we have owned numerous amounts of 4 wheelers in my lifetime on our farm, in fact we have 4 that are still running, It is almost a full time job trying to keep that sportsman 500 running, braking, and riding properly. I don't like the braking system, the lag from the time you push the throttle to actually moving the four wheeler is horrible and they are tipsy as well. When you are chasing cattle and have to turn on a dime that is not something you want to happen. My bro-in-law flipped the 500 shortly after we got it because it is soo top heavy.

These are some of the reasons I am getting a KQ instead of a sportsman. Actually I have a lead on a 05 sportsman 500 for a cheap price but it doesn't even interest me.....

 

Jim, look at your All-American Polaris. The engine was most likely built in Japan. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki use engines made in Japan and the rest is made here in th U.S. just like your Polaris. So I guess you are a "Rice burning lover" too! And by the way Polaris already has first spot-- In the line for repairs!!

 

Like I said on the polaris board, the king quad tires really dont grip like the polaris, as a matter of fact ive got a set of polaris pxt's on my vinson right now, awsome stock tire, but if you look close it appears to me that they also have the kings tires inflated high enough it looks like they gonna pop, they have absolutly NO flex while trying to move the sled, this clearly shows they pumped them on up there to limit grip. appears that way to me anyway, take a closer look.

 

This past Sunday I watched a 700 king quad pull a CJ7 jeep up over a small bank out of a yard and onto a tri axle trailer that sat about 3 feet off the ground. The jeep had sat there for I don't know how long and even had a flat tire on the front.
Show me a polaris that'll do that. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Oh yeah, and you notice they dont show the polaris up close on the sled pull, but appears to me if you look close that the tires do have a little flex to them, lower air pressure = better grip.

 

I didn't read this whole discussion.......but I'll almost bet all of my money on the polaris out pulling any other quad. It is simple. The polaris is made to do work like that. The other ute quads are made more for speed and acceleration. This is one reason why the polaris weights so much. We use ours on the farm, pulling big wagons, and anhydrous tanks,etc.




Almost all of the quads now-a-days have the power to pull about anything......is the traction that they need.......when we pull some bigger stuff(like a wagon with a load in it)......our sportsman has enough power to spin the tires rapidly.....but can't hook up and pull unless me, dad, and our hired guy are on the racks......lol. The weight can also be a big disadvantage when just riding though.

 

Quote:
Jim, look at your All-American Polaris. The engine was most likely built in Japan. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki use engines made in Japan and the rest is made here in th U.S. just like your Polaris. So I guess you are a "Rice burning lover" too! And by the way Polaris already has first spot-- In the line for repairs!!




My Polaris Sportsman (and all 600/700/800s) has a liberty engine, designed and manufactured in the good ol USA! Not many repaires needed here.

Jim

 

I haven't read all these posts, but it's probably a bs test. Put the same diff lock on for the pull as they did for the drag and what would happen? And when they tested the diff lock climbing an obstacle, who's to say they didn't jack up the tire pressure (I did read someone else's post about pressure) and spray a little wd-40 on the tires? Plus body position/weight distribution.

 

First, if anyone buys a Polaris because of these stupid videos they are extremely ignorant. Now in regards to the question posted. Good Question!! Several answers. Most obviously, is the weight difference of the machines. The 700 SP tips the scale dry at 760 Lbs while the KQ is only 602 Lbs. When pulling a weighted sled on a hard surface a simple friction formula from statics explains the "rigged" result of the test. I'll try to keep it simple.

Fm = maximum "static friction" force
mu = coefficient of static friction (assumed 0.5 between the rock sled and the ground, 0.8 between the SP's and KQ's tires and the ground)
N = Normal force (To keep it simple it is the weight of the quad plus operator and fluids)

Now for the example,
The rock sled weight assumed is 1500 Lbs
Then the SP or KQ must create a force of Fm=mu*N=0.5*1500=750 Lbs in order to move the sled
The SP has available Fm=mu*N=0.8*1000=800 Lbs force, NO PROBLEM PULLING THE SLED!!!
The KQ has available Fm=mu*N=0.8*842=673 Lbs force, NO WAY!!! PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE!
(Weights of quads in formula were obtained by adding 240 Lbs for the rider and fluids)
No matter how much power the KQ has available it would not be able to pull the sled without either increasing its weight or increasing traction. Keep in mind the best traction possible, (if the tires do not penetrate the surface of the ground) would be when the coefficient of static friction, mu=1. This would give the KQ 842 Lbs of pulling force, which would be enough. Good luck finding tires that can offer this level of traction.
Now after some tecnical engineering BS.
Think of the last tractor/truck pull you went to. Why do they have weight classes? "Light Bulb"!! What about Horsepower and torque?
Horsepower and torque are important also, not so much as to get the sled moving, but mainly when trying to develop momentum. To be successful,(FULL PULL) the pulling vhehicle must accelerate fast enough to develop the required momentum to compensate for the increasing friction force due to the progressive weight on the sled.

I've read other replies that stated the tires on the KQ are inflated to a higher pressure and coated with WD-40. Funny, but I wouldn't put it past Polaris. This would make mu=0.8 decrease somewhat further reducing the pulling force. I noticed the angle that the strap is attached to the SP is greater than that on the KQ. This adds more weight to the rear of the SP further increasing its pulling advantage. The KQ seems to only be in Std 4X4 mode and does not have the differential lock engaged (far front tire does not appear to be spinning).

Parting Thought,
"If Polaris made an airplane would you fly in it?"


Hope this helps!

 

Wonder why they didn't do a pull start test?