"Grizzly style 4X4 system" over the Popo AWD????? Really???
IMO Polaris has by far the best 4X4!!!
Hey but thats just what I think. Idk? I just ride in a lot of mud and water.....

 

I think the other style 4X4 system is thought to be better because on hill descents, all 4 (or 3) wheels are turning together, and the Polaris a Can-AM systems don't. But ADC on the 850's and other Popo's have killed that. I'm a big fan of true AWD with ADC.

 

If anyone cares..lol
With the Can-Am system there is a direct connection with the 4x4 engaged....an actuator slides a collar that rides on the output shaft onto another shaft that locks the front drive shaft to the transmission. Therefore you have all wheel engine braking. The old Can-Am system was basically an open front differential that is mechanically locked to the transmission. The set up is alot like modern 4x4 trucks... The locking together of the 2 fronts on the old system would only happen if there was enough slip between the 2 front tires(about 7 rpm difference in speed). That part is basically is a hydraulic clutch setup in the diff that locks the side gears,and therefore the axles,to the differential case. The problem with that was how much front wheel speed difference was required to lock. In a low traction situation 3 tires(2 rears and 1 front) could spin quite a bit before the 4th would lock in and start really pulling. With the new Visco QE on the PS Can-Am's its basically the same system but the differential is set up to lock less than 1 rpm difference in tire speed and the locking TQ ramps up alot faster as well. The QE system is works very well...no need for ADC because you have a direct connection, it doesn't require constant voltage to operate,once the collar has locked the 2 shafts together power is removed,and you get virtually instant locking. It is as close to "true AWD" as you can get without having a mechanical locker or a spool differential.

 

I freak out on all this ADC and 4wd braking, What kind of hills do you guys go down ? I just go down any of them,EBS or no EBS or on a 2wd ATV without a thought about it. If the hill looks too scrarry to me no 4wd engine braking of any kind would make much difference.

 

4wd engine braking can be very important, IMO. 2 wd engine braking downhill in icy or slippery conditions can be very dangerous. We don't have much for hilly terrain, but I still find myself in situations that AWD engine braking is necessary to feel comfortable. This is one thing I didn't care for on the Popo, along with the brakes. I prefer the Kawi system actually.

Engine braking in reverse or freewheeling back down hill can be very nice to have also.

I'd actually rather have no engine braking rather than only rear wheel engine braking when descending a slippery hill.

The ADC system works very good, but I rarely use it. Mainly because I simply forget I have it.

 

I find the brake leaver is all wheel braking as well. Just squeeze the brakes so it slows the wheels yet does not lock the wheels up on our non EBS 97 SP500.

 

I, by force of habit, use the brake lever as well ..but a little enginbe braking just feels natural and makes the machine more controllable that freewheeling...you don't have to grab so much brake to control the speed,therefore locking up the brakes and sliding is less of a risk.
Most of the time I would forget to turn on the ADC until I was on the way down a steep hill and realized I didn't have it on. Most of my ADC use was goofing around testing how well it worked lol. It is just another piece of semi-automation. But between true all wheel engine braking and ADC i prefer all wheel engine braking...
With ADC I never felt comfortable leaving it on, for one it was a little too much automatic braking and I also am of the belief that leaving it on anytime you are in AWD just causes extra wear on the ADC clutches..
With true all wheel engine braking any time you are in AWD you have 4 wheel engine braking that isn't quite as strong as ADC,doesn't wear any clutches in the diff,and doesn't require you to turn it on and off as you need it...JMO No it doesn't almost stop the machine by itself on a steep hill like ADC,but that is what brakes are for...it is just enough to help control the machine so you don't panic brake and get into a bad situation.

 

lol all these awd braking worries... if your that worried about it on the popo get split braking masters for front and rear then put it in neutral down these incredibly dangerous slippery mud packed, ice filled steep mountains you are all traversing. that way you have total control on your way to death.

lol... in all honesty about awd systems. The polaris is the best for an ATV in my opinion. Why? Because its only there when you need it. you can engage it at any speed as long as your not doing a burnout. You dont get heavy awd steering and the "pushing" in the corners as you do with directly connected awd systems. you dont have to engage a diff lock or wait for visco lock. its there instantly the second you need it. Any spinning of the tires is only going to make it harder to get out because the tires are digging waiting for that front diff to lock.

In a heavy full size truck i want a directly connected system. in a light weight wheeler that will almost always spin the tires in low trac situations give me the popo awd clutch setup. The ONLY disadvantage it has is the down hill engine braking (rectified with ADC), i will gladly accept that as opposed to the other disadvantages of other systems.

 

HIGHOCTANE, I stand corrected.

I don't use the ADC all that much, finding that EBS and brake lever do fine most of the time.. that and the ADC is only good for reasonably slow descents.
I've found in real world riding that Honda and Arctic Cat are the worst downhillers, and Polaris and Kawasaki are the best. Hondas have a different tranny in them, and there isn't much engine braking to speak of. AC's EBS was too stong, skidding the wheels and yawing the quad violently. Not good in the woods. Not dissing Can-Am, just haven't done any hills on one.

 

I didn't take it as Can-Am diss,nor would I care if it was. I was just putting the info out there because frankly, In the past, I never took the time to investigate how the Can-Am set up works,all I knew was the amount of spin required to lock the 2 fronts together was too much for me...just thought some might be interested in a little more info on how it works just for general knowledge. Now that is locks as fast as the Polaris..it's a good sytem IMO.





popoman I think you are reading a little too much into the EBS thing personally...yes there might be some nitpicking going on..so what,if people weren't critical of the small stuff the manufacturers wouldn't have a reason make anything better.
And as far as your statements about direct drive front ends....I know of at least one that doesn't exhibit any of those negative characteristics...it's front diff is OPEN until one front tire looses traction and then it locks instantly,....it has basically identical characteristics to the Polaris from the riders standpoint,except it has 4 wheel engine braking and a different method of getting the job done.