My first Polaris: 800 EFI
#1
01-17-2005, 05:59 PM
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New England
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My first Polaris: 800 EFI
I've been riding for about 24 years--snowmobiles, dirt bikes and quads. I can think of a few machines that I've owned over the years that stand out for one reason or another...
...like the `92 Yamaha WR200 with it's "electric-motor" powerband, and grease fittings on all the suspension linkage, or the Honda TRX250R for it's bulletproof ability to withstand almost 20 years of off road abuse, and yet still remain very much sought after in the local Want-Ads, the Suzuki DRZ400S for being a street-legal dirtbike rather than a streetbike you can ride in dirt, or my recently purchased `04 Kawasaki KFX700 V-Force for being a complete pile of crap (now, take a breather Kawi owners--this is just my personal opinion)
Owning the V-Force for a year made me take a closer look at Polaris (which I never before considered buying). When I bought the V-Force, I was thinking like I was still a teenager-- back then, everyone rode racing machines on the trail, and some still do. I am a horsepower junkie--nothing I have ridden has really impressed me (with the exception of my buddie's Kawasaki ZX-9R with big-bore kit and 138 HP @ the rear wheel!!). I figured I could have a modern race machine and have as much fun in the woods as I did on my 250R--boy was I wrong!!
2 days after taking delivery of the V, I bend a tie-rod. No biggie-- I replace the tie-rod. Then that summer, the tie-rod END decides to separate (In all my years of hard riding, this was the first machine that I, or anyone else I've seen, have had this happen). Next ride, the other tie-rod bends (both times they bent so easily, you'd swear they were made of lead) right about when the machine started vomiting coolant due to the radiator being plugged solid with mud (I thought this was designed for OFF-ROAD use??!!) Now, it has developed a strange ignition problem, where the front cylinder will not fire at idle without having the fuel screw almost closed!! Needless to say, I think this is completely unacceptable for a $6,000 quad and I'm very pissed off about that situation. ...and I forgot to mention all the time I spent stuck in mud or snow, having to be winched out by others a couple times, and how I was the dirtiest one on the trail, due to the useless fenders (which are there for looks only and serve no practical purpose).
I made the decision to buy a 4 x 4 after being winched out by one, and watching these guys go through mudholes... in 2WD and reverse!! But I have to have a 4 x4 that performs , so my first choice was the Brute Force. That idea was quickly shot down by my previous experience with the KFX, so I went with the SP800. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
THIS is the quad I've dreamed about!! Braided steel lines from the factory! Sharp looking wheels--from the factory! Decent tires--again, from the factory!! I could go on forever!!! Suspension could very well be the best ever!! MINT!!!!!
Picked it up last week, and have ridden in mud, snow, pavement and water-- and I LOVE THIS THING!!! The Sportsman will go through stuff in 2WD that I wouldn't even attempt on the V-Force.
Got to ride it back to back with the SP700 (my buddy's machine) and I think the most notable difference between the two is the throttle response of the 800-- that's the biggest difference between the two. You just rest your thumb on the 800's throttle and BAM!!your moving--right now!! Could also be just that the clutch engages sooner, with less stall due to the extra torque of the 8. Mine seems to engage @ around 1300-1400 rpm's while the 700 engages @ about 2300 (according to each machines' digital tachs).
My buddy and I were exploring some trails behind my house. When we got bored, we made our own!! We were plowing through some thick stuff with no damage whatsoever to either machine. Later that day, I sunk my 800 in what was like cement in the middle of a brook. I could only go forward and back about 4 feet-- no way I was getting out of this without a winch. As I nailed the throttle to try to make it over the lip of the brook's edge, the front wheels just dug deeper-- and I slammed a huge rock that was hiding in the mud. I hit that rock about 4 times because I was trying to rock the machine out. Since my winch I just bought didn't include the Polaris-specific mounting plate, my buddy had to winch me out with his 2.5. I was so stuck that he was getting pulled into the mud by the winch-- it was driving his front wheels into the mud almost to the point of getting himself stuck too!! He had to back up almost as far as the winch cable would go and I just held in the override button and kept those wheels spinning. Finally after getting out of that mess, I checked out underneath to see what kind of damage was done by that rock I hit. NONE WHATSOEVER!! Just some scuffed paint!! Proof positive that these machines are purpose-built!!
