Yeah, and we wouldn't have to worry about motor and transmission alignment either. Having owned a Hawkeye, I can tell you just like the others that LOW range is built into the design. There is no worry about not having an actual LOW range shifter position. The Sportsman 400 isn't giving up anything by using the same setup as the Hawkeye. I'd just as soon have the same setup on my 500 and 800 so I won't have to stop every time I want to change to L and then stop again before changing to H.

Both setups are very good.

 

Experiment time! I have a 2008 400ho and a 2005 400 with high and low. I think I will hook them up and see which one gives up. I will try the high gear first then switch it to low gear. I am going to try to adjust for the different wieghts.

Results and video to follow. This is going to be fun (if I dont break something)

 

Thats a great idea. Obviously the resluts arent going to be perfert being that they probably have different tires and weight of each driver and so forth may be a factor, but if the results are obvious then it shouldn't really matter. Are you going to try it today? I'm already wanting to see the results! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Wow, that sounds like a great idea. The video ought to be great. But if you go strictly by Polaris' test of the Hawkeye against the Recon and Suzuki, your new 400HO will win the challenge. I'm betting on your new 400HO.

 

Alright, It stopped raining long enough to try. Facts first,

Blue 2005-425cc, 715lbs, 25" 489 tires. Rider= 160lbs

Green 2008-455cc, 605lbs, 24" 489 tires. Rider= 205lbs

Conditions were less than ideal, about 1' of rain made the bikes dig in right away.

First test was in high gear and ended right away with the HO taking off right away before the 2005 had a chance to engage as would be expected.

Second test was alittle more productive, believe it or not it was a stand still until the 2005 started smoking. Make up your own mind what happened.

After I get a new belt I am going to try it again when it dries out, after I got this idea I had to do it. There is still going to be people that believe you have to have low range and us that own the Hawkeye/400ho that are happy with the machine we choose. In the end my wife likes it so I love it!

Link below to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDnoi8a99bI


After I get a new belt I will try again if anybody still cares.

 

I wonder how many of us owners are saying "I told you so". If you haven't tried a 400 or Hawkeye yet, give the new PVT a try. Remember, a low range is built in but operating conditions dictate when it is required/\\

Good info Outof$

 

Exactly what I thought. SMOKED that belt! No worries with the new setup.

 

That was awesome! Sorry about the belt there. I guess some improvements have been made in the last couple years ........or...........perhaps the '08 may have started smoking soon after. Who knows. ...thanks for that though. I'm definetly interested in seeing more. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] Reason being my wife has been eyeballing the 400. Just her size she feels.

 

What I like about your test Outof$ is the fact that you have or owned a variety of bikes and are a lot less likely to have product bias and you tested a couple of closely matched machines/

 

Good job outof$. Thanks for the vid, and keep us posted.

Whenever my belt smoked like that it exploded 100 miles later. 2 or 3 of them.