I bought the latest " Quad " magazine, They had a under 6000.00 shootout of 4wd quads they lambasted the Polaris Hawkeye basically and didnt really give it much credit, The Honda was the clear winner and the hawkeye Plced last with Complements of the front storage Box area. after i read this I thought for a bit. and they are so wrong about the hawkeye, If only Polaris would add 50cc , 25 inch tires and some better seating this quad would rock their House and would have probally placed 3rd in the 6 atv shootut, all they could talk about is that its for a small rider that weighs under 110 pounds, they mentioned the weight 3 times, I felt sorry for the Little hawkeye. they also had a kymco peice of crap in the shoot out as well.
i wonder they didnt have a arctic cat 400 vp, or lesser 4wd say ummmm there isnt one is there ,,so basically they Picked on the Hawkeye.

 

I cant believe that Kymco cost 6grand!
I love that magazine...

 

Saw that today also. Guess that was the only Polaris to qualify under $6k? Sportsman 450 is just over $6k isn't it. I think it was the cheapest of the group though. Maybe they should have the best under $5k.

 

What were the final results?

 

Never cared for Quad mag. Nice pics but the articles lack. Its kinda like it is written by spoil rich kids. And yes I believe Polaris should make a 400 fuel injection Hawkeye with 25 in tires. I am big, but the type of riding I do, the Hawkeye is perfect and the price is right.

 

Yep your right " spoiled rich Kids " heres the thing though - they talk about how the small size of the hawkeye was bad ,,but then when they compare the new RZR polaris to the rhino they say the Polaris is better because of the size difference, then they talk about the yzf 450 compared to raptor 700 and they praise the yzf becuase its smaller,,duh. Any way enuff --im ready for summer got my Ole fourtrax 300 out today and the hawkeye is ready to go as well.

 

1.Honda 420 es
2.suzuki eiger
3.grizzly 450
4.kawasaki 360
5.arctic cat 400
6.Kymco 500
7.Polaris hawkeye

 

I have to say the stock tires look pityfull. The dealer install the Mudlites on mine before I even test drove it and I never drove one with the stock tires. Once read a 4x4 truck rag where they tested a hawkeye. They loved it, but said it needed better tires because they got stuck a couple of times. To make thing interesting. Take the 6K limit, subtract the msrp. Use the left over money to mod it, than do a comparsion. Also need to be done on several types of coarse such as mud, hill climbs etc and be timed, than their is no opinion.

 

I'm an old guy and a long time dirt bike rider. My 2006 Hawkeye 4wd is the first quad I have owned so I guess I'm not knowledgable enough to know that it is too small and under powered. I work as a volunteer with the State of Hawaii in building and maintaining trails and I wanted a simple, solid, workhorse with good features at a reasonable price. That is exactly what I got. I ride with a Kawasaki 750 twin and a Yamaha 650 Grizzly. I go anywhere the big machines go and some of it is pretty ugly. The performance mods I have done are a Dynojet jetting kit, auxillary oil cooler, and K & N air filter. Hawkeye has worked excellently.

I haven't read the magizine article but I think you have to take what you need from it and forget the rest. The press seems to develop their concept of what is a cool machine and what isn't. With dirt bikes, the two major magazines are in the LA area where motocross is king. Their concept of a trail bike is a high seat, very long suspension travel, motocross engined machine that is unsuitable for the East cost and Hawaii. They have convinced the younger buying public that that is the cool machine and we can no longer buy a good trail bike.

We all bought out Hawkeyes because the specs seemed to fit what we were looking for. If that has worked out for you, as it has for me, then we made a good decision and a magazine article isn't going to change that.

 

Good Point Alan ! Im also a long time dirt Bike rider dating back to the 70,s and have owned only 2 atvs, the main reason i bought my hawkeye is that its lite enuff to Pick up and turn around on a trail and has all the Power I and my wife need, Ive also got a 300 fourtrax 4wd , the Squirts on the california Coast that do these test are usally addicted to Speed any way, I remember the Elsinore 250 when it came out and everyone wanted one until they got it, But the Tetsers for the mags were just raving about it, when i got mine it was so unridable that it was a fright to ride it, No Mistake it had Lots of power But would hurt you as well, I rode a Kawasaki 700 praire that a freind of mine owns and i Loved it but hated it also ! Way to much power for my fun factor, until these speed Junkies hit the Cement or river bottom at 60 Mph then they never learn until it slams em a couple of times.