Bottom line: After 20+ years of riding Japanese machines, my desire to buy another one ended with the purchase of the Polaris. Yeah, it was A TON of cash, but I, personally, can't put a price on my sanity!!
This machine is the best I have ever owned. `nuff said!!
...like the `92 Yamaha WR200 with it's "electric-motor" powerband, and grease fittings on all the suspension linkage, or the Honda TRX250R for it's bulletproof ability to withstand almost 20 years of off road abuse, and yet still remain very much sought after in the local Want-Ads, the Suzuki DRZ400S for being a street-legal dirtbike rather than a streetbike you can ride in dirt, or my recently purchased `04 Kawasaki KFX700 V-Force for being a complete pile of crap (now, take a breather Kawi owners--this is just my personal opinion)
Owning the V-Force for a year made me take a closer look at Polaris (which I never before considered buying). When I bought the V-Force, I was thinking like I was still a teenager-- back then, everyone rode racing machines on the trail, and some still do. I am a horsepower junkie--nothing I have ridden has really impressed me (with the exception of my buddie's Kawasaki ZX-9R with big-bore kit and 138 HP @ the rear wheel!!). I figured I could have a modern race machine and have as much fun in the woods as I did on my 250R--boy was I wrong!!
2 days after taking delivery of the V, I bend a tie-rod. No biggie-- I replace the tie-rod. Then that summer, the tie-rod END decides to separate (In all my years of hard riding, this was the first machine that I, or anyone else I've seen, have had this happen). Next ride, the other tie-rod bends (both times they bent so easily, you'd swear they were made of lead) right about when the machine started vomiting coolant due to the radiator being plugged solid with mud (I thought this was designed for OFF-ROAD use??!!) Now, it has developed a strange ignition problem, where the front cylinder will not fire at idle without having the fuel screw almost closed!! Needless to say, I think this is completely unacceptable for a $6,000 quad and I'm very pissed off about that situation. ...and I forgot to mention all the time I spent stuck in mud or snow, having to be winched out by others a couple times, and how I was the dirtiest one on the trail, due to the useless fenders (which are there for looks only and serve no practical purpose).
I made the decision to buy a 4 x 4 after being winched out by one, and watching these guys go through mudholes... in 2WD and reverse!! But I have to have a 4 x4 that performs , so my first choice was the Brute Force. That idea was quickly shot down by my previous experience with the KFX, so I went with the SP800. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
THIS is the quad I've dreamed about!! Braided steel lines from the factory! Sharp looking wheels--from the factory! Decent tires--again, from the factory!! I could go on forever!!! Suspension could very well be the best ever!! MINT!!!!!
Picked it up last week, and have ridden in mud, snow, pavement and water-- and I LOVE THIS THING!!! The Sportsman will go through stuff in 2WD that I wouldn't even attempt on the V-Force.
Got to ride it back to back with the SP700 (my buddy's machine) and I think the most notable difference between the two is the throttle response of the 800-- that's the biggest difference between the two. You just rest your thumb on the 800's throttle and BAM!!your moving--right now!! Could also be just that the clutch engages sooner, with less stall due to the extra torque of the 8. Mine seems to engage @ around 1300-1400 rpm's while the 700 engages @ about 2300 (according to each machines' digital tachs).
