I take it you guys never drive in 2wd drive mode then eh?? Or maybe no one ever buys 2wd quads in your area eh?? Handling a quad in this situation is exactly what I was pointing out!!!! Do you give it the gas and hold the brake on your quad while you go down a hill in 2wd mode??? Yes, you can do that if you are caught off guard. However, comon sense should tell you to simply go slower and use the brake as required to keep your speed down. I guess you are just learning how to become a "real rider". However, my major contention in my original post was about the slipping that YOUR tires do in 4WD mode on a BRP as opposed to the Polaris.
You guys have yet to answer those points.

 

You could be right that the Polaris may not be right for you. My major contention with your post was your trashing of the engagement of the 4WD. My experience on the 450 showed no such tendency. I have read literally hundreds of posts from Polaris owners on this FORUM describing the 4WD action as "so smooth you don't know it is engaging". So I will believe these hundreds of owners before I believe your single post that clearly has an agenda in a Polaris versus BRP thread. However, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt by suggesting that you need to fix your Polaris. However, you say that your Polaris must be in "top condition".

 

It seems that some people are having a difficulty understanding my "techo-babble". So lets bring it down to real world terms.

Here is my first point. Your front tires, one or both slip every time you turn a corner while you are in 4WD on a BRP, but that does not happen on a Polaris.

When you drive your quad around a corner, your front tires must turn faster than your rear tires. The reason is, that they travel a further distance than the rear tires. If you need to be convinced of that, take your quad onto a dirt area where you can clearly see the tire tracks. Drive in a circle and compare where your front tire tracks are in relationship to your rear tires. For simplicity, compare only the ouside rear track to the outside front track. You will notice that the front tire track is always outside the rear tire track. Since front tire has to go a further distance in the same amount of time, it must spin faster

Now when lock your front and rear axles together with a 4WD system like BRP, it is clear that the 4WD will not allow the front and rear tires to run at different speed when you turn a corner. Since your rear tires will probably have the greater traction, one or both of your front tires will slip. It is just a fact of life. No arguments. It happens. The Polaris system does not lock the front and rear axles together, so its front tires are allowed to run faster so they don't slip.

So maybe you might think.. yea, but my front tires are still pulling through the corners because they are locked to the rears. You couldn't be more wrong. It is just the opposite!!! The rear wheels are trying to slow down the front tires through the 4WD system. Now the engine is trying to apply torque to the rear tires and the front tires are trying to apply torque to the rear tires, it should be clear that there is no way the engine can apply torque to the front tires!!

Interestingly, in a BRP in a corner in 4WD you can apply no engine torque to the front tires till the rear tires start slipping. Furthermore, your front and rear tires are actually fighting each other in every turn (wasting power). By the time you start applying torque to the front tires, all your tires are slipping in the corner. Given that one or both front tires are slipping in every corner, it clearly must have some affect on your ability to steer through the corner.

The Polaris system on the other hand allows both front tires to turn at the speed that are suppose to turn in the corner. The advantage you gain is that you always have both your front tires to steer with. It is only when the rear tires start slipping, then torque will be applied to the front.

The next time you guys suggest that the Polaris system is bad because the rear tires slip before the front. Just go around a corner. However, you should not feel alone. All manufacturers 4WD (except Polaris) systems do the same thing.

 

OMG, LOL, I can't believe you just wasted sooo much time talking about something so irrelevant; how a 4x4 system works turning a corner???????? OMG do you stay up at night thinking about this stuff???LOL

 

Bryce GTX. I think I know what you are trying to say. I believe you are wrong. If my Polaris is in 4wd and I am trying to negotiate a twisting technical trail, it is almost impossible to control when the system 'locks'. You are right, there is a difference in radius in a turn for all the wheels. When locked the Polaris simply wants to go straight and it takes a lot of strength to do otherwise, similar to any other 'locked' 4WD. In the same situation, the Outie delivers power to the wheel with the most traction allowing the other wheel to over or under ride the rotation depending on the situation. It makes steering a breeze and control effortless. To me, it feels like the Polaris is either in 2wd or 4wd lock (if the rear wheels are slipping) with no middle ground. The steering on the Outie feels like it is in 2wd all the time with no control issues. Any which way. I will take the Outie and smile and you can continue to defend the Polaris but I feel you have a small audience. Happy Trails.

 

I don't think that reverse override button engages 4x4 in reverse does it? I think it just lets you go as fast as you want. That actually is exactly what I use and I just blast my way out [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

But I didn't think it engaged the 4x4. Mabye I am mistaken. When I have used it I have mashed on the gas pretty good so really I wouldn't know. I'm too busy trying to hang on [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I could be wrong but it seems like if you are talking 4x4 systems, then Polaris would have the advantage when in 4WD, as it is always locked in that mode. This would cause it to crab in corners and in situation where speed might be involved though, so the "open" mode of the Can-Am would be an advantage here. The Can-Am would seem to have a limited slip diff, which is good for snow, slippery terrain and cornering....at speed (you wouldn't lock run your truck with locked diffs on the highway). Personally I would rather have the ability to run in hi mode 4x4 and lock all wheels when I want it manually. I am more into trucks than quads and don't know yet how they differ in 'technical' riding off road. I do own three trucks I run off road, two exclusively. One is a 1994 lifted Ford which I hardly ever use, and the other is a lifted 2002 Land Rover Discovery with Center Diff Lock and lockers, so I do use 4x4 a lot in pretty rough conditions.

I have been following this thread with interest, having just spent $16,000 CDN with tax on a 2007 camo Outlander 800 XT! I bought it because I thought it was hands down the best. Now I am wondering if it is the best at speed and power, but weak in other areas. I have read a ton about frames and CV breaking, belts slipping from taking on water, etc. and warranty being denied because of abuse. I bought my quad to have fun, which means abuse, and I also bought my quad to get me through stuff my big trucks couldn't go, and certainly spent the money on this quad because I thought it could go where other "quads" couldn't go. We'll see.

 

yes it also does engage 4x4. depending on how old the bike is there is either a awd light on the dash or by the switch or a little picture showing you the 4wd is engaged. when you put in reverse these lights or pictures will go away but when you push the overide button they will come back. but either way sliminate this you will a much happier rider.

And in my opinion also a polaris 4wd will steer better than. Than other quads in diff lock. the front wheels are allowed to turn at different speeds when turning. That is why they only have one 4wd position. Unlike others who have honda mode and diff lock.

another big advantage on polaris versus kawi (i'm not sure on others). on the kawi you have to drive foward some to get the 4wd engaged. polaris don't have to move at all and you are in. so in situations like heading down a steep hill, and suddenly. You relize there is no more trail a polaris can engage true 4wd instantly to back up.

everyone out there that knows something post how other brands get into 4wd and diff lock do they have to move forward first. just wondering

 

Thats why having 4x4, and a seperate diff lock is good[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

i don't mind separate diff lock but get rid of the power cut back while in 4wd take about stupid