Hey guys,
I have been around this forum for about a year. And decided I wanted a Sportsman, well due to some problems, I couldn't get one, but finally got some serious ride time. It was on the back, but still, 30-40 miles, I wasn't complaining. I was extremly impressed with the machine going through 12-17 inches of snow. Sometimes in 2wd. Anyways, I have a question. We were riding with a 2000 SP500, and a 2000 Griz, This is not meant to be another Griz v SP, Just a question, Which one hill climbs better? Is the solid axle more suttible for hill climbing? What are the advantages of the IRS for hill climbing. We were both riding double, and the griz was going up stuff, that we couldn't get up. Just curious, thanks.

-Jared

 

If you were riding 2 people on a Sportsman the suspension compression would make the independent rear end unable to perform as well as it would if only one person was on the quad. That said, a Sportsman can climb hills pretty well, but coming down is another story. I have read in posts by a couple of Sportsman owners that the front hubs can engage while not in 4 wheel drive and if you are trying to go down a hill with the front end locked it can cause you to lose control. Last weekend (12/30/00) we were riding in N. Ga. and a guy (not riding with our group) was coming down a very steep hill when the back end started hopping and tried to swap out (that is back end tried to spin around and come down the hill *** end first). He could not regain control and jumped off the quad. It came down the hill at what eyewitnesses say was probably 30-40 mph by the time it got to the bottom and it hit a tree dead center. It sheared the heads off of the bolts that hold the bumper and radiator support to the frame and drove the ends of the double tube bumper into the front tires. We used a winch to pull it back out, but it would not go into gear. He finally got it into drive so he could get back to the parking area. Some of the guys there felt that the hubs locked on his machine and the rear suspension which is great on rough terrain became a liability in this situation. Is that true? Who knows, I'm not an engineer and I doubt that anyone else who was there is either. All I know is I would be sitting at my dealer on Monday morning and my attorney's office that afternoon if it DID happen that way on my machine.

 

That sounds more like the EBS caused that problem than the 4WD shumdit.

 

QuadMan400,
not to sound bossy or anything but I dont advise hill climbing when your riding double!The handling characterisics of the ATV are deeply inpaired with 2 riders on it.
Bill

 

Could be Fearsys. Like I said I am not an engineer. Either way it seems to be a serious problem and I would not ride a quad that could take you up a steep hill, but not bring you back down.