I took my X2 for it's maiden voyage this weekend and all I can say is wow! This machine does almost everything well. We mudded, crossed DEEP water crossings, rode tight, technical, slippery rock covered trails...you name it. I put 25" Bighorns on before ever using the 489's, and they worked great, however I can't compare the difference between the two. The turf mode is awesome in the tight stuff, as well as just turning around.

The only drawback I find is that it is stiff compared to a regular Sportsman. A friend who has an 06 500 and I swapped rides for a while and you could tell his would just soak up the bumps like you were on a marshmallow(it also seemed like you sat down into the machine, where the X2 you seemed to sit up on the machine), whereas the X2 "bounces" more over the bumps. It's not that it's a bad ride, just stiffer. Maybe the springs will soften some, his is WELL broken in. I have read somewhere that you can put the regular Sportsman springs on the rear if you use a 1" spacer as the X2's springs are longer. I would imagine that the ride would be substantially better this way in 1 up riding. If you need the extra support for hauling a heavy load, just crank up the tension whenever needed.

I have also read that you can add a Kimpex rear seat to the X2 (thanks Ebel) by removing the backrest in the 1 up mode, and just bolting the two person seat into the cargo box. This gives you great comfort for your rear passenger as well as clean dry storage for anything else you need to bring. To me that would end any short-comings people see in this bike when it comes to two up riding. Yes the Bomb and AC's rear seats are more comfortable, but with the Kimpex seat installed, that puts any doubts of comfort on the Polaris to rest.

With all of the little extra's (6 Gal fuel tank, turf mode, dumping cargo box, extended wheelbase etc) and the versatility the X2 gives you, I find it to be a great do it all bike!

 

Hey Pol700,

Glad to hear you like the X2.

I agree, it's a great machine. Isn't that Turf mode great? It makes the X2 more maneuverable then a regular Sportsman! And I like the front storage compartment.

I find the ride to be better then my '04 700 EFI and my '01 500HO (yellow) with or without a passenger. And I expect the suspension to get a little softer as it breaks in.( I wonder if Polaris will use the rolled suspension for other Sportsman models.)

I removed the sway bar on my '01 (green) because I was frequently traveling over rough terrain. I drove it for 6000 miles and replaced the sway bar only when I sold it. With the sway bar removed you get a much smoother ride. For my purposes this is a more desirable fix then replacing the springs. I had planned to do the same with the X2, but I don't thing I need to. There are numerous threads here discussing the merits/disadvantages of removing the sway bar. If you decide to try it, simply remove the vertical arm on the sway bar on one side, and be conscious of this when driving at speeds.

Hope you have success finding a suitable seat and cargo box.

Ebel

 

Glad to hear you are happy! We have heard the rear seems a bit stiff for some. I would be interested in trying different springs. Did you put any accessories on?