More Pictures
Polaris 850 XP Sportsman Review
I had the opportunity to test ride and review the new Polaris Sportsman 850 XP today. In the past I had never been very impressed with the Sportsman ATV lineup but it seems that Polaris definitely made some significant improvements over the previous years machines. And with a 70 horsepower engine, how could you not be impressed.
Hopefully in the next few days I will be able to put a full review together for you guys. In the mean time hear are a few pictures of the Polaris XP 850. Please excuse the horrible photos as apparently the camera I was using today did not like 7 degree temperatures.
Hopefully in the next few days I will be able to put a full review together for you guys. In the mean time hear are a few pictures of the Polaris XP 850. Please excuse the horrible photos as apparently the camera I was using today did not like 7 degree temperatures.
Attachments
-
64.1 KB Views: 195 -
69.3 KB Views: 143 -
93.2 KB Views: 141 -
69.2 KB Views: 131 -
72.4 KB Views: 140
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Nice looking quad and the 850 cc engine in the Sportsman XP is very impressive that Polaris has stepped it up. Hopefully on your next test ride, you can get some video footage of this fine Polaris 850 Sportsman XP mean machine. It's also nice that Polaris has jumped in the game by adding electric, speed sensitive power steering to the Sportsman. Do you have any more quick details you can provide prior to the review in regards to tech specs?
Well I had the opportunity to ride the Polaris Sportsman 550 XP as well. Both machines are identical except for the engine displacement. While the 550 had more nimble handling due to it's lighter weight, there huge difference in power. Many people may say they don't need the extra power of the 850; but once they ride it they will see.
Since this is the 3rd manufacturer to produce and ATV with electronic power steering (EPS) handling was one of the bigger things I paid attention to. Steering seemed very light, especially at low speeds. While the fastest I had the Sportsman 850 was 40 MPH, I made a left turn on a trail and the handlebars turned much easier that I wanted them to. I had to quickly counterweight the quad to prevent a possible catastrophe.
The Sportsman 850 XP is a heavy ATV. It felt heavy when trying certain maneuvers, but the suspension seems to be much better over the McPherson strut that Polaris once used.
That's all I can add for now, I don't want to spoil the review completely.
Since this is the 3rd manufacturer to produce and ATV with electronic power steering (EPS) handling was one of the bigger things I paid attention to. Steering seemed very light, especially at low speeds. While the fastest I had the Sportsman 850 was 40 MPH, I made a left turn on a trail and the handlebars turned much easier that I wanted them to. I had to quickly counterweight the quad to prevent a possible catastrophe.
The Sportsman 850 XP is a heavy ATV. It felt heavy when trying certain maneuvers, but the suspension seems to be much better over the McPherson strut that Polaris once used.
That's all I can add for now, I don't want to spoil the review completely.
I've only had the opportunity to sit on the 850 and 550. I took pictures at the time with my phone but they weren't worth posting. All I can say is that I would love the opportunity to line the 850 up with my 800R (stock machines). I have a strong feeling that the outlander would not take the hole shot but would make up for lost ground in the mid to top end. This is just a hunch and I'm basing this on my experience with the 800R alone.
I took an 850 XP on a demo ride this past fall and it was so amazing that I saved up to buy one. Picked up and 850 with the EPS last Tuesday and finally got to stretch it out this past weekend. Very nice ride and the power steering makes the low speed steering so nice! The engine braking needs some adjusting, Its a little aggressive for my riding style. I have learned to overcome that a bit by by blipping the throttle a bit off idle to keep it from locking up when you don't want it to. Other than that the perfect 850 quad! I have never been impressed with Polaris Quads until now.
![]()
Welcome to the site Smoothbassman!
I noticed the engine braking very aggressive as well. Let me ask this question, do you notice the engine braking to be aggressive when in complete 4x4 mode or all of the time? I know that the ADC (Active Descent Control) is activated by pushing the 4x4 switch all the way to the left. I have also figured out that it only works under 15 MPH.
I am with you, this is the first time Polaris has impressed me.
