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The Polaris Sportsman 550 XP is a blast
to ride in the woods |
Another huge advantage that goes to the smaller
bore brethren of the 850cc monster is fuel mileage.
The Sportsman 550 XP is an average fuel consumer
and used considerably less fuel when the two models
were used outside of the trail environment. On
the trail, and with speeds being kept to a safe
and sensible limit, there wasn’t much of
a difference, but if you are like me, the throttle
on the 850 will be pressed forward quite often
to take advantage of that power!
Meeting our power needs, the 550 XP model continued
to be the model we chose to do our daily chores
which run the gamut from hauling a few bails
of hay to dragging out a deer.
Over the winter, we purposely left the ATV
in the barn to test how its starting system
would handle temperatures that routinely dipped
to zero. With out hesitation, the 550 would
roar to a rumble and idle just like a car. No
more fiddling with a choke or worrying if our
daily cruiser would start; we were very satisfied
with its overall performance in this area. An
added bonus over the winter was the heated grips.
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The Polairs Sportsman 550 XP Browning
LE provides the perfect package of accessories
for hunters |
One morning we found ourselves using the 550 to
haul Goose decoys across a field well before daylight
and on one trip I forgot my gloves. Now I am not
going to tell you that they warmed my hands like
a roaring fire, but they helped keep the chill
off and would be quite handy for extended rides
in chilly weather.
Suspension on the Sportsman 550XP is pretty
plush and the new dual arms really give the
handling a big boost. Whether we were trucking
along a farm road or hitting the trail, the
new set up really out shines the old model of
Sportsman in every facet. Catching ruts and
rocks on a big utility ATV for hours on end
will usually have you calling your chiropractor,
but even extended rides proved comfortable.
Polaris hit a home run with the dual arm set
up for your average trail hound and matched
it with a set of factory shocks that are capable
of handling about everything one would normally
encounter on most trails.
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Polaris Sporstman climbed over our wood
pile with ease |
The AWD capability of the 550 XP when combined
with low range will allow you to crawl over
just about anything. Logs, rocks, you name it;
you can usually find yourself powering your
way through it. The engine provided plenty of
torque for just such encounters and the transmission
applies the power smoothly.
If big down hills are encountered, Polaris’s
ADC (Active Decent Control) can come in handy
and keep you at a safe speed while heading down
what ever goat trail you happen to find yourself
on. Combine the ADC with outstanding braking
found on both models and you’re set to
head off just about anywhere and be able to
stop when you get there!
