Beat the Grizzly at what? Sales? That may be so, I really couldn't tell ya. But I've bumped into a Polaris from time to time, most don't even bother. Those that do, get soundly thrashed in a speed/power contest!

 

From what I've read since it was introduced in late 97, the Grizzly only thing the Grizzly ever beat the Sportsman in was a drag race. Thats it. It never won any pulling contests on acount of its limited slip. I love Grizzly's, but I couldn't go against my own judgement just to defend one.

 

For $169 I can buy a front end locker. Then if I add 100lbs of weight, like with my wife as a passenger. So the weight would be equal, I'd out pull a Sportsman. Then My added power as well as my superior tranny would make it a lopsided contest in my favor! However, since to add a locker at this point would void the manufacturers warranty, I'll have to wait for about 9 more mos. But then again, I've gone everywhere I ever wanted to with my Griz, so it probably would be a waste of time and money. If the only advantage to having a locker in the front is to win a pulling contest, which I can assure I'm never going to do, I'll have to settle for whipping the Sportsman in a drag race! Ride on!

 

you will be happy with the SP I have had the pleasure of driving a 2000 AC500, and was impressed but it really did not match up to my SP and I soon wanted my ride back. As for the build quality I thought they were equal after checking them both out thoroughly. If one had to be the winner the SP felt more solid. but like i say if these are you choices an AC 500 or an SP500 than well how could anyone complain? As for the Grizz nice machine but it beats the SP in one thing and one thing only, straight line speed. and with the HO for 2001 I think Polaris cleared up that little issue.

 

01grizzly
900 plus miles of throttle and narry a problem puttinger in reverse to pull out all the high range grizzly riders with one front tire spinning off into the sunset.

2 sp 500's (feeding ya mud for dinner!)

 

This is an interesting thread, there is ONLY bashing...... face it, both have their upsides and both are tailor made for different customers, it all depends on you/terrain/cash to name a few, IF the rubicon was a polaris and the SP500 was a Polaris, would you Polaris/Honda people that ONLY support their manufacturer and bash the others route for the variaton? honda sp500, would you polaris bashers still hate it? and the same goes to a polaris rubicon, how would that sound to honda bashers?

 

Please explain why you would buy something that you have to start adding things to to make it almost equal to the sportsman,then if you do you void warranty,that should tell you something about your purchase right there.These are UTILITY machines not raceing machines,the Sportsman will and has out pulled out rode out handled and out done GRIZZ many times and will continue to do so.How many times has the mighty GRIZZ been KING OF THE HILL?How many shoot outs againt the 500SP has it won?Top of the utility class I THINK NOT.LOL
100 cc's you should be able to do something with that beast,as far as sales let them speak for thier selves.Just look at the post in this Forum.Any day of the week you'll see more 500SP than you'll see in a month of GRIZZ.I'd be careful about bosting to much on the drag with the HO coming out you may eat them words.LONG LIVE THE KING.Really just giving you bad time the GRIZZ is very capable machine,if thats what you like so be it,thats why there are so many choices.Watch out for that H.O.!!!!!! CM

 

Point taken. Your right, I guess we are comparing apples and oranges. I like the sportier nature of 4 wheeling. About the same as taking my F-250 over my father-in-laws John Deere. But I'll tell you what, that John Deer will pull more then my truck and it will go through more mud. I just like getting there alittle faster!

 

At least you are posting about the grizzly. I had almost forgot about it after the Rubicon came out. They only talked about the new honda and the sportsman. It seemed as if the Griz had become a relic.

Try as you may, I don't see you modifying the Grizzly to have and independant rear suspension, which of course we all know is the one thing that makes the Sportsman win every shootout. It doesn't matter what new quad comes out, it always comes down to that.

 

God this is old. Bashing, as bad as it may seem, is one thing that is interesting. Not to be an *** or anything about this subject, but a little bashing does make the forum interesting. Thats why you see so much of it.

I'm not really talking of all out "I hate this or this sucks", just about two people disagreeing on something and then showing good and bad points of a certain quad, which in all honesty is actually called "debating" rather than "bashing".

This is just one of those hidden pleasure type things. Kind of like watching Bullriding to see a guy get thrown, watching NASCAR to see a crash, or watching boxing to see a guy get his *** kicked. Its preys upon moral issues but is still interesting nonetheless.