I noticed the engine braking very aggressive as well. Let me ask this question, do you notice the engine braking to be aggressive when in complete 4x4 mode or all of the time? I know that the ADC (Active Descent Control) is activated by pushing the 4x4 switch all the way to the left. I have also figured out that it only works under 15 MPH.
I am with you, this is the first time Polaris has impressed me.
The reports I'm hearing here on the XP are impressive. Keep em coming! BTW, what's the weight of the 850? I'm curious as to whether or not they have a good power to weight ratio.
(They do look alot better than the Sportsman IMHO.)
(They do look alot better than the Sportsman IMHO.)
Engine Braking Way Too Aggressive
I took more notice to it more in 4x4 mode as the front end grabs a lot harder. I thought it was the ADC at first so I switched it off and it was there in just regular 4 x 4 mode as well. Its also there in 2x4 mode as well but since its just the rear wheels it doesn't feel as aggressive. Plus its way more aggressive in Low Gear than in High Gear.
I was riding on a trail that was a combination of rocks, snow, ice and mud this weekend, and with some pretty steep slopes the engine braking was trying to kick in all the time.
When in 2x4 mode I hit an ice patch on the downhill side of this slope and the back end just slid out without any brake pressure, giving it some gas kept the rear clocked in the same position, until I hit an area that had some grip and was able to swing it back around. Not a good situation to go into cold turkey since the tails were pretty narrow with some drop offs in some spots.
I think it has to do with the new roller clutches. They are way more aggressive on hooking up with the power and I think its doing the same thing with the engine braking. I'm going to the dealer to see if it can be adjusted at all today.
Again, I figured out how to overcome it, by keeping the throttle up just slightly off idle when coming down the slopes and popping it into high gear before decending. Dropping it down to idle would effectively engage the engine braking to slow me down. On ice though, it just locked up the wheels which is something I didn't like at all especially in 4x4 mode where it locked all 4 wheels! ::none::
I guess it comes to knowing how your machine operates to be able to get though challenging situations. Wish there was a way to turn the braking off, when you are riding aggressively that would be sweet. Then you could focus on conquering the terrain versus compensating for your machine.
Looking forward to the review soon!
Welcome to the site Smoothbassman!
I noticed the engine braking very aggressive as well. Let me ask this question, do you notice the engine braking to be aggressive when in complete 4x4 mode or all of the time? I know that the ADC (Active Descent Control) is activated by pushing the 4x4 switch all the way to the left. I have also figured out that it only works under 15 MPH.
I am with you, this is the first time Polaris has impressed me.
I took more notice to it more in 4x4 mode as the front end grabs a lot harder. I thought it was the ADC at first so I switched it off and it was there in just regular 4 x 4 mode as well. Its also there in 2x4 mode as well but since its just the rear wheels it doesn't feel as aggressive. Plus its way more aggressive in Low Gear than in High Gear.
I was riding on a trail that was a combination of rocks, snow, ice and mud this weekend, and with some pretty steep slopes the engine braking was trying to kick in all the time.
When in 2x4 mode I hit an ice patch on the downhill side of this slope and the back end just slid out without any brake pressure, giving it some gas kept the rear clocked in the same position, until I hit an area that had some grip and was able to swing it back around. Not a good situation to go into cold turkey since the tails were pretty narrow with some drop offs in some spots.
I think it has to do with the new roller clutches. They are way more aggressive on hooking up with the power and I think its doing the same thing with the engine braking. I'm going to the dealer to see if it can be adjusted at all today.
Again, I figured out how to overcome it, by keeping the throttle up just slightly off idle when coming down the slopes and popping it into high gear before decending. Dropping it down to idle would effectively engage the engine braking to slow me down. On ice though, it just locked up the wheels which is something I didn't like at all especially in 4x4 mode where it locked all 4 wheels! ::none::
I guess it comes to knowing how your machine operates to be able to get though challenging situations. Wish there was a way to turn the braking off, when you are riding aggressively that would be sweet. Then you could focus on conquering the terrain versus compensating for your machine.
