I’m considering getting EBS for my Sportsman and I would like your opinions on it. Seems like some like it and some hate it. I’ve never been on one with it so I don’t know much about it. Does it slow the top speed down?

 

The Sportsman with EBS is a must for anyone who goes off the trails.When desending hills with a non EBS equiped quad,the quad 'free wheels'' down the hill,which we all know is not to safe.My 99 EBS Sportsman is simple awesume when desending steep large hills.Simply put the ole boy in low range and let the EBS do all the rest of the work.The EBS will hold you steady on that hill so you dont free wheel when desending it.In fact, in most cases you dont even need to touch your brakes,the EBS does it all for you.I have a top speed of about 57 mph and I dont know if EBS kills your top end any.If it did,I'd still have EBS anyway.BILL

 

I have found that on my Magnum when I ride normal trail riding that I rarely need to use my brakes due to the effectiveness of my EBS. It has really saved a lot of wear on brake pads for me as that used to be the only complaint I had against my past quads I could only get 600 to 700 miles out of a set of brakes now I have 1200 miles on the factory pads and still have around half of the pad left. I really like the EBS and have never heard anyone who has it say they wished they didn,t. I have also installed a EBS kit on a 400 explorer about a month ago , The 2 stroke doesn,t have quiet as dramatic effect as the 4 stroke but its still better than none at all.

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Kevin Gowdy aka Kagey 1999 Polaris Magnum 500

 

This depends on your type of riding if you need this or not..I opted not to get it and have been quite happy with my 400 xplorer.

It still has some engine brakeing and I dont know if I would like the thing slowing down so quick everytime I let off the gas...
a guy that tried it both ways and doens't like it is Jack shultz from www.go-digital.com who frequents this list...you might ask him his opinion (I think i have his url correct...??)

[This message has been edited by kb9nvh (edited 10-20-1999).]

 

If you haven't had EBS, how do you know that you don't want it.The statement about slowing down as soon as you let off gas is false.When you really begin to slow down is when you feel it,when you let off the gas it will engage slowly.As Bill said going down hill in low gear, sometimes you have to give it gas or given time it will bring you to a stop.like anything else you have to learn to use it.LOVE MY 500SP WITH EBS!!!!!! Later COB

 

Yes EBS is definetly a must on any automatic. I know from experience what happens without EBS. My uncle owns a 97 Sportsman 400 without EBS. Needless to say the first time I was on it I wrecked it off the side of a 10 foot drop on the side of a loose gravel dirt rode thanks to no EBS and polaris's breaks. So yes EBS really does help in that perspective. I don't know about the top end speed being affected by the EBS. I have a manual transmission Arctic Cat 454, and haven't tried out EBS on trails. I only know that it can really help at high speeds on hills.
BIGBADCAT

 

I really love the EBS on my Sportsman. It works great in high to slowly slow you down so you don't have to use the brakes as much. I have hardly touched my breakes in the couple hundred miles I have on it. It really works well in low for steep stuff. It isn't like it slams on the brakes when you let off the gas, it just slows you down and helps save on brake usage. I will never have another quad without it!!

Mudman '00 Sportsman 500 (Green Machine)

 

My ’97 SP500 didn’t have EBS. My last two have had it and I wouldn’t go back to being without it. It did shave about 10 mph off my top end though. (so what)

I think most people who ride a machine like the Sportsman would want it. After all, it is a “sport/utility” machine, with a little more emphasis on utility. Those who choose to ride a Sportsman aren’t “woods racers”. That’s not to say it’s not fun to ride. Mine is used for pleasure 99% of the time but it’s a tank compared to lighter, faster machines. For my riding pleasure I’ll take the EBS.

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FloodRunner, on the Wisconsin River