My buddy and I were exploring some trails behind my house. When we got bored, we made our own!! We were plowing through some thick stuff with no damage whatsoever to either machine. Later that day, I sunk my 800 in what was like cement in the middle of a brook. I could only go forward and back about 4 feet-- no way I was getting out of this without a winch. As I nailed the throttle to try to make it over the lip of the brook's edge, the front wheels just dug deeper-- and I slammed a huge rock that was hiding in the mud. I hit that rock about 4 times because I was trying to rock the machine out. Since my winch I just bought didn't include the Polaris-specific mounting plate, my buddy had to winch me out with his 2.5. I was so stuck that he was getting pulled into the mud by the winch-- it was driving his front wheels into the mud almost to the point of getting himself stuck too!! He had to back up almost as far as the winch cable would go and I just held in the override button and kept those wheels spinning. Finally after getting out of that mess, I checked out underneath to see what kind of damage was done by that rock I hit. NONE WHATSOEVER!! Just some scuffed paint!! Proof positive that these machines are purpose-built!!
Bottom line: After 20+ years of riding Japanese machines, my desire to buy another one ended with the purchase of the Polaris. Yeah, it was A TON of cash, but I, personally, can't put a price on my sanity!!
This machine is the best I have ever owned. `nuff said!!
#2
01-17-2005, 06:28 PM
My first Polaris: 800 EFI
Originally posted by: Smitty4
I've been riding for about 24 years--snowmobiles, dirt bikes and quads. I can think of a few machines that I've owned over the years that stand out for one reason or another...
...like the `92 Yamaha WR200 with it's "electric-motor" powerband, and grease fittings on all the suspension linkage, or the Honda TRX250R for it's bulletproof ability to withstand almost 20 years of off road abuse, and yet still remain very much sought after in the local Want-Ads, the Suzuki DRZ400S for being a street-legal dirtbike rather than a streetbike you can ride in dirt, or my recently purchased `04 Kawasaki KFX700 V-Force for being a complete pile of crap (now, take a breather Kawi owners--this is just my personal opinion)
Owning the V-Force for a year made me take a closer look at Polaris (which I never before considered buying). When I bought the V-Force, I was thinking like I was still a teenager-- back then, everyone rode racing machines on the trail, and some still do. I am a horsepower junkie--nothing I have ridden has really impressed me (with the exception of my buddie's Kawasaki ZX-9R with big-bore kit and 138 HP @ the rear wheel!!). I figured I could have a modern race machine and have as much fun in the woods as I did on my 250R--boy was I wrong!!
2 days after taking delivery of the V, I bend a tie-rod. No biggie-- I replace the tie-rod. Then that summer, the tie-rod END decides to separate (In all my years of hard riding, this was the first machine that I, or anyone else I've seen, have had this happen). Next ride, the other tie-rod bends (both times they bent so easily, you'd swear they were made of lead) right about when the machine started vomiting coolant due to the radiator being plugged solid with mud (I thought this was designed for OFF-ROAD use??!!) Now, it has developed a strange ignition problem, where the front cylinder will not fire at idle without having the fuel screw almost closed!! Needless to say, I think this is completely unacceptable for a $6,000 quad and I'm very pissed off about that situation. ...and I forgot to mention all the time I spent stuck in mud or snow, having to be winched out by others a couple times, and how I was the dirtiest one on the trail, due to the useless fenders (which are there for looks only and serve no practical purpose).
I made the decision to buy a 4 x 4 after being winched out by one, and watching these guys go through mudholes... in 2WD and reverse!! But I have to have a 4 x4 that performs , so my first choice was the Brute Force. That idea was quickly shot down by my previous experience with the KFX, so I went with the SP800. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
THIS is the quad I've dreamed about!! Braided steel lines from the factory! Sharp looking wheels--from the factory! Decent tires--again, from the factory!! I could go on forever!!! Suspension could very well be the best ever!! MINT!!!!!
Picked it up last week, and have ridden in mud, snow, pavement and water-- and I LOVE THIS THING!!! The Sportsman will go through stuff in 2WD that I wouldn't even attempt on the V-Force.
Got to ride it back to back with the SP700 (my buddy's machine) and I think the most notable difference between the two is the throttle response of the 800-- that's the biggest difference between the two. You just rest your thumb on the 800's throttle and BAM!!your moving--right now!! Could also be just that the clutch engages sooner, with less stall due to the extra torque of the 8. Mine seems to engage @ around 1300-1400 rpm's while the 700 engages @ about 2300 (according to each machines' digital tachs).
