Just got back from holidays :-(

I ferried my Sportsman to the hometown in Newfoundland, Canada for some quaity time with my family. Had a great time. I finally got to put the Sportsman to work.

My father is a big time Logging Nut. Even driving by trees he is calculating how much lumber he can get out of it. The man just really enjoys cutting, hauling and milling lumber. Then he uses it for firewood or projects. Him and I built his house that way. You talk about from scratch.

My father uses an old Honda 200s currently, which just bit the bullet a couple of months ago. My cousin and him have been hauling with my cousin’s Honda 350ES (Rancher in the US), but of course my cousin doesn’t go in enough for Dad.

So when I arrived I couldn’t wait to haul some logs. He wasn’t as excited as I had hoped. Saying the summer is BAD for hauling because the ground is soft and muskeg abounds in there. “You’ll never get anything done in there” was his statement. After some coaxing, he agreed to go in. Then a day before our trip the rain started (Typical Summer Newfoundland weather). He said that would make the terrain impassable and there was no point trying it, besides he had to finish some chimney work. I said I was going anyway. Rain never bothered me before (A lot of people won’t ride in the rain - Silly).

So the day arrived and I packed up and hit the road. When I got to the area I found they had changed the highway and the exit to the area as I remembered it was gone!!! So I called home on my cell and told my Mother to go ask Dad how to get there. She came back and said, “He’s coming in to show you.” So I sat and waited till he arrived.

So I tell him to point me to the new entrance, but he just gets me to follow him in the truck. We guide the two truck into the woods road to the off load area. Then he says he wants to come with me to the ‘first hole’. So we get there and he points out to where the logs are and sends me on my way. With his warning about the ‘first hole’ ringing in my ears. “Your day will end at the first hole.”

Well the first hole was an ugly one, but nothing that I haven’t been through before. Any good rider on any 4x4 could fight their way through. My father was partially right though. The Big SP500 stopped dead in the ‘first hole’. No fault of it’s own though. My father and his 200s had battled that hole several times and the best way to accomplish the crossing on a 200s is by adding logs to the hole so the 200s can walk over them. The SP500 (or any other 4x4) on the other has a tendency to throw these logs all over the place, but mostly underneath itself, high centering it.

So after winching out I removed all the logs and continued on. After dropped the log trailer next to the logs I headed back to transport my father back to the trucks. He had come to dressed in jeans and sneaker cause he was just ‘gonna show me the road’. When I arrived to transport him he was very impressed with the performance of the SP500 up to the log site through the ‘skeg (muskeg for you foreigners) and he asked it it could take us both up there because he wanted to ‘show me another cut site’. I knew this was going to happen when Mom said ‘He’s coming in to show you.’

So we both loaded the log trailer with logs. We got about 3 on the trailer and he said ‘off we go’ and I said ‘Let’s take ‘em all!’ He reluctantly agreed and we loaded 13 logs on the trailer. Dad wouldn’t get back on the quad so I could ride him out. He said he walk to where the stumps and ruts ended and the muskeg started. Well I was really pushing my perceived capabilities of my SP500, but I wanted to know what she could do. I really expected problem puling that load in that extreme terrain. The SP500 easily brought the logs to the muskeg and then I made my mud logged father get on the quad.

There are several other hole on the ‘skeg path out to the truck and the SP500 just chugged along pulling its trailer behind. Those hole were about ankle deep while sitting on the quad. SO not too bad, but my Father was amazed. I was too sort of. The though the SP500 would have more problems in this stuff towing that load (Logs, Father (206lb), myself (225lb)). The quad made it seem like it was just another trail ride.

Finally we reached the ‘first hole’. This one I was worried about. With about 1000+ pounds of logs on the trailer and about 431 pounds of meat on the seat I knew we were in for big fight in this hole. The first time through when all the logs were in there was bad, but earlier in the day when I first picked up my father it was no problem. The hole was deep and the muskeg was thick and slick. The hole was deep enough to cover the 26" MudRunners with muskeg and on the far side (side facing you enter from on the way in, exit from on the way out) was actually a steep embankment that stood the SP500 almost vertical to exit. You couldn’t actually see the embankment as it is under the ‘skeg.

Now with our load in tow we entered the ‘first hole’. As most of you know getting into the most nasty holes is pretty easy. Getting out is the ugly party. Since the hole is only about one and a half quad lengths you trailer is above the hole while your in. The first attempt the trailer let go of the hitch, after reversing out some tightening a second attempt was made. We crossed the hole and the trailer dropped into the hole and the fight began! Up the other side went the quad, but it was too steep of an embankment so I backed out trailer and all. I couldn’t believe she came out in reverse. I was REALLY impressed. After a couple of more failed tries we gave up on the ‘first hole’. My next attempt was about 3 feet ‘downstream’ in the hole feeder. Where there was no trail. It was quite a fight too, but 2 run and reverses at it the quad crested the embankment and I looked back at the trailer and it was submerged. All you could see was the logs! The SP500 tore at the ground trying to lift those logs out of the hole, slowly creeping forward. Finally the logs were hauled from the hole and off we went to the trucks.

To say the least my father was very impressed. He has abandoned his desire to save money and fix the 200s and now he wants a new 4x4 quad. He is looking at a Mag 325 or SP335, Both for the same price. What would you pick between these two ATVs? You can see above what it will be used for...

If you made it through that, thanks for reading

SP500 in NS.

 

i would get the new sp400 they have out for 2001.