ROCK SOLID
Scott Bentley puts the musclebound 700 EFI to the test.
It's not hard to see why Polaris is proud of the Sportsman 700. It is, after all, part of the biggest selling ATV range anywhere. It's also the first electronically fuel injected 4x4 ATV. At 683cc it totes the biggest ATV engine Polaris has ever built. It has on-demand all-wheel drive, a PVT auto tranny, independent rear suspension, and now, comprehensive instrumentation. No wonder they want everyone to know about it.
Like everyone else, we'd heard a lot about the 700 and were keen to see if the jive would survive when we got the Sportsman out in the scrub. In fact it turned out to be very capable, although there are a few things we'd like Polaris to take a second look at. But first things first.
THE QUICK ONCE-OVER
The Sportsman is a tough looking vehicle, and sensibly laid out, although someone at the factory needs a refresher course in ergonomics. The front brakes are activated by a single lever on the lefthand side of the bars, with nothing but the throttle on the righthand side, a quirk that takes time to get used to, and that makes backing this ATV off a trailer more difficult when you're walking next to it.
- The footpegs are incorporated into the plastic runningboard and not all that grippy when your boots are covered in mud.
- The carry racks are excellent but this ATV doesn't have as much ‘dry' storage space as the Suzuki Vinson.
- The powerful lighting system shouldn't attract criticism.
- Some Australian ATV users would prefer a foam rubber air filter instead of the Sportsman's paper element.
- Routine maintenance items like the spin-on oil filter and oil dipstick are easy to get at, although we thought the starter solenoid looked vulnerable under the left rear guard.
- We were surprised that this ATV started in gear.
- Having a full-length bashplate is a good idea but this one is part of the chassis so damaged sections can't be replaced individually.
- The suspension A-arms have little protection from the underside.
- There's no pull-start backup.
THE ENGINE
The big bore twin has power to burn. Although the rubber-mounted unit vibrates a little, it's smooth power delivery is impressive and throttle response from the fuel injection is excellent and leaves you with the impression that the Sportsman suits younger rather than older riders – rodders, not plodders. The ATV accelerates hard – sounds good while doing it - and is capable of sustaining high speeds easily and with impressive stability. The speedo tops out at 100km/h and that's pretty accurate. We got 90km/h out of it before the big donk yelled "Enough!"
IN THE DIRT
The Polaris is better at off-road work than the Suzuki Vinson, the last utility quad we evaluated, and for one good reason: independent rear suspension.
That's not to say that IRS suits everyone. Clearly it doesn't, and it has its own disadvantages. An independent rear end has more moving parts and introduces the ever-present worry of wear on CV joints. There's no getting away from it though, ATVs with independent suspension all round are definitely more capable in gnarly conditions.
We put the Sportsman through the same ravine test we chucked at the Vinson. With independent suspension and very useful low range gearing the Polaris did it a lot easier. It was also less physical on the rider and got the job done quicker.
THE TYRES
The Sportsman is sold here with Carlisle Badlands XTR tyres, a fairly stiff-walled rubber family that resists puncturing but needs pressure funetuning to get the best out of it in local conditions. We had trouble climbing a rock shelf until we deflated the XTRs to 3psi up front and 21/2psi down the back. This combination worked well in a variety of terrain during our evaluation, although you wouldn't want to run it that low if you live and work in a spiky old granite garden.
The brakes are very powerful and better than the Suzuki's. No doubt braided lines front and rear contribute to that. We were on the Polaris virtually all day and we'd have to say it's also a very comfortable unit. If Polaris would fix that awful footbrake pedal we'd have very little to whinge about. This ATV would be very useful to rural or commercial operators who have to cover big distances in a short time and carry a pile of gear with them. The bank manager would need a pretty quick quad to keep up.
TAKEOUT
"The Sportsman suits younger rather than older riders – rodders, not plodders."
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