Hey, just wondering how u like your new 400 sp. I am torn between 400 sp and 400 xpl, since you have both what do you like better and why, really like to hear from you because you own both thanks, also you say u may sell your xpl?

 

Hey there toby! Sorry I haven't gotten back to you about your post. I'm not sure exactly which one I like the best yet(I haven't gotten to drive the Sportsman too many places yet - too much snow). I find the Sportsman has quite a bit more low end power and you can just kinda' "jig" around with it, which is different than on the Explorer which I find to be high sped and you have to wind it up more to get power. The ride on the Sportsman is a bit smoother than on the Explorer but is quite stiff right now since it is new. The Sportsman has superior brakes to the Explorer, I really like the hydraulic foot brake. One other thing is that the Sportsman has quite a bit more engine braking than the Explorer, it holds you back pretty good when you let off the gas. Noise wise, the Sportsman is a lot quieter than the Explorer(4-stroke compared to a 2-stroke). Speed wise, the Sportsman won't go near as fast as the Explorer. I haven't wound it up yet(still breaking it in) but even at 30 mph the Sportsman is revving quite high. The Explorer on the other hand will go over 60 mph (as high as the speedometer goes). The three-chain system on the older Explorers is a bit of a pain maintenance wise but I haven't had too many problems with it. The Explorer is the more sportier of the two quite a bit, it's easier to spin the back wheels in two-wheel drive Overall if your're looking for the more dependable machine, I would have to go with the Sportsman - I don't know what the newer Explorers are like though. Personally I don't think the Explorers would take hard going as good as the Sportsmans, but that's just based on my opinion
They're both really good machines, but I think I'd have to lean toward the Sportsman, even though I love the sound of the 2-stroke when I get it wound out passing everybody on fireroads
If there's anything else I might be able to help you with just let me know.

 

Thanks polarNS, let me know more when you get it broken in, have fun