ATV ACTION MAGAZINE
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01-26-2008, 10:41 PM
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ATV ACTION MAGAZINE
I got mail today atv action magaine test on polaris sportsman 800 nice one but, I copy write to you, you can read it from atv action magazine.
TEST 2008 POLARIS SPORTSMAN 800 EFI 4x4 power and plushness
Polaris has seriously improved the sportsman 800 every year since it was introduced, and the machine was a great all around machine to begin with. When we learned the 2008 got a claimed ten percent boost in horsepower and a number of refinements, we had to get our hands on to test.
CAN YOU AFFORD IT?
At $8599, the sportman 800 is definitely not for every budget, but it's mid priced in the mega-motor 4x4 ATV class. Can-Am's Outlander 800 goes for $8749. Arctic Cat's big Thundercat 1000 will set you back a big $10,499.
WHERE DOES ALL THAT POWER COME FROM?
A fuel injected,liquid cooler,760cc,pushrod, two valve-per-cyclinder, four-stroke parallel twin. Apparently, the Polaris engine is unaware of the limitations of pushrods and two valve heads because it's every bitthe horsepower-makeing monster that the big overhead cam, four-valve-percyclinder 4x4s are.
There's nothing rough about the way the 800 behaves. Fuel injection lets it fir up eagerly ehether it's frozen cold or baking hot. The big sportsman run crisply at any elevation,too, because the fuel injection constantly adjusts for temperature and elevaction changes.
WHAT'S THE TRANSMISSION LIKE?
Like most 4x4 ATVs, the 800 has a continuously variable belt type automatic. The Polaris ranger selector isn't as slick as those on japanese ATVs, but it is intelligently laid out. Low is the the first drive position ahead of reverse, which make quick turnarounds easy.This arrangement is also ideal for plowing.
IS THE 4WD SYSTEM UNUSUAL?
YES. There's selectable 2WD/4WD, but the Polaris drivetrain remains in 2WD when in 4WD until the rear wheels stary to spin faster than the fronts. Then' the front differential locks. It may sound strangee but it works great. We've found it to be easier to use and every bit as effective as manually lockable front differentials. There's another switch position beside 2x4 and AWD, it"s called ADC, or automatic descent control. When you switch to ADC,engine braking works through all four wheels in throttle-off riding. This is a huge help for going down steep or slippery hills. This is a new feature for Polaris, but all other 4WD quads have four wheel engine braking as a byproduct of the way conventional 4WD systems work.
IS THE SUSPENSION SPECIAL?
It's the classic MacPherson strut front, double A-arm rear setup. The current rendition,as, used on the 800, features excellent tuning. The traditional, plush Polaris ride is there, but the 2008 sportsman is impressive at sport riding speed, too. Considering this quad'sweight,770 pounds before fuel and fluids, the suspension is almost working a miracle.
WELL, HOW FAST IS IT?
All we can say is, Hold the Heck On! We whined about the first version of the 800 being on the mild side, but Polaris has sharpened the 800's response enough to totally shut us up. Thismachine literally leaps at a stab of the throttle. If there's decent traction, lifting the front end is delightfully simple. We're talking about amusement park thrill ride acceleration here, gang. We had fun every time we rolled on the sportsman's throttle, and we did it as often as possible. The 800 has so much power it started to spoil us. Slides became a simple matter of punching the throttle in any turn. Planning for hills changed from picking makable lines to deciding how fast we wanted to roost to the top. On this quad, mud pits move to avoid you rather than the other way around.
IS IT DOOD IN ROCKS?
No, it's greatt. Supple, long travel suspension and almost a foot of ground clearance arm the 800 well for rock travel. The 4WD system does a fine job of dragging the 800 through seemingly impossible obstacles.
HOW DOES IT DO IN MUD?
It's an animal, a mud-dwelling animal. The sportsman is well adapted to mud. There are the deep lugged tireds, the generous ground clearance, and of course, the power. On any quad, it's wise to have some momentum build up before you drop into the mud. on the Polaris, you can can build momentumafter you're in the stew.