Looking forward to the review soon!
That is some very insightful information smoothbassman.
Real Life with the XP
Check out this video I made of a recent set of rides on my 850 XP EPS
Check out this video I made of a recent set of rides on my 850 XP EPS
Outstanding video sbm! The suspension on that thing looks very plush. What's your take on it? How is the throttle response?
Last question, this time, what did you create your video graphics with?
Last question, this time, what did you create your video graphics with?
The throttle is good. Much crisper than the carburated quad I came from before getting this one. It's controllable and smooth which is very important with this much power on hand and it's very easy to pull.
With proper traction you will wheelie this quad in high or low gear with ease.
For my logo text I downloaded a font pack from 1001freefonts.com and used flash to design the vector graphic so it keeps the quality at any frame size. I exported the common sizes (480 720 1080) as a .PNG files with transparent backgrounds so I can apply it to any background.
A few steps but it works. Sometimes I just photoshop as well when I'm doing just text overlay.
With proper traction you will wheelie this quad in high or low gear with ease.
For my logo text I downloaded a font pack from 1001freefonts.com and used flash to design the vector graphic so it keeps the quality at any frame size. I exported the common sizes (480 720 1080) as a .PNG files with transparent backgrounds so I can apply it to any background.
A few steps but it works. Sometimes I just photoshop as well when I'm doing just text overlay.
Unless I switch over to a side by side, it's almost a guarantee that the 850xp will be my next machine. Looking forward to the review Gary.
Well your work paid off. That's pretty good stuff. Now, back to the quad, don't take this the wrong way b/c I truly mean no offense by it, but I would love to straight race the 850 on my 800R Outty. Just for kicks. Shoot, I'm even giving GRIZZWIZ a hard time about his V-Force. I think I have him committed to a race in the near future. :evil7: Can you tell I want to find the limits of my Outty? lolThe throttle is good. Much crisper than the carburated quad I came from before getting this one. It's controllable and smooth which is very important with this much power on hand and it's very easy to pull.
With proper traction you will wheelie this quad in high or low gear with ease.
For my logo text I downloaded a font pack from 1001freefonts.com and used flash to design the vector graphic so it keeps the quality at any frame size. I exported the common sizes (480 720 1080) as a .PNG files with transparent backgrounds so I can apply it to any background.
A few steps but it works. Sometimes I just photoshop as well when I'm doing just text overlay.
Where are we at with your review?
I tell you what, with each new product year, I continue to be more impressed with Polaris. They have stepped up their game so much in the performance and looks category it's amazing to me.
That 850 is one good looking ride and really not a bad price for what you get. It's a nice looking quad, has a strong engine and if the service is at a minimum, they have given even Yamaha a run for their money since Yami is so behind in the power category on everything.
Buster
That 850 is one good looking ride and really not a bad price for what you get. It's a nice looking quad, has a strong engine and if the service is at a minimum, they have given even Yamaha a run for their money since Yami is so behind in the power category on everything.
Buster
The 850 might be a good race. It's crazy fast. With stiff shock settings it will stand up on it's back wheels with no problems. Punching it coming out of corners even lifts the front end.Well your work paid off. That's pretty good stuff. Now, back to the quad, don't take this the wrong way b/c I truly mean no offense by it, but I would love to straight race the 850 on my 800R Outty. Just for kicks. Shoot, I'm even giving GRIZZWIZ a hard time about his V-Force. I think I have him committed to a race in the near future. :evil7: Can you tell I want to find the limits of my Outty? lol
You have to be really smooth with so much torque on hand. Can't wait to see what Yamaha Honda and Can Am plan on making as competition. As I see it. In stock form there's no sport utility quad that can beat the XP.
Sportsman XP Suspension
New Video. Suspension View Lots of Travel on the Front Wheels.
New Video. Suspension View Lots of Travel on the Front Wheels.
How much of that travel reaches your arms? (Suspension Feedback)
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
ATV Torture Forums
A forum community dedicated to ATV owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, reviews, tests, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
