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| ATVriders.com
Test Rider, Colby Kostman, takes the Sportsman
XP for a test ride |
It was finally time to throw a leg over the new
Sportsman’s and see what all these exciting
changes amount to. Once aboard the Sportsman the
first thing I noticed was the much narrower width
between my legs. I felt as though I was straddling
a smaller more nimble sport ATV not a large utility
ATV. I took a few minutes to familiarize myself
with the layout of the controls and I was very
pleased to find everything was within comfortable
reach from the AWD selector switch to the brakes
and gear selector.
After a turn of the key and press of the start
button this big bore ATV roars to life thanks
to its high output starter and efficient EFI
system. I gave a few quick stabs to the throttle
I was relieved to feel almost no vibration from
this large displacement engine thanks to the
counter balancer and rubber engine mounts. Once
we got underway on the trails I found the steering
to be very light and responsive with little
to no feed back from rocks and ruts in the trail.
It is very easy to get the Sportsman up to trail
blazing speed with all that horse power on tap
you can quickly find the next corner approaching
at a high rate of speed but with the larger
brake rotors and automotive style brakes the
Sportsman can be slowed just as fast as it can
leap to top speed.
The Sportsman can not only go fast in a straight
line but does very well in twisty, rough and
rutted trails thanks to the dual arm front suspension
and the Rolled IRS rear suspension. Even with
its size the Sportsman handles so well over
rough terrain and in fast trails it is easy
to forget your not on a well handling high horse
power Sport ATV.
The new dual arm front suspension is much improved
over the previous single a-arm and strut design
with noticeably less body roll and front end
dive under hard braking. I also had the opportunity
to test the ADC system on a steep rocky decent.
The ADC provides an extremely controlled four
wheel braking that controls the Sportsman so
well the ride doesn’t even need to be
on the ATV all you need to do is be close by
for some steering input.
Polaris has set out to distance themselves from
the competition with their new Sportsman’s.
After countless hours of design and testing they
may have done just that. There isn’t that
one perfect ATV for everyone. Consumers need change
and Polaris understands this and strives to constantly
meet these changes with innovative new products
that are versatile and robust. While the US economy
is said to be slowing Polaris bucks the industry
trends of making due with last years models. Polaris
has provided us with new and innovative products
built in the USA by proud and dedicated employees.
Next time you are in the market for a new ATV
go to your local dealership and take the time
to look beyond the flashy colors and see what
is really under the plastic on that Polaris
Sportsman XP. You won’t be disappointed.
