The Polaris is a one handed lever that works all the brakes at once it even split the stopping power to 60% to the front and 40% to the back,it gets me down the steapest hills I have run into any steaper and I think there called cliffs.

 

Tim1,
I really dont know what the big deal is either with 4 wheel EBS.I like the idea of having EBS on both my Sportman and my Xplorer,however,I have NEVER experienced this rear end sliding problem that few others have.I have rode some very steep declines to,I have never had any problems with the rear end coming around on me,and thats even on a steep,slippery,snow packed descend,
Bill

 

Bill,
You mean to tell me that you have decended a steep slippery hill on your rear wheels only, without the use of your brakes and have been able to retain control of your quad!? I gotta tell ya, I've forgotten to turn on my 4WD a couple of times and gone skidding down a hill out of control on the rear wheels only! Luckily for me I'm able to use the front brakes only to compensate for just the rear wheel engagement from the engine, and I was able to regain control. The same hill I could have crawled down with complete control without the use of my brakes at all in 4WD.
I ride in the mountains exclusively, and what goes up must come down. The worst part of making it up a really long nasty hill, is coming back down. So for me engine braking to all wheels is a must!
If it wasn't for that, I would buy an HO in a minute! I could learn to live with the notchy shifting, and the stupid "one lever runs all" brakes. I think someone who was at all mechanically inclined could probably figure a way out to separate the brakes. Since it doesn't have a brake lever on the right side anyway. The HO was impressive enough to me that I could over look those things, or make adjustments. But not the engine braking to all wheels, I absolutely want that!
I think if you were to do a side by side comparison of the HO vs my Griz at decending a long, treacherous, muddy hill without the use of your brakes, you would see what I mean. Or even if you did use the brakes, the amount of control that the 4 wheel engine braking alows for is unbeatable by the human hand! Its really too bad the HO doesn't have this, because if it did, and my wife said "Rick, you can go out and buy another ATV". It would be the HO!

Rick

 

I think using the brakes is a good idea no matter if it,s a gear driven quade which is the best engine braking system you can get, when going down a steep hill.

 

Rick,
oh no,I use the brakes to when descending a long steep hill to,I dont just depend on the EBS.

One thing Rick,I have no mountains in Michigan,though we do have some monster hills.It s very possible that the hills you ride in the mountains are far more steeper and longer than im perceiving?
Bill

 

HPD makes a split brake kit for Polaris machines, don’t know about specific applications though. I understand what it’s like to have a preference for a certain “system” even if I prefer the single lever brakes myself.

There has been talk on this forum from time to time about ways to “fool” the AWD and get it to engage all four on a downhill run. I can’t say that I’ve paid that much attention to it though. We don’t have any real mountains here in WI. (wish we did!)

 

Bill,
I grew up in Minnesota, and if the terrain is at all the same in Michigan as it is in Minnesota, then you can't even begin to imagine what I'm talking about! The biggest, baddest hill I ever saw in Minnesota was to small to even be considered a foot hill in Oregon! But your right about one thing, if I lived in Michigan or Minnesota, I would own an SP500HO! As well as a Grizzly. It still beats the HO at pure sport riding! I like to kick up my heels every so often.
Just thought I would mention that I went riding with a Raptor, 2 400ex, 1 300ex, and 3 banshees today, all at once. In the end I felt like a big fat turd! They kicked my *** up one side and down the other. The only time I shined was in the deep water/mud and the real long treacherous hill climbs. Unfortonately for me there wasn't a whole lot of that. These guys stuck to the bike trails for the most part. A humbling experience for me! But I went everywhere they did, without any outside help. These guys had to push, pull, lift, twist, and roll there bikes all over the place to get down these bike trails. Luckily for me I was in the back and was able to go around the stuff they were getting hung up on, mostly! One more thing, the talk about the Raptor being high geared is true. He killed that bike starting in first gear going up hill WAY to often!
Later

Rick

 

Going down hill in 4WD with a SP is quite simple. The technique is to start down the hill, stop, engage reverse, gas it (spin the rear wheels) and stop using the brake. This engages all four wheels. Now proceed down the steepest of hills with all four wheels locked in. It works great.

 

Going down hill in 4WD with a SP is quite simple. The technique is to start down the hill, stop, engage reverse, gas it (spin the rear wheels) and stop quickly using the brake. This engages all four wheels. Now proceed down the steepest of hills with all four wheels locked in. It works great.

 

Im going to try that,I guess I have to hold the over ride button in at the same time?