My buddy and I were exploring some trails behind my house. When we got bored, we made our own!! We were plowing through some thick stuff with no damage whatsoever to either machine. Later that day, I sunk my 800 in what was like cement in the middle of a brook. I could only go forward and back about 4 feet-- no way I was getting out of this without a winch. As I nailed the throttle to try to make it over the lip of the brook's edge, the front wheels just dug deeper-- and I slammed a huge rock that was hiding in the mud. I hit that rock about 4 times because I was trying to rock the machine out. Since my winch I just bought didn't include the Polaris-specific mounting plate, my buddy had to winch me out with his 2.5. I was so stuck that he was getting pulled into the mud by the winch-- it was driving his front wheels into the mud almost to the point of getting himself stuck too!! He had to back up almost as far as the winch cable would go and I just held in the override button and kept those wheels spinning. Finally after getting out of that mess, I checked out underneath to see what kind of damage was done by that rock I hit. NONE WHATSOEVER!! Just some scuffed paint!! Proof positive that these machines are purpose-built!!
Bottom line: After 20+ years of riding Japanese machines, my desire to buy another one ended with the purchase of the Polaris. Yeah, it was A TON of cash, but I, personally, can't put a price on my sanity!!
This machine is the best I have ever owned. `nuff said!!
I've been riding for about 24 years--snowmobiles, dirt bikes and quads. I can think of a few machines that I've owned over the years that stand out for one reason or another...
...like the `92 Yamaha WR200 with it's "electric-motor" powerband, and grease fittings on all the suspension linkage, or the Honda TRX250R for it's bulletproof ability to withstand almost 20 years of off road abuse, and yet still remain very much sought after in the local Want-Ads, the Suzuki DRZ400S for being a street-legal dirtbike rather than a streetbike you can ride in dirt, or my recently purchased `04 Kawasaki KFX700 V-Force for being a complete pile of crap (now, take a breather Kawi owners--this is just my personal opinion)
Owning the V-Force for a year made me take a closer look at Polaris (which I never before considered buying). When I bought the V-Force, I was thinking like I was still a teenager-- back then, everyone rode racing machines on the trail, and some still do. I am a horsepower junkie--nothing I have ridden has really impressed me (with the exception of my buddie's Kawasaki ZX-9R with big-bore kit and 138 HP @ the rear wheel!!). I figured I could have a modern race machine and have as much fun in the woods as I did on my 250R--boy was I wrong!!
2 days after taking delivery of the V, I bend a tie-rod. No biggie-- I replace the tie-rod. Then that summer, the tie-rod END decides to separate (In all my years of hard riding, this was the first machine that I, or anyone else I've seen, have had this happen). Next ride, the other tie-rod bends (both times they bent so easily, you'd swear they were made of lead) right about when the machine started vomiting coolant due to the radiator being plugged solid with mud (I thought this was designed for OFF-ROAD use??!!) Now, it has developed a strange ignition problem, where the front cylinder will not fire at idle without having the fuel screw almost closed!! Needless to say, I think this is completely unacceptable for a $6,000 quad and I'm very pissed off about that situation. ...and I forgot to mention all the time I spent stuck in mud or snow, having to be winched out by others a couple times, and how I was the dirtiest one on the trail, due to the useless fenders (which are there for looks only and serve no practical purpose).
I made the decision to buy a 4 x 4 after being winched out by one, and watching these guys go through mudholes... in 2WD and reverse!! But I have to have a 4 x4 that performs , so my first choice was the Brute Force. That idea was quickly shot down by my previous experience with the KFX, so I went with the SP800. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
THIS is the quad I've dreamed about!! Braided steel lines from the factory! Sharp looking wheels--from the factory! Decent tires--again, from the factory!! I could go on forever!!! Suspension could very well be the best ever!! MINT!!!!!
Picked it up last week, and have ridden in mud, snow, pavement and water-- and I LOVE THIS THING!!! The Sportsman will go through stuff in 2WD that I wouldn't even attempt on the V-Force.
