First off let me thank all of you folks that post in this forum. I check it on a regular basis and have found a lot of useful info. I bought a 2007 Sportsman 500 Deluxe especially to get the Automatic Decent Control and it works very well most of the time. With that said I know the ADC unit can become very danger es on a steep pitch where the surface is very rough and soft. There is a fire burning here in Idaho (Hells Canyon) just a mile or so from my place and have been running the fire line daily checking it out. I have ran down this very steep firebreak two times with my 96 Sportsman with no problems. The firebreak is a mess down in the timber where the cat had to make some turns very soft and rough and really steep for about 20 feet at the bottom. Well I took that brand new quad down the trail that I had ran twice before and had it in low range and in 4 WD drive. When I got to the really steep pitch and started down I got out of the throttle and before I knew it that quad was on its nose and flipped end for end. It landed back on its wheels up against a tree and was still running. Gotta love EFI. I did not get hurt except for my pride. Really messed up the rear fenders and the rack though. Today I took that same quad down the same trail but before I started off the steep part I moved the selector into the 2WD position and played with the brake like I was riding the 96 and never had a problem.
Bottom line is if your on a really steep pitch and its soft and full of rocks the front wheels have to keep turning freely controlled by just the brake. You really don't want the ADC unit to kick in. Been riding quads for quite awhile and in my opinion the Polaris is the best out there and the ADC on those long steep grassy ridges does its job perfectly. Mabey in the future Polaris will integrate a override for the ADC unit so the 4WD would stay in play. Hope this info might be useful to someone.

 

WOW! First off all I very glad to hear you are OK. That's scary. Was the terrain rutted bad? I have seen quads without ADC flip on a downhill decent from what I thought was bad tire placement to the rut.
Did you alter your course on the second run? I thought the ADC would prevent this kind of trouble.
Way to get back on the horse. Thanks for the post and be careful.

 

i always thought if the braking system keeps those wheels locking up because of the loose soil that would happen. glad you didnt get hurt and i think like your self the adc work great in most cases but not on loose ground on steep hills.

 

I have an 800 X2 Deluxe with the ADC...took some getting used to. On a steep incline the ADC coupled with the EBS will bring the bike to a dead halt in a few feet if I get out of the throttle too quick. If it weren't for the increased length and weight of the X2 unit, I would imagine it would have flipped, as it was, it just scared the *%^$& out of me [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

I've gotten used to it now (my wife, too, she's got the 500 X2 [img]i/expressions/heart.gif[/img] ), but, still find it a little disconcerting to actually have to stay in the throttle to go down hill...a bit counter intuitive.

 

I have never ran into the problem you are talking about. I have ran some pretty steep hills and have had no problems. Although mine will come to a stop if I let it, it has never completely locked the wheels up. In fact it applies equal braking from back to front. Glad you are ok and hope you have no more problems with the ADC. I will be doing a little more experimenting with mine now that you have had a problem. Try it in 4wd high and see what happens.

 

so your bikes will actually come to a completely stop on a steep hill w/out using brakes? if thats the case, who needs brakes lol.

 

Arkyrider

As you I have rode jeep trails quad trails and old existing fire breaks that are very steep without any problems but they all have had a good solid base. The firebreak where I had the problem had just been cut and the "fluff" was up to ones ankles and it was just plain tore up so the front tires were sinking in somewhat I am sure, and when the ADC engaged it created enough drag on the front end and it not being able to slide because of the soft dirt caused the rear to leave the ground and flip. I was right on my tracks from the day before and the only difference between the two quads is the ADC.

Took a 7 hour ride today on the north end of this fire most of it was going down to the Snake river in very steep country and the ADC worked as it should on solid ground. Ran most of the day in 4WD high and seldom had to get on the brakes." Very good technology & yep brakes are a thing of the past"

 

My near miss happened on some shale (that's what we have here instead of dirt [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] I've found that if the conditions are right (actually wrong?), if you get out of the gas too quick, the sheer weight of the quad (my X2 loaded with chainsaw, gas, supplies, and my fat butt is getting up on half a ton) can start a slide, controlled but a slide anyway. If the front end hits up on something more solid - rear wants to come up. Bear in mind that this was a steep hill that I realized I was going much to fast on...my other ride, I could just get out of the gas and recoup... Never had the ADC before and I'm learning that staying in the gas will keep my heart rate down...

And yeah, by and large, the ADC and EBS will bring mine to a dead halt with no brakes... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Mine works great, I'm quite pleased with the ADC.

 

Guess that's why the 08s have the ability to switch off the ADC.