Moved down into central Alberta from Northern Canada where the snowmobile rules for 2/3 of the year. Now I'm looking at buying a Utility ATV and am having a tough time making a decision after reading the posts on this site over the past 2 months.
A good hunter friend of mine swears that a Polaris is the best Quad since sliced bread when it comes to towing a moose or elk out of the deep woods. He also owns the Sp700 that I drove and WoW! Talk about impressive after running Yamaha Big Bears at work.
After reading a number of posts.....the Polaris seems to get a bad rap...I'm now starting to lean towards a Brute Force or a King Quad.
Can someone tell me what are the sore spots about Polaris ownership (i.e. reliability, weight, clutching, mud riding, handling, fuel economy, plastic racks), versus a Japanese model. The 05 Sportsman efi models look like they would kick some butt, or is a guy making a mistake by choosing a 7 or the 8. Would use this Quad for hunting and farming + the occasional ride through the muskeg. Talked to a 700sp owner the other night, and he said his quad shines until he gets into the deep stuff. He stated "the lightweight Hondas with factory tires just walk right by him when the mud gets deep". Is that the fault of the driver or is it because of the Quad.
Would appreciate any feedback.... Just like everyone else on here, looking at getting the best bang for the buck.

 

as far as the guy thats getting passed by hondas in the mud he must not be able to ride. It's in the deep mud that polaris shines over the rest of uf utility's.

 

Bogie, Welcome to the forums, first post and youre picking scabs. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
Anyway, what I hear, and the way I feel about it, is that it gets down to personal preference. Having IRS is a big plus, it makes for a smooth easy ride that doesnt beat up an old tired body like mine, the way a solid axle quad does. The downside is a tippy feeling on side hills, and fast off camber corners. Some also say the IRS models wont take the abuse, for towing and dragging stuff the way a solid axle will.
Some dont like the Mcpherson struts in front of the quads. They make for a smooth ride, but the double A arm fronts, are more adjustable, more durable, and less expensive to fix. And ride quality isnt that much different.
Motors now, are much better than in years past, there shouldnt be any engine problems with any one brand over another. There are the everyday lemons, which all brands have, but are more and more rare.
Then the biggie...the one that separates, and divides, and polarizes. Do you want to control wheel spin, or react to it? The polaris system works, but has limitations. The front two tires wont engage, until the back two tires loose traction. Theres no differential in front, its solid, so when it engages, the steering gets tough. It engages by electric hubs, getting a signal the backs have lost traction. There are times you dont want to spin the tires, and chew up the yard, such as pulling a trailer up the hill, on a dewwy morning. Also rock hounding can be tricky...waiting for the fronts to suddenly engage (when the backs slip), and suddenly the handlebars have a mind of there own. Also theres no engine braking going to the front. I sure like the feeling of having 4wd coming down a slippery , steep hill, and all 4 tires get engine braking, theres no need for using the hand brakes, and no worries of have the backs lock up, and then having to jab the throttle, to get traction again. It sounds counterintuitive...and is. Most newbies to a polaris , panic and jam on the brakes, which makes it worse.
Which brings up another difference, the brakes are linked on the polaris...fronts and backs work together like a car. Most of the jap units have separate front and rear brakes like motorcycles do. Its a preference thing, whatever you preferr.
I like the features like what yami and kawi have, on their bigger quads. You have total, no excuse control over the 4x4 system. You can have 2wd, 4wd with limited slip(and easy steering), and 4wd locked differential. It can be engaged anytime...uphill ,downhill, around corners, and most importantly, without loseing traction in back. In 4wd limited slip, you still have 4wd, as long as the fronts have equal traction, and when one has less traction, itll spin. But if you need that other tire to have power, just flip the lever or button and get full locked, to get thru.
Like I said, it all gets down to personal preference, whatdo you want and how are you going to use it, and what 4wd system works for you.
Ive had friends who bought polaris quads, and didnt realize how they worked, until after they got to the first steep hill. Once they realized how it worked, theyve said, ' If i would have known this, when I was buying, I wouldnt have bought this". Its best to have more than you need to know, then less when your spending 6 large on a quad.
Polaris makes nice quads, and Im not bashing them, Im just letting you know about the differences.

 

Welcome Bogie, I think Polaris now a days is as good as the other. I myself won't buy one because of the problems I had in the past, but I am sure they are fixed and I am being stubborn. I would look at the Kind Quad, EFI on that 700 I like better then the BF750. Just my oponion. I see you want to haul out a moose, I did that two weeks ago with my Arctic Cat, check out my picts. There is no way I could have done it with a straight axel quad, and I needed every inch of the 12 inches of ground clearace. Good luck and be sure to ride before you buy. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]