I finally bought the HO over the rubicon because of the part time 4 wd, and the lack of disc brakes, and the much smaller turning radius. After putting in 55 miles in the last 3 days since I bought it, I think it handles the hills, the mud, and the open fields just fine. As I said above this is my first atv, (Im a old Motocross dirtbike racer), and the only thing I dont like is the front end washout. Meaning the front end sliding forward instead of turning on tight corners on the trail. I was in 2wd when this happened. Would the machine track any better around the corners in 4 wd even thought the steering effort would be greater? Or am I just trying to compare 4 wheels to 2 wheels?

Anyway, I LOVE this Machine!!

Later,

Dave

 

Dave,

Glad you like the new ride. I love mine too. Just picked it up Friday, and got it really muddy Saturday, spent all day today cleaning it.

Yes, the front end would track alittle better in AWD, if you could keep the hubs locked in. I try to get the rear tires to break loose if I have trouble turn, but that could be dangerous in some situations.

The reason you can't turn at times, is that the rear tires are both pushing forward, and they are getting better traction than the front. Just the nature of the beast. Your car would do the same if it didn't have a limited slip differential. I don't think there is much you can do about it, but just learn the machine, how to deal with it.

Here's wishing you many trouble free miles !!!

Dave

 

Steering in AWD would be worsened. The front would tend to push more. Similar to driving a 4wd truck locked in in snow, OR a front wheel drive "powering" in a turn.

 

If these Quads were setup like my old pickup truck, the steering in 4wd woud be better. Here's the difference. In my old truck, it had 4.11 gears in the back, and 4:10 gears in the front, so any time you were in 4wd, the front would pull it the direction you pointed it. Polaris is just the opposite. The rear is geared higher, to force the front hubs to unlock when traction is regained. Therefore, the front will never "pull" the quad unless the rear wheels are spinning. The trick is to learn how much throttle to apply *and* shift your body-weight to break the rear tires loose and steer it where you want it. Practice someplace where you won't get hurt if you don't get it right!

 

Keep it in 2wd and steer with the throttle to power the backend over to the desired direction.But do not try this in 4wd because it will handle like crap if you try to power side it.

 

Did ya ever notice how many conflicting answers a person can get. You know what, 90% of the time, they are both right. Why? Because that is what works for them in their situation on their machine. I went from a dirt bike to an ATV & the thing drove like a pregnant goat until I learned to drive it like an ATV and not a bike. The biggest thing to keep in mind is your Sportsman probably has 300 pounds more sheer weight to it than your bike did, so of course it will seem to plow in turns. Do what you did on your bike, lean forward & in, gas it a little (in 2 wd) and you will be surprised how nimble the old 'goat' gets in those corners! Just be sure to practice somewhere that allows a large margin of error until you get used to its feel.

 

I agree completely. My 1st bike was also a 500. The group I rode with always left me in the corners. even the smaller bikes. I practiced in an area at home that allowed a lot of room and now I hang with the pros of the team. Not sure about the big tires yet. The bike becomes a lot more fun when you get more and more time with it under your belt. Just don't take on more then you can handle, hate hear yur next post talking about cast or broken bike parts.
Rick

 

I agree completely. My 1st bike was also a 500. The group I rode with always left me in the corners. even the smaller bikes. I practiced in an area at home that allowed a lot of room and now I hang with the pros of the team. Not sure about the big tires yet. The bike becomes a lot more fun when you get more and more time with it under your belt. Just don't take on more then you can handle, hate hear your next post talking about cast or broken bike parts.
Rick