So last weekend took the new to me Bruin out with some friends for a shake down ride.

I let one one of my friends ride the Bruin while I took the wife’s 2016 sportsman 450 (570). My other friends rode a outlander 1000xmr on 30” tires and a maverick XMR1000 on 30”s as well.

Most my riding is been on motorcycles and duel sports so atvs are still fairly new to me. I have ridden atvs a bit on mostly rocky and sandy trails. Lots hill climbs and such. But never did much mud. Well buddies on the Can Ams decided that needed a change and lead the ride into some nasty stuff where I was sure the new Bruin was going to struggle and need assistance.

Much to my surprise that Bruin buzzed threw everything thrown at it and myself on the Polaris spent the after noon getting very comfy with using my winch. Sadly I only have one video of the mud section as I break the beak off my helmet on a tree branch before we got to the really nasty mud. But alas here’s the video.


P.s. and to be sure it was not just rider skill on the return trip I took the Bruin while my buddy hopped on the Polaris. He got to learn winching technique too. While myself and Bruin bashes threw everything I pointed it at.

 

Big thing working for the Bruin is its light weight. Tends to skim over things rather than sink down as much as the big boys. I was always amazed at how far some of the entry level 250 cc class machines could go before getting stuck.

 

Looks like it was a good time.

 

It was a 350 4x4 Bruin but still was getting through the mud better than the Sportsman was even though it had a lot less ground clearance and about half the power. I did hear him say the Bruin had better tires though I couldnt tell because they were covered in mud.

 

Yeah that’s exactly my point. That little 350 of mine got threw the thick of it far better than the “superior Polaris”

as for tires they both have 26” tires. The Bruin on stock Polaris tires and the sportsman on traxion nitro tires, these tires don’t seem to be best I found in mud but I think part of that’s due to the machine tipping scales at 700lbs compared to the 500lbs of the Bruin.

The polaris is sooo much nicer to ride but the Bruin will get you further it seems.