What can I expect for top end speed out of the 425 expedition and how is it standing start acceleration. How well does it handle rough trails with the one piece swing arm?

 

My xpedition will do about 58mph. It handles rough trails very easily and has the power to do any job you ask of it and will never even hint that it is underpowered! Being a bigger machine, weaving through the woods is a little trickier than on a smaller machine but is still very, agile. First and second gears are stump pullers third is your casual trail riding gear, and fourth and fifth are more open road (or beach) gears.

 

I know some of you guys just GOTTA shift, my son, age 12 does, and we traded in his TrailBoss for a 425EXP in May. It's a good machine...But..
See, I have a Sportsman H.O. which replaced a regular Sportsman, and there really is no comparison. The Sportsman is bigger, taller, much faster, much smoother, heavier. But the EXP goes everywhere, feels smaller, has a few bad spaces between gears, and I think if I am going to have to shift anyway I might as well have a manual clutch too.
The Polaris EXP tranny is supposed to be as good as an auto clutch tranny gets, but a really smooth shift is hard to come by, compared to a manual clutch.
I don't understand why something called an "Expedition" doesn't have Independent rear suspension.
Ride a Sportsman 400, an H.O. even a Yamaha Kodiak. Take a 400EX for a spin, a Raptor if you can get your hands on one. Try a Scrambler and a Magnum, these are ALL good machines.
I like the 425EXP okay, and I just ordered a H.O. cam for my son's, but your questions lead me to believe you are not done looking. As an enthusiast who has purchased 6 new Quads in the last year and a half, I can tell you that shopping and riding as many quads as you can is the best way to find what you are looking for.
Silly Later,,,,,Fourlix

 

You are right I'm not done shopping. I currently own a 2000 arctic cat 300 4X4. The cat is a great machine, It will go everywhere I want it to, I've had no problems with it, but it is under powered. It or I need a few more ponies under the seat. I was looking at the cat 500 auto but it was just barely a little faster than my 300,and roared some awful. The cat dealer's are getting a little stupid with their pricing, and their playing the "if I can get one" greed game. The local Polaris dealer is giving me the best price of all for my trade in. He seems to want to deal, this time. When I went shopping last year nobody even looked at me, so I walked right out and stroked Polaris off my list. I love everything my little cat has, even the rocker shifter, all I what is a little more speed. I've never tried a auto. Since you have been wheeeling and dealing quads for the past year and a half, What would you recommend. Ps. I only have so much coin to spend on a new quad.

 

i own the exp. 425..i went from a magnum 325 up to it..what your looking for the exp. has and will do..i think its good all around machine..i personally dont care for the belt drive having it get wet twice and being stuck in water up to the bottom of the seat isnt a good feeling,all machines have good and bad points,ride as many as you can and pick the one that suits you best..good luck

 

Polaris dealers are good with trade ins. One rig I had this year was an Arctic Cat 500 Auto. It had a lot of good qualities. It had a great motor, Suzuki, and the Auto with EBS and an aluminum cover was great. It was also very fast.
But I got rid of it because it got me into the worst almost wreck I've had on a quad. That semi-independent rear suspension without an anti-sway bar lets the chassis roll so much it rolled me into a ditch on a canted road. Yes I was going to fast, But no Polaris would have done that. I have been back over the same spot many times with the Sportsman with absolutely no hint of the problem I had that day on the Cat. I took it back to the dealer who sold it for me on consignment.
Ride a Sportsman, I just paid $6400 for a Silver H.O. I sold my 2000 SP for $5800 to a Bud.
Interestingly, I paid cash for this one since my Bud bought my old SP, and the dealer didn't charge me tax or anything. No OHV license, no sales tax, no set-up, nothing. I got the MSO instead of the New Mexico Title. They put slime in the tires and a front rack and I was out the door for $6509. Not bad. Our 425EXP cost $5500
plus tax, license etc, and we were out the door for $5,650 (Trailboss got us $2700 in trade, so sales tax was only $85) $2950 cash plus slime, rack, etc.
The best way to save money is to buy the right machine in the first place. A Sportsman H.O. costs less than a $1,000 more than a EXP,
It's a hellava lot more quad for the money.
Buying the wrong quad is a costly mistake. Keep riding, you may end up with a Raptor, a DS650 or a Rubicon. You know my preference.
Silly Later,,,,,Fourlix