HOW IS IT ON HILLS?
Like a very fast elevator on wheels.
The Polaris has no trouble with stopping on hills, either. It has the power and traction to resume climbing when you're ready. The automatic descent control works extremely well, too.With it on , the 800 eases down scary hills.
HOW IS THE TRAIL HANDLING?
Easy and sure. The 800's instant thrust makes it feel lighter than it is, but the power's effect on what you can make the sportsman do is no illusion. In tight trails, it's handy to be able to drift the rear end at will to point the machine where we wanted. In rutted terrain, the 800's ample ground clearance let the Polaris glide along where some shorter-travel, solid axle ATVs would have been scraping or possibly hung up.The sportsman is especially good at taking the abuse out of rough, chewed-up terrain. There's really not much left of bumps after they pass through the excellent suspension and the cushy seat.
HOW DOES IT HOLD UP?
It's abuse-proof. We beat a sportsman 800 mercilessly in one of the cruelest long term tests ATV ACTION has ever done and the tires and one CV bott, torn by barbed wire, were the only items ready for the trash. The rest of the machine was raring to go.
HOW ARE THE DETAILS?
Impressive. The sportman 800 has a generous amount of storage available in the front trunk and the rear compartment. There's a switchable handlebarmounted headlight and rearward facing work lights. Seat comfort is excellent, though the 800 is wide at the tank area than we'd like. Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha big bore ATVs are noticeably slimmer.
WHAT IS OUR FINAL ANSWER?
If you're ready for a big bore 4x4 that goes big in every respect, you'll find the Polaris sportsman 800 to be just what you're after. It cranks out all the power any ride could ask for. The Polaris is physically big, too, with plenty of room for large riders to get comfortable. Thismachine also delivers big on ride comfort and it's capable of handling the speed it generates so -effortlessly. Beings a giant among ATVs, you have to make
allowances for its size and weight, but handling a machine like the 800 is just part of the fun of riding for ATVers who crave the largest quads. Is it the ultimate big bore, now that Can-Am has an 800 and Arctic Cat has a 1000?
Only a shootout can answer that question. We can say that the sportman is more than just big and powerful, it's a great ATV. *
TEST 2008 POLARIS SPORTSMAN 800 EFI 4x4 power and plushness
Polaris has seriously improved the sportsman 800 every year since it was introduced, and the machine was a great all around machine to begin with. When we learned the 2008 got a claimed ten percent boost in horsepower and a number of refinements, we had to get our hands on to test.
CAN YOU AFFORD IT?
At $8599, the sportman 800 is definitely not for every budget, but it's mid priced in the mega-motor 4x4 ATV class. Can-Am's Outlander 800 goes for $8749. Arctic Cat's big Thundercat 1000 will set you back a big $10,499.
WHERE DOES ALL THAT POWER COME FROM?
A fuel injected,liquid cooler,760cc,pushrod, two valve-per-cyclinder, four-stroke parallel twin. Apparently, the Polaris engine is unaware of the limitations of pushrods and two valve heads because it's every bitthe horsepower-makeing monster that the big overhead cam, four-valve-percyclinder 4x4s are.
There's nothing rough about the way the 800 behaves. Fuel injection lets it fir up eagerly ehether it's frozen cold or baking hot. The big sportsman run crisply at any elevation,too, because the fuel injection constantly adjusts for temperature and elevaction changes.
WHAT'S THE TRANSMISSION LIKE?
Like most 4x4 ATVs, the 800 has a continuously variable belt type automatic. The Polaris ranger selector isn't as slick as those on japanese ATVs, but it is intelligently laid out. Low is the the first drive position ahead of reverse, which make quick turnarounds easy.This arrangement is also ideal for plowing.
IS THE 4WD SYSTEM UNUSUAL?
