Hi All,

I'm debating between a Sportsman/Scrambler 1000. I'd like to see pros/cons from the owners. Here are my thoughts... (coming from a Brute Force 750 I own now and want to sell). I mostly do trail riding with no mudding.

Here are my thoughts so far but I would appreciate input from actual owners!

Sportsman
- Racks are nice to have. Seems almost like a "boat" when I sat on it and very large...not very nimble. I also personally don't like the Standard/Work/Perfomande mode. To be honest I don't have a farm, don't plow or really utilize it for work and my thought is this is just something that can break in the future I'd need to repair that I don't even need. Even the 4x4 descent is an option I don't need that may break.

Scrambler
- Concerned about back rack although did find an after market large racket (I have a Yeti 45 cooler and want to make sure it can fit). Scrambler has no performance standard or work mode and a simple 2x4 to 4x4 switch. Coming from the Brute I like how this is sporty yet can be a true work 4x4 machine. Is this price difference worth it??!

Thanks!

 

The Scrambler rack capacity totals 75 pounds and the Sportsman is 360. The payload capacity is 575 lbs on the Sportsman and only 290 pounds on the Scrambler. That's less than what I weigh. The Sportsman has Hi Clearance Arched Dual A-Arms but the Scrambler has Fox Podium X Shocks. The Sportsman has EBS which on my first ATV with EBS my brakes lasted a lot longer because I wasn't using them as much. The Close Ratio 4x4 on the Scrambler is supposed to engage even faster. The Scrambler seat height is 2" lower and the dry weight is 77 pounds less. The other dimensions are close to each other but different. The Sportsman has 6 gallons total built in storage and it looks like the Scrambler doesn't have any. I use the front and rear storage all the time on my 500 and wouldn't want to give it up. The Sportsman has more gauges with Bluetooth connectivity and better lights plus a beverage & cell phone holder. That's about all the differences I see beside the Standard/Work/Performance mode you mentioned. They both have ADC standard which is useless in most situations. My friend has had a Sportsman 1000 for a couple of years and loves it. It doesn't have the performance, standard, work option but its performance suits him fine. He has the Lock & Ride rear cargo box which isn't an option on the Scrambler to the best of my knowledge and he uses his all the time. The Scrambler is sportier and the Sportsman can haul a lot more and that seems to be the major difference.

 

Basically the Scrambler is for someone who doesn't need an atv to do any work. They just want the capability of 4x4. Even the larger aftermarket racks still can't carry much weight on the Scrambler. If you only want to haul a cooler, they still might be fine though. The Scrambler is a little smaller and lighter, that's the biggest advantage. The Sportsman has the nice semi dry storage under the composite front rack, Scrambler does not. Unless there is something wrong with your Brute Force, for trail riding I can't see why you would need any more power. For trail riding, I can never use all of my power on my 650 even. The only time I can open it up is on longer sections of road. Having more power would be nice of course but for trail riding I don't need it.

 

I've had both and would say you're better off with the Sportsman. Scrambler was fast and fun but even with the rear rack it still can't haul much. The bracing for those rear racks isn't very strong...

Also, unless you're looking at really modding your machine and getting the ECU remapped from a place like RVS Performance I would go with an 850. The 1000's are electronically limited. An 850 will turn bigger tires and have plenty of snoot for most riders.

 

There's not much need for bigger tires if you never go mudding. I think the guy with an 850 that I sometimes ride with is jealous of my other friend's 1000. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he got one but it's more power than I'll ever need. It's like 2 of my engines sitting side by side but with even more power.