thenewfiebullet,
do you know what a half second could cost you in a drag race,especially off the low end?

After owning the heavier[697lbs] 99 Sportsman 500cc 4x4 and now the lighter[588lbs]Xplorer,I can honestly say I like the Xplorer more.It developes more wheel speed,has a quicker throttle response,and is currently the fastest utility ATV on the market.It is a fantastic mudder,and hill climber.It does not mind work either.I hauled a 17cf trailor up some muddy and nasty hills for 2 days last summer,we wound up with around 7 cords of wood.

I had a problem with my chain and sprockets,Polaris replaced them free of charge to me at around 800 miles,and since,I've had no further problems.

The oil injection unit is great,it holds a half gallon of lube and can easily go 4-5 hundred miles before a refill is needed.The ride is smooth to,not as nice as the Sportsman,but you wont even know that unless you swap quads with a buddie who has a Sportsman.I hated the stock brown seat that comes with the Xplorer,I had my buddie who owns an upholstery shop add one inch more padding and cover the seat in BLACK,it looks and rides nice now.That only costs me 45 dollars.
I really like the Xplorer.Im going to like it even more after I install my HPD pipe and Scrambler silencer,clutch springs,airbox mods,and jetting,
Bill

 

Throttle response is EVERYTHING in a drag race!

60ft times is where most races are won! It takes some serious power advantage to run down a vehicle that has beaten you out of the hole!

 

DieselPro,
thank you for your response.Some folks know very little about drag racing and throttle response.Throttle response,especially from the low end can make or break a race for you,
Bill

 

if you want to complain about brakes you have to complain about polaris! they are disk and high tech but they wear super fast!!! it must have soemthing to do with their weight also cuz i didnt go through that many pads on my motocrosser and i raced in mud all the time in mud so deep my footpegs slowed me down!!

 

Yes, a fraction of a second will make a big difference with two quads that are relativly equal.
If your Xplorer only beats a 450 because of a better throttle response off the line there's something wrong with it.
I'm not trying to say that instant response is not a help in a race, but that's not the way to test throttle response. It's a good test of horsepower though, and that's why you easily beat a 450, not because of throttle response.

Next you'll try and tell me that throttle response is related to horsepower.

 

I don't know if to get involved in the throttle response argument or not, but here is my 2 cents worth. I have driven a neighbors 450s and compared to my Xplorer, I would have to say the Polaris has better throttle response. However, it has a delay before the auto tranny responds to what the engine is doing compared to a manual-shift machine.

 

thenewefiebullet,
I did not say that the Xplorer will only beat a 450s off the line only because of throttle response.And trust me,there's nothing wrong with the Xplorer.

And yes,
throttle response and HP do indeed have some corrilation with each other.

Take similer ATVs,except one with a 10hp engine,the other one with a 38hp engine,and tell me which engine responds to the throttle quicker?

Bill

 

Sure is alot of talk about throttle response. When I originally made that comment about the Honda having better throttle response I was refering to was what farmr123 said. I don't have to wait the second or two for the clutch. I'll have to agree that a sportsman 500 will smoke my 450es in a drag race, but I don't care. I didn't buy a 600 lb utility machine to drag race. I bought it to putt-putt around on the trails, go up and down the hills and pull the kids out when they get stuck. I ride slow, 10 - 15 mph so I couldn't even tell you what the top speed is. I have to admit though, if I could sell the Honda for decent price I would go buy a Magnum tomorrow simply because of ride comfort. We took a long two day ride in Tennesee last fall and after 74 miles on the first day the Honda was great but I was very sore.
I guess a guy just needs to try out both machines and decide for himself. Better yet, find two people willing to let you take a ride on theirs so you can get a feel for what they're like out on the trail. Either machine will take you anywhere you need to go.
Good luck with whatever you decide on and have fun riding.

 

I think you've said it all Westport

"If I could sell the Honda for decent price I would go buy a Magnum tomorrow simply because of ride comfort. We took a long two day ride in Tennesee last fall and after 74 miles on the first day the Honda was great but I was very sore."

When my son was in the market for a new quad he offered me the opportunity to purchase his Honda 450 ES with 1000 miles at a very good price. But, I had to decline for the very reason which you mentioned. Although the 450 HONDA is very reliable I could not "suffer the ride" for upland trail riding.

Under different circumstances my choice would be different, if I were slogging through swamps and bayous every weekend at low speeds I would purchase the Honda 450 S. These are different market niches.

Riding in most of the Midwest is entirely different than it is in the swamps of the south, the desert, or the flat lands of the Great Plains.
Which is why some of the comments in this thread are so diverse. Some people have not ridden under the other persons riding conditions. Keep the shiny side up.

 

Even if I was slogging all day at low speed I would still want a plush suspension,It,s the terrain of our sport it usually is alway not to forgivening on the rider.That is the only thing that could give the new 650 Kawasaki it,s demise would be a rough ride.