Hello,

I'm reaching out to fellow Polaris XP owners for both winch and skid plate recommendations. There is Ricochet & Aluminum Product skid plates. Can you tell me what your likes/dislikes are with either one of them?

As for the winch, I was thinking of the Warn 3,500 lb synthentic or another brand that is good for a reasonable price.

Thank you,

Pete

 

Hmmm you probably don't need to go with a 3500 lb winch. A 3000 lb winch is more then enough I would think, and it'll save you a few bucks as well. Warn is a good brand for winches.

 

I would go for the Ricochets for a few reasons..1) Floor board protection...punched a stick through mine right off the bat. 2) They listen to owners/customers..see the Oil filter plate and the piece of metal filling the V transition from the center skid to the floor board? Both things I suggested they address when they first came out..and they fixed those issues,matter fact the Oil filter not being covered they fixed immediately,the floor board transition gap they actually had to go down to a dealer and and take new measurements for as they had already returned the machine they used for R&D....but they did it and fixed it.
3) full center protection..I actually dented the steel plate in the frame that has the oil filter access hole in it...the area that is unprotected by the AL skids.
4) Is related to 2)...Ricochet customer service.

I never even bought skids for my XP...the HPDE stockers proved pretty tough..but if I had they would have been Ricochets.
The AP stuff looks to be good quality too,but with the few differences and after dealing with the guys at Ricochet....I am sold..if their stuff meets my needs I will buy from them. I have their stuff on the Outlander..first thing I ordered..

Winch wise...the bigger the better IMO...lol. The XP is heavy...I had a 3500# Polaris...if the extra money isn't an issue get the 3500# IMO.

 

The Ricochet skids look pretty durable and I agree about the floor board protection. I need to save a little money up first, before pulling the trigger on the skid plates and winch.

I will be sure to shop around.

Thanks for you input!

 

I agree with HO, except for possibly the winch. I have a 3500 Polaris winch as well as a few friends and no troubles, but some here have had problems....mostly with the 2500 though.
If you get one get the 3500 Polaris or the 3000 Warn. Had both with no problems. The bigger winches get the better quality parts and work much better in the long run.
Definitely go synthetic line and use a ****** block or a strap to tie off to. You don't want to loop the winch cable to itself.

 

Picked up a new '09 500 EFI X2 a few days back, talked with the dealership parts guys about winches for it.. they seemed like straight-up guys, told me they hadn't had any major probs with the Polaris-branded winches, but they were definitely not made by Warn for Polaris. I asked him if they were Chinese or what, and he wouldn't say. When I told him I wanted a Warn, he recommended the 3000# Warn AT-30 for the X2 and Touring, said he believes Warn's guts are a little stouter than most and (according to him) their weather sealing is definitely better. He didn't think I needed the 3500# Warn, said it was overkill. I got the AT-30, but haven't decided if I'll put synthetic line on it or not. The way my wife and I ride it might never get used anyway unless it's to pull someone else out or to drag a deer out of a hole, so I'll probably just leave well enough alone. It's just for emergencies anyway, I will never ride where I actually expect to need a winch to get there.