Got to ride it back to back with the SP700 (my buddy's machine) and I think the most notable difference between the two is the throttle response of the 800-- that's the biggest difference between the two. You just rest your thumb on the 800's throttle and BAM!!your moving--right now!! Could also be just that the clutch engages sooner, with less stall due to the extra torque of the 8. Mine seems to engage @ around 1300-1400 rpm's while the 700 engages @ about 2300 (according to each machines' digital tachs).
My buddy and I were exploring some trails behind my house. When we got bored, we made our own!! We were plowing through some thick stuff with no damage whatsoever to either machine. Later that day, I sunk my 800 in what was like cement in the middle of a brook. I could only go forward and back about 4 feet-- no way I was getting out of this without a winch. As I nailed the throttle to try to make it over the lip of the brook's edge, the front wheels just dug deeper-- and I slammed a huge rock that was hiding in the mud. I hit that rock about 4 times because I was trying to rock the machine out. Since my winch I just bought didn't include the Polaris-specific mounting plate, my buddy had to winch me out with his 2.5. I was so stuck that he was getting pulled into the mud by the winch-- it was driving his front wheels into the mud almost to the point of getting himself stuck too!! He had to back up almost as far as the winch cable would go and I just held in the override button and kept those wheels spinning. Finally after getting out of that mess, I checked out underneath to see what kind of damage was done by that rock I hit. NONE WHATSOEVER!! Just some scuffed paint!! Proof positive that these machines are purpose-built!!
Bottom line: After 20+ years of riding Japanese machines, my desire to buy another one ended with the purchase of the Polaris. Yeah, it was A TON of cash, but I, personally, can't put a price on my sanity!!
This machine is the best I have ever owned. `nuff said!!
#4
01-17-2005, 10:29 PM
My first Polaris: 800 EFI
AWESOME! there the most kick a$$ machines. be sure to grab a winch for that thing as its really really necisary for that rolling peice'a lead. keep in mind that the machine will exept up to 28 inch tires without a lift kit, but 10 inches in the front and 12 inches in the back are the limates of the suspention design without spacers. also, the new PowerCommander for your quad is out which is suposed to add noticeable power band change. also the K&N air filter adds about 8MPH to the top end and gobs of new torque. its a truely amazing machine
#5
01-17-2005, 10:38 PM
#6
01-18-2005, 11:12 AM
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New England
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My first Polaris: 800 EFI
Glad all of you liked the post!
...and thanx syder6 for the info on the filter and power commander!! I didn't think anything would be out so soon.... you just made my day!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
I gotta get a digital camera that works. I have a JVC camcorder with a digital still camera built in, but the problem is, I just got a new computer last year, and the cord that came with the camcorder is already outdated!! I just got this thing 4 years ago!! (the cable is designed to connect to a RS-232C port, which my new computer does not have) From what I understand, I need a converter box (???) which is a couple hundred bucks--I might as well just buy a new camera. (which is what I'm going to do today).
...and thanx syder6 for the info on the filter and power commander!! I didn't think anything would be out so soon.... you just made my day!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
I gotta get a digital camera that works. I have a JVC camcorder with a digital still camera built in, but the problem is, I just got a new computer last year, and the cord that came with the camcorder is already outdated!! I just got this thing 4 years ago!! (the cable is designed to connect to a RS-232C port, which my new computer does not have) From what I understand, I need a converter box (???) which is a couple hundred bucks--I might as well just buy a new camera. (which is what I'm going to do today).
#7
01-18-2005, 11:17 AM
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#8
01-18-2005, 05:43 PM
My first Polaris: 800 EFI
smitty, the K&N filter is 50 dollers, so its a fairly cheap way of getting a few good moments of power out of it, i would wait till you change the oil for the first time though so you can really feel the difference [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img] though if you really want it go ahead [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
the power commander is 250 dollers though, thats a big shadow were the dolllers in your wallet used to be [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]
the power commander is 250 dollers though, thats a big shadow were the dolllers in your wallet used to be [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]
#9
01-18-2005, 06:02 PM
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