[aquaforce]

I know that someone here is an ATV dealer and lots of people here have four wheelers so everyone tell me all the info and technical data about the Arctic Cat 1000i and the Polaris Sportsman Touring 850 EPS.


I want to know all about the engines: who makes them and pros and cons. The automatic drive systems how they work and hold up in any enviornment.


Our glass vendor has an Arctic Cat and says the bottom end torque is easy to control where he thinks the Polaris is jumpy on starts. When he is pulling trailers etc the tires will spin on take off with the Polaris but the Arctic Cat is very controllable.

Does this sound right to other owners?


Everyone post up pics and tell me about them.

TIA

 

[Horse power]

Ok let me start by saying i am not bashing any atv here but i will tell you what i have seen .

I ride ATV all most every weekend with a large number of atv's from 4x4 to sport quads and even some SxS.

First what kind of riding are you going to do?

Ok here goes this........... Out of the 2 you listed.........Stay away from the Arctic Cat! I have seen them break down many times. every time we go out, one breaks down. the Arctic is very controllable cause it is under powered. That makes for a slow boring ride.

The polaris 850ho is a great powered atv tons of power. And Polaris has the BEST riding atv out there hands down. I could go on and on but i dont know what you want to here.

 

[raizorsedge]

I agree with HP, go with Polaris.

 

[aquaforce]

Mostly modest trail riding with my wife as the operator. I will have it fully equipped with 4x4, winch, power steering, aluminum wheels etc but want the most power with ease of operation. I do understand I'm trying to mix both ends of the spectrum but I want my cake and eat it too.

We have mostly Polaris at work but no Arctic Cats to compare with.

Is A.C. better in current production? I have heard the older models were junk but they are now building their own engines and using better components. What does anyone know about this?

I absolutely HATE that stupid shifter right at my knee on the Polaris. My knees have had trouble and I am a little guarded about them. That metal rod is in a bad location and I don't like that it is not detented like most all others are. The Polaris was not on my radar screen at all to begin with because I only saw straight rear axle suspension on these at work. Now I see they have fully independant rear suspension, which I require, so I have been looking at them but technical data is not all that forthcoming. They look pretty well done but did I mention I hate the shifter location? :laugher::laugher:
Do I understand right that the engines on Polaris are Bombartier?

The drive belts were a hang up for me at first but I'm told that they have come a long way and the early problems that were common such as water intrusion/slippage etc, have all been resolved.


Is the 850 Polaris stronger than the 1000 AC ?????????

 

[Horse power]

Even the new AC i would not tell some one to buy.
The shifter should not be any where close to your knee. when i sit on mine the shifter is like a foot away. Maybe when it is in park or Reverse it might be closer but how hard do you ride in R or Park.

NO the motor on the Polaris is not Bombartier.

Can-am atv are part of BRP.

Yes the 850ho Polaris is way better than the A.C.

Polaris Sportsman XP 850 H.O. has more power, more suspension travel, higher ground clearance and superior rack capacity. it is the Hardest Working. Smoothest Riding. Big Bore ATV out there.

 

[aquaforce]

Even the new AC i would not tell some one to buy.
The shifter should not be any where close to your knee. when i sit on mine the shifter is like a foot away. Maybe when it is in park or Reverse it might be closer but how hard do you ride in R or Park.

NO the motor on the Polaris is not Bombartier.

Can-am atv are part of BRP.

Yes the 850ho Polaris is way better than the A.C.

Polaris Sportsman XP 850 H.O. has more power, more suspension travel, higher ground clearance and superior rack capacity. it is the Hardest Working. Smoothest Riding. Big Bore ATV out there.

I wasn't paying that much attention to the shifted position on the showroom floor. It might have been in park like you say to be closer to me. I really need to ride one to get a feel for it. The ones we have at work are mostly 500H.O. and they have a little different proportion to them as utility machines.

I have been doing a lot of reading and I see that both Polaris and AC build their own power. Suzuki was the power builder for AC pre 04-05 and now AC builds their own.
Polaris used Fuji power for a while and they now build their own too.


Both companies were started by the same guy...... very interesting.


I have not even touched an AC in person but I have been all around the Polaris at my local dealers showroom. The Polaris is impressive looking and has come a long way. That shifter

 

[H8tank]

If you want a good quad, why not just go with the King?

I've got a 2006 Suzuki King Quad 700, it is IMO the best overall bike you could ask for in a quad. Huge thumper motor is super powerful AND fast, speed limited @ 72mph, 4x4 with locking diffs, reliable and easy to work on. I put 27"s on mine, rode in Moab for a week and had a blast.

I've ridden with guys on all kinds of bikes, and for how I like to ride, the King always comes out on top.

This is a great ATV site and forum: http://www.nyrocatv.com/

 

[aquaforce]

If you want a good quad, why not just go with the King?

I've got a 2006 Suzuki King Quad 700, it is IMO the best overall bike you could ask for in a quad. Huge thumper motor is super powerful AND fast, speed limited @ 72mph, 4x4 with locking diffs, reliable and easy to work on. I put 27"s on mine, rode in Moab for a week and had a blast.

I've ridden with guys on all kinds of bikes, and for how I like to ride, the King always comes out on top.

