Polaris - An ATV for all reasons
Count
’em: 18 models in Polaris’ bulky 2001 catalogue, or
20 if you include two special editions. The Minnesota-based
company is nothing if not prolific, having produced a line of
ATVs that sets the industry standards for both variety and sheer
size.
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| Scrambler
500 4x4 and Scrambler 50 |
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For 2001, Polaris has added no fewer than five new models: a
2x4 version of the Scrambler 500, the Sportsman 400, and three
pint-sized four-wheelers for young riders, the Scrambler 50,
Scrambler 90 and Sportsman 90.
The Scrambler 50 and 90 are both powered by an air-cooled, two-stroke
engine with oil injection and CVT automatic transmission, bolted
into a chassis that has front and rear suspension and drum brakes.
Electric start makes getting going easy, while parents will
appreciate the removable ignition key and electronic throttle
safety control. Both models come with a youth-sized helmet.
The Sportsman 90, meanwhile,
uses the same powertrain and basic chassis as the Scrambler
90, but adds front and rear racks.
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| Sportsman
500 H.O. Ducks Unlimited Special Edition |
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Replacing the air-cooled Sportsman 335, the new Sportsman 400
gains not only engine displacement, but liquid cooling and a
chassis that mimics that of the popular Sportsman 500. Power
from the 425cc, four-stroke motor flows to the front and rear
wheels through a CVT belt-drive tranny and Polaris’s On-Demand
4WD system, which senses when the rear wheels lose traction,
then automatically engages both front wheels as well. A thumb
switch next to the right handgrip allows the driver to switch
the system off, thereby keeping the machine in two-wheel drive.
The Sportsman 400 also features fully independent front and
rear suspension, single-lever disc brakes and full floorboards.
Not to be left behind, the Sportsman 500 returns for 2001 with
engine mods good for a 20 per cent power boost, earning it the
suffix “H.O.” for High Output. The four-valve, liquid-cooled
mill spins a belt-drive CVT that incorporates Polaris’
Engine Braking System, which provides a measure of compression
braking when you back off the throttle. New heat-treated brake
rotors and stainless-steel braided brake lines improve braking
feel at the lever.
In addition to the three standard
colours of red, green and yellow, the Sportsman 500 H.O. is
also available in Ducks Unlimited and Remington Special Editions,
complete with camouflage bodywork, rack extenders, front and
rear tube bumpers and $1,000 added to the list price.
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| Sportsman
500 H.O. |
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The sporty Scrambler 500 4x4 gains a 2x4 brother for 2001, powered
by the same H.O. four-stroke engine as the Sportsman 500. Both
Scrambler models show off Fox remote-reservoir shocks in their
solid-axle rear suspensions, and both lack cargo racks—clear
indicators of their sporty intentions.
Want traction that can move mountains?
The returning Sportsman 6x6 remains the only conventional ATV
with six-wheel drive.
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