A bunch of my friends go out trail riding on their four wheelers a bunch, and I miss out on a lot of the fun because I don't have one yet. Well I'm finally in a position to buy one and I'd like to make sure I get it right the first go round. My location is east central florida. Elevation...we don't have it here so that's a non issue, but we do get loads of rain throughout the year, so much of the riding is often through a lot of mud. Ive been comparing brands and models and I keep coming back to polaris. Two models in specific that seem to be the best bang for the buck in their category. The sportsman 570 sp, and the 850 high lifter...

This leads to two of the main questions I have...first is I've heard that since polaris machines are belt driven they often will slip a lot when in wet/muddy conditions like I will often be in. Is there any truth to this?

Second...is the high lifter model worth the extra coin? It seems like the 570 has all the bells and whistles, and the high lifter simply has a bigger engine, tires, and elevated intakes.

Lastly, are there other models I should be looking at? I'd really like to keep the budget around $8500 if possible.

Thanks for any and all help!
John k

 

You have to find out what your buddies like to do, what machines they have, etc. If they are into mudding, then you are looking at bigger tires, maybe snorkels, and a big motor to spin it up in the goop.
Now the 570 is no slouch, and has the power to play as well, it is just cheaper to get the best tool for the job first generally. Having said that, your buddies are going to be your best guides. Find out what they are riding, what upgrades they recommend, what machines they would buy next, etc.

 

My buddies mostly all have honda ranchers because they are one of the cheaper opotions available. They seem like good bikes, but they get stuck a lot and I've heard them complain about bogging down sometimes. I'd like to avoid all that.

Has anyone experienced problems or heard about polaris machines having issues with the belts slipping?

 

I'd look at the Yamaha Kodiak 700. Its about the same price as the Polaris Sportsman 570 but with more power. An extra 141cc(Polaris is 567cc, Kodiak is 708cc) and it even weighs a little less too. In my opinion Yamaha has the best cvt system of any automatic quad. It doesn't allow the belt to "slip" while you build up rpms for it to engage like the Polaris system does. As soon as you hit the throttle, it instantly engages as the belt is under constant tension, which is a good thing for longer belt life. Can Am Outlander 500L(2015 model) or 570L(2016 model) would be another choice in your price range that would give you good bang for your buck. Hondas are reliable but honestly they're all underpowered which probably explains why your buddies get stuck all the time. Any of these mentioned have more power than any utility 4x4 quad Honda makes. The Rancher 420 for instance only has about 26 hp. All of these quads I mentioned have between 45 and 48 hp and are about the same price. That's a big difference.

 

I prefer a good old gear on gear transmission, but I don't think any of the big guys have belts that are slipping like the old days. There are fa few things you need to do to prolong belt life. If it is a big concern of yours, Yamaha cvt keep almost constant belt tension and are less prone to slipping. Once you swamp ot and get water in the cvt housing, they are all going to slip though.

 

Good info everyone keep it coming!

So I started looking at can am and as with many things I research before I buy, I'm starting to suffer from budget creep. I'm really liking the outlander 650 x mr. It seems like a suitable comparison to the polaris high lifter I mentioned earlier, but with less power. The grizzly 700 with power steering is also in the same price range.

Of the bunch, the polaris has the most power, payload and towing capacities, and the stock lighting is 230 watts. Plus it has the elevated intake and radiator.

The polaris seems to be the standout unless I'm missing something?

 

Oops the can am has the 230 watts of lighting not the polaris.

 

If none of the guys you ride with has snorkels you won't need them either. Dedicated mud machines aren't good for much else besides mud IMO. A plain ATV like the Sportsman 570, Grizzly 700, etc. will be better for trail riding because big mud tires won't give you a smooth ride. And the belts don't get wet and slip on CVT transmissions unless you have something wrong like a bad seal. I've been in water up to the rack without any trouble.

 

Thanks for the info! Good to know about the transmissions. All my friends have snorkels on their machines, though most are crude home made pvc rigs. But it works I guess.

I was leaning towards the 570 to start with. I'm sure if I got the 570 I'd have saved enough to get a snorkel kit for it, and probably a light bar too.

The more I look, the more I like can ams offerings too. Seems like there's too many good options to pick just one...

 

The Sportsman 570 should be the least expensive. The 570 single cylinder is a pretty potent engine, about 45 hp. They top out at about 65 mph in high range.