And all they did was put a Rincon engine in it. With Honda's motorcycle background, they easily could have adapted an existing or past V-twin to fit the Big Red.

 

Supposedly lighter, I wanna know how much lighter, I'm hoping lighter than the 607 lb dry Renegade, close to the current Scrambler at 571 lbs dry, or better yet, say 525-550 lbs dry. Hopefully with an Outlaw IRS based chassis.

 

I still want a 6x6 with two sets of Outlaw IRS rearends instead of the solid axles. And throw in a foldable seat like the X2 in the larger 6x6 machine. An 800 or 700 EFI would be nice in the 6x6 too.

 

Yes, I realize that Honda is coming to market with a SxS in '09...but that still makes them at least a couple years late to the party! I can tell you more then just a few Honda fans swallowed their MASSIVE pride and bought RZRs...and ya know what? They have to admit that Polaris isn't so bad after all!!!!

 

put in it's simplest terms, wouldn't putting an 800 and IRS on a Scrambler be pretty much a Renagade? All the mags make it sound like CanAm redesigned the wheel with the Renagade, but Polaris has had this basic concept for a long time!

 

Polaris has most of the new technology 5-10 years before anyone else. When I had my first Sportsman 500 I kept telling everyone how great it was to have IRS, automatic with high-low range, and pushbutton true 4x4. Then two of my friends bought Kodiaks. Then one guy traded his in for a Grizzly 660, and another friend traded in his Grizzly 600 for a 660. And EVERYONE thought the Grizzly was really something with it's IRS, automatic with high-low range, and pushbutton true 4x4. I just stood there, pointed at my Sportsman, and said what the @#$% do you think I've been riding since '97? Polaris had all that 5 years before Yamaha! That's nothing new! I'd been telling anyone who would listen about the Cadillac ride for years. Then they strted calling the Grizzly a "quadillac" and they still do. These are fairly intelligent people, but I think all the light beer has gone to their heads. I just don't understand what they're thinking. If there's anything truly new Polaris will probably think of it first, like the RZR, the only side by side that can fit on an ATV trail.

 

Is it true taht suzuki had IRS first......... ? And that another manufaturer had the first true full automatic? But yet polaris was the first to apply both of those good features on the same machine?

 

From http://www.polaris-sales.co.uk/about_polaris.htm

1983
With their background in snowmobile design, Polaris incorporated familiar features as two-stroke engines and the <u>Polaris Variable Transmission</u> (PVT), an automatic transmission. The PVT gave the Polaris ATV an advantage over competitors because it was simpler to handle. The engineers also added unique features, including <u>floorboards</u> (instead of motorcycle-like foot pegs) and <u>MacPherson strut suspension</u>.

In 1995 Polaris introduced the Sportsman 500 4x4 ATV, which featured <u>another Polaris innovation: independent rear suspension</u> rather than a straight axle, which made for a much smoother ride and provided 11" of groun clerance, the best in the industry. The Sportsman quickly became the industry standard in power, strength and smoothness of rid and the World's best-selling automatic transmission ATV.

Polaris had brought more ATV products firsts to the industry than any other manufacturer combined. And the ATV division continued its record for innovation and quality.

And there's more. - Frank

Don't forget about the world's first <u>EFI</u>. Polaris didn't invent the ATV, but they singlehandedly came out with nearly every significant improvement the industry has ever seen. 1995, Polaris unveils its new Sportsman 500 for model year 1996. It boasts <u>the only 500-class, liquid-cooled four-stroke engine available in the market</u>. 1997, Polaris displays concept vehicles including a <u>diesel-powered Sportsman 500</u>, and <u>a side by side seat six-wheeled utility vehicle</u>. The list of firsts goes on and on. More than all other manufacturers combined.

 

Your right jumbofrank.....Let's keep this topic going, everyone.. next time you go to your dealer ask your sales man what's his thoughts on the 2009 sportsman are....am hoping for a more sporty sportsman.

 

have been asking my dealer that for a while now and the same answer always comes back...wait till the meeting!
I know what he is going to say before I even ask the question but for some reason I ask it anyway...maybe because I know he knows more then he admits!
He has been a Polaris and Artic Cat dealer way back when they were both snowmobile companys!