YES. There's selectable 2WD/4WD, but the Polaris drivetrain remains in 2WD when in 4WD until the rear wheels stary to spin faster than the fronts. Then' the front differential locks. It may sound strangee but it works great. We've found it to be easier to use and every bit as effective as manually lockable front differentials. There's another switch position beside 2x4 and AWD, it"s called ADC, or automatic descent control. When you switch to ADC,engine braking works through all four wheels in throttle-off riding. This is a huge help for going down steep or slippery hills. This is a new feature for Polaris, but all other 4WD quads have four wheel engine braking as a byproduct of the way conventional 4WD systems work.
IS THE SUSPENSION SPECIAL?
It's the classic MacPherson strut front, double A-arm rear setup. The current rendition,as, used on the 800, features excellent tuning. The traditional, plush Polaris ride is there, but the 2008 sportsman is impressive at sport riding speed, too. Considering this quad'sweight,770 pounds before fuel and fluids, the suspension is almost working a miracle.
WELL, HOW FAST IS IT?
All we can say is, Hold the Heck On! We whined about the first version of the 800 being on the mild side, but Polaris has sharpened the 800's response enough to totally shut us up. Thismachine literally leaps at a stab of the throttle. If there's decent traction, lifting the front end is delightfully simple. We're talking about amusement park thrill ride acceleration here, gang. We had fun every time we rolled on the sportsman's throttle, and we did it as often as possible. The 800 has so much power it started to spoil us. Slides became a simple matter of punching the throttle in any turn. Planning for hills changed from picking makable lines to deciding how fast we wanted to roost to the top. On this quad, mud pits move to avoid you rather than the other way around.
IS IT DOOD IN ROCKS?
No, it's greatt. Supple, long travel suspension and almost a foot of ground clearance arm the 800 well for rock travel. The 4WD system does a fine job of dragging the 800 through seemingly impossible obstacles.
HOW DOES IT DO IN MUD?
It's an animal, a mud-dwelling animal. The sportsman is well adapted to mud. There are the deep lugged tireds, the generous ground clearance, and of course, the power. On any quad, it's wise to have some momentum build up before you drop into the mud. on the Polaris, you can can build momentumafter you're in the stew.
HOW IS IT ON HILLS?
Like a very fast elevator on wheels.
The Polaris has no trouble with stopping on hills, either. It has the power and traction to resume climbing when you're ready. The automatic descent control works extremely well, too.With it on , the 800 eases down scary hills.
HOW IS THE TRAIL HANDLING?
Easy and sure. The 800's instant thrust makes it feel lighter than it is, but the power's effect on what you can make the sportsman do is no illusion. In tight trails, it's handy to be able to drift the rear end at will to point the machine where we wanted. In rutted terrain, the 800's ample ground clearance let the Polaris glide along where some shorter-travel, solid axle ATVs would have been scraping or possibly hung up.The sportsman is especially good at taking the abuse out of rough, chewed-up terrain. There's really not much left of bumps after they pass through the excellent suspension and the cushy seat.
HOW DOES IT HOLD UP?
It's abuse-proof. We beat a sportsman 800 mercilessly in one of the cruelest long term tests ATV ACTION has ever done and the tires and one CV bott, torn by barbed wire, were the only items ready for the trash. The rest of the machine was raring to go.
HOW ARE THE DETAILS?
Impressive. The sportman 800 has a generous amount of storage available in the front trunk and the rear compartment. There's a switchable handlebarmounted headlight and rearward facing work lights. Seat comfort is excellent, though the 800 is wide at the tank area than we'd like. Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha big bore ATVs are noticeably slimmer.
WHAT IS OUR FINAL ANSWER?
If you're ready for a big bore 4x4 that goes big in every respect, you'll find the Polaris sportsman 800 to be just what you're after. It cranks out all the power any ride could ask for. The Polaris is physically big, too, with plenty of room for large riders to get comfortable. Thismachine also delivers big on ride comfort and it's capable of handling the speed it generates so -effortlessly. Beings a giant among ATVs, you have to make
allowances for its size and weight, but handling a machine like the 800 is just part of the fun of riding for ATVers who crave the largest quads. Is it the ultimate big bore, now that Can-Am has an 800 and Arctic Cat has a 1000?
Only a shootout can answer that question. We can say that the sportman is more than just big and powerful, it's a great ATV. *
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