I have witnessed a weird phenomenon among my Polaris riding circle. On a few occasions I have actually seen a "inferior" (smaller engine) polaris climb a hill in which a larger machine of equal capabilities could not do. Now I know that there is always rider error but here is the scenario. A very long steep slippery hillclimb. 2 two wheel drive machines...first a Trailblazer 250 and a Magnum 425 2x4. The Trailblazer bogs down going up the hill and sounds like it isn't going to make it but amazingly does. The magnum on the other hand will lose traction near the top and start to spin. I find this odd. Has anyone else seen this where a machine that doesn't have the engine power to spin tires actually do better on some hills??

 

Yup, seen it once or twice. The only thing I can think of, other than better tire bite on the smaller machine, is that it is just running on the edge of available traction, whereas the bigger machine, if the throttle is hit too hard, breaks traction & spins out. Kind of like reverse braking. If you can modulate things just right, so you are on the verge of skidding, but don't lock up the wheels, you will actually stop in less distance than if you do.

 

This is where a lighter machine makes a difference. They both have 4 tires and relatively
the same surface area is touching the ground but one machine weighs 200lbs more than the other and what you are really doing on a hill climb is defy gravity. There is also that fine line between traction and wheel spin. If you are familiar with driving a car in winter and you want to make it up that sloped driveway (from a standstill), you are much better of applying just enough gas to avoid wheelspin (traction) to make it up. The other method of flooring it, will only get you partially up and then actually going back down while still floored. Then there is the momentum method, which consist of a high speed run and hopefully the enertia will carry you over the top.(usually used by 2wd models)

 

Scott, here's on for you. early 90's LT80, 99-Blaster, 2000-400 scrambler 2x4, 99-400ex, 98-300ex, 86-LT250. Only 2 made, can you guess? My Scrambler and the LT80. The 2 auto's! Mine I can feather the throttle not to spin the tire and w/ my big butt on the back it works well and the 80 doesn't have enough power to spin like the blaster does. The others have to deal with the clutch and spinning problem.

 

I havent seen a hill my T-Blazer hasnt beenable to make it=)

 

I know I've been on hills I didn't think I was going to make... and the thought of my Sportsman 500 rolling on top of me was none too pleasant!

 

Unfortunately, I too have seen this phenomena. I was hillclimbing in a steep sloped sand pit with my buddy and his Banshee. There are some hills that his would go up that my modded Scram could not. %*&$! Really steep sand hills got the better of my machine. It was discouraging that half way up I lost traction and just spun the wheels while the Shee shreiked it's way to the top spinning it's wheels all the way up and over!?!?

He was able to get a much better and faster launch before hitting the hill though. Since there was a bump at the base my handle bars just kept hitting me in the chin! Thats when I decided to switch suspensions...

Can't win em all I guess.