This is a great ATV site and forum: http://www.nyrocatv.com/

Kinda funny you mention that, I'm riding an older Quad Runner 250R and I like it. This thing is as sure footed as a mountain goat for climbing but it is not 4x4 and it is not automatic. I don't require automatic for me but my wife needs that. The automatics are not as much of an interest for me since I have not learned to trust them but I see that most machines that are over 700cc are automatic.

I'm comfortable with my driving skills so the machine has less requirements for me but for my wife I need the machine to do it all and easily.

I started off thinking that the most power would be the most stable and easy to operate but I'm learning that there is such a thing as toooo much power. Especially since my wife is not skilled and a climb that needs strength would be too much for her if the 4x4 power was too strong to control.

Is your King an automatic? What method of gears/belts etc does Suzuki use for their automatics?

 

[Horse power]

all Big 4x4 atvs are belt drive but one. The Honda has a trans like a car there for you can shift it with the thumb shifter or put it in auto.

The best Advice I can give you is to get a atv That has Twin cylinder power plant.

 

[H8tank]

The best Advice I can give you is to get a atv That has Twin cylinder power plant.

Why, to suck more gas? There is a reason many of the serious trail guys ride King's.

Especially since my wife is not skilled and a climb that needs strength would be too much for her if the 4x4 power was too strong to control.

On the newer ones you can get power steering! My chick is 5'3, and she can ride mine all over the property.

Seriously, sit on one and compare it to the Polaris, they aren't even close. The AC is even worse.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JFHdXfPqa-4ULYI-AU4VoVeYlVx9OzmMoFddGU8wiM8?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FW_N0GOXVl0/SgNOXLRS7wI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/-ZERkFP92QY/s144/moabcamp.JPG" height="108" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/h8tank/Moab2009?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJm75L2ouJn94QE&feat=embedwebsite">Moab 2009</a></td></tr></table>

The few Can Ams I have seen are nice, and they are twins. But they are very expensive, and seemed smaller than the King.

 

[aquaforce]

On the newer ones you can get power steering! My chick is 5'3, and she can ride mine all over the property.

Seriously, sit on one and compare it to the Polaris, they aren't even close. The AC is even worse.


The few Can Ams I have seen are nice, and they are twins. But they are very expensive, and seemed smaller than the King.

Two lunger is fine with me as long as the power is smooth.

Power steering is a must for my wife and those are the only atv's that we will consider.

I did sit on the King and the Polaris both at the dealer. The King sits much like my old quad runner as far as the comfort aspects and the sport feel that I like. The Polaris had a good feel but I just didn't connect with it. Several things I like about it but I am comparing build and quality and design with all the amenities across all the candidates.

The Can Am is a name I don't know at all.

Where is MOAB? That looks cool.

 

[H8tank]

2011 ATV of the year: http://www.atvmagonline.com/2011/06/2011-atv-year-canam-outlander-800r/

When the King was Re-released in 2005, it won the award.

Moab is in Utah, basically the Heaven of off road driving/riding.

 

[aquaforce]

That does look like a lot of fun; a must do for the travel list.

The Can Am is too serious for the mud. I'm not that interested in mudding.

 

[H8tank]

Are you afraid of heights?

Here's a nice road, it snakes along to the right:

 

[aquaforce]

Is that ............"King on the mountain" ??? :laugher::laugher::laugher::laugher::laugher:



I'm not afraid of heights but that would be a weird feeling at times riding along beside a drop off. That looks awesome.
Definately a must do!


Cool pics , Thanks

 

[Horse power]

Sweet Pic H8..

The king quad is a nice atv, for me it would never work out. It is to slow rides to ruff and does not have the hp and the tq that i need or want. As for the gas thing when we all ride they fill up just as much as the rest. I ride with guys that have them never seen them have any trouble. but i have had to sit and wait on them. If you want a atv to ride on nice flat trails and putts around on than the king quad is the one for you? But If this is the case than just get a 400cc 4x4 save a bunch of money and still be able to ride.

 

[aquaforce]

The king quad is a nice atv, for me it would never work out. It is to slow rides to ruff and does not have the hp and the tq that i need or want.

Do you think the Polaris rides smoother than the King?

If both were 700 is the speed and power different?

 

[Horse power]

Do you think the Polaris rides smoother than the King?

If both were 700 is the speed and power different?

Yes the Polaris is the best riding atv hands down. No one can say other wise.

Yes the speed and power is going to be different the king quad (lets say) runs 70 and a sportsman 700 (lets say) runs 70, the Torque of the twin will get it there alot faster.

you know every one rides there own way and has fun there own way. It is all in what you want. You were talking about the AC 1000cc atv and the xp850cc at first. So that is what i was going by. I was thinking you wanted a all around good ride , fast, powerful , 4x4 atv. If you just want a atv to ride look at a smaller size and save some money. Remember this if you and your wife want to ride at the same time on the same atv , Polaris and Can-Am both make 2up atv's that you 2 can get on and ride all day. The new Can-am are #2 in ride department.

 

[brivander]

Can't believe only one person brought up Honda, that's all I'll buy after my Polaris, but I fully admit I got a lemon...

I've had Honda's my whole life and there is a reason why, they run forever. I agree lots of the quads noted above are much better for many reasons. But you can't even touch a Honda for reliability, that's not opinion, that's a pretty well known fact. I thought having a big polaris was going to great, but it was almost to big...

 

[Horse power]

Yup Honda is great in the reliability part.

Why did you say you got a lemon?