steep incline on ice. It would be nice to be able to control the engine braking front to rear or even on and off.
Did Sportsman and the Grizz both have stock tires in the mud ?? I would have no problem owning a Sportsman or the Grizz that I own. I used a friends 500HO Sportsman for hunting in 2001 when it was brand new and it was great.