Workhorse of a Clydesdale

Yea, this thing knows a thing or two about getting some serious work done. Outfitted with a huge 38 x 54.5” dump box that can carry over a half yard of material, you can haul an awful lot. The sides are lower than some competitive models, so getting away without strapping things down can be tougher.

With the dump box also comes a payload capacity of 1000 lbs., so you could technically classify this beast as a half-ton pickup truck as well. During one point in our ride, we let the kids have an adventure day on their 110cc dirt bikes, and of course, one of them blew out a tire and tube deep into the woods. This would have normally been a big problem as you can’t really ride it out or tow it home. But it couldn’t have happened on a better day! With the Defender, we were easily able to borrow our cooler rachet strap and throw the entire bike right in the bed, even while keeping the tailgate closed! With a relatively rough ride ahead back to base camp, there were little worries about our cargo, and were able to get it back while keeping up with the rest of the group.

Nitpicking on one thing, the door handles are rather small in comparison to other brands and somewhat hard to operate. On our unit, we found a lot of this coming from the screws that were easily coming loose after bouncing around on the trail. We did manage to lose one mid-ride which made it even trickier to open. After tightening them multiple times, we pulled out the toolbox and remedied it once and for all with some Lock-tite.

Finally, we certainly enjoyed our time with the Man Van, but in the interest of political correctness, we do not want to discriminate against our fellow female riders. Our two women in the group ended up with more miles behind the wheel after the first few days than anyone! Staying clean and cruising in comfort were just too enjoyable to pass up, I guess! For all you ladies out there, stay tuned for our next rendition… the “She-Wagon”!

BY DREW LEONARD

So many times many of us overlook the mid rang ATV’s. I’ve been guilty of this over the years as they don’t always come loaded high performance features of the 850s or 1000s and they’re not supposed to. Truth is many mid range ATV’s like the Polaris Sportsman 570 EPS are more suitable for so many riders, especially when they come in so many different trims and packages. If you can park your ego at the door and really understand what you need a mid range could be more suitable to fit your needs and also be a little lighter on your pocket book.

TThe Polaris Sportsman 570 fits nicely in the mid range category and has been one of the top performers for many years, and 2022 appears to be no different. Polaris is offering nine trim packages for the 2022 line up including the new Ride Command and Utility Editions.

On first walk around the Sportsman 570 EPS has stayed steady with the overall appearance. Right from the factory the EPS model comes with the same front bumper and front cargo rack extenders as some of the Sportsman 850s and 1000s. When I parked myself on the machine it felt right, giving the rider a nice comfortable feel, the seat was slim yet felt very roomy making it easy to maneuver from side to side and from a seated to standing riding position. For me this is especially important for those full days out on the trails. If the seat is too wide or tall it makes it tires the rider out that much more than needed after a full day out on the trail.

After spending over 500 miles on the Sportsman 570 EPS I can say that, Polaris designed this particular model for those riders who are looking for a serious trail performer that is capable of doing more than enough yard work all without paying a premium of larger mils. The quality of the fit and finish wasn’t skipped on this unit either giving any owner a sense of pride.

DON’T UNDER ESTIMATE IT

The 44hp Polaris ProStar provided plenty of power in all conditions. Sure, it was never the fastest with the big stuff and sure 1000s can pull more things around the yard or out of the forrest. After much bonding with the 570 ProStar, I can honestly say that it over delivers on what you are paying for. It didn’t matter if we were pushing it hard though open trails or if we in the tight bush trails navigating navigating technical terrain. At no time did any of us feel that this machine was underpowered for what a moderate to intermediate trail rider would utilize it for.

More Smooth News

The 570 EPS also comes with the new Multi-Select Electronic Power Steering. This allows the driver to choose from three different power steering levels depending on your terrain. When we rode deep into the forest on some ridiculously rocky and technical trails we found that opting for the “high” level of EPS saved the pipes (arms) and shoulders by not having to muscling the machine. What I also liked was that after rolling through the rocky technical stiff we hit the wide open rail bed. On the rail bed I dropped down and

Plush Is Important

Most people that have ever ridden a Sportsman would agree with me what I say that they ride well and rare comfortable. The suspensions is impressive, with 9.5 inches of travel in the back and 8.2 inches in the front, then add 11.5 inches of ground clearance it made for a smooth ride. We were particularly pleased when we hit an extremely rough section on rail trail and did the experienced rider move when seeing a big hole that just kind of appeared on the rail bed…Brace for impact! I may have blinked and saw images of my first birthday parties, my grandmother, my first bicycle…You get the picture. But after the quick blink of darkness and my eyes reopened, the suspension did its job. It sucked up those big bumps and all of the stutters throughout the ride extremely well.

My overall impression is that the Polaris Sportsman 570 EPS met all of my expectations and then some. As much as I like having the option of Ride Command at my fingertips, as soon as those tires hit the dirt I didn’t miss it and just enjoyed the ride!

THE FLY PATROL OVERBOOT XC MOTO PANTS.

The only complaint we’ve heard when talking about off-road pants is the fact that they are tight around the ankle for motocross boots and don’t have pockets to even hold your cell phone close to you. Even though that’s great on the track, it’s not when out on the trail. The average trail rider is different and should not be subjected to wearing the same things as track riders. In developing these pants, FLY had the off-road rider in mind by making a pair of pants that are comfortable and useful. Fly loosened the pants cuff to go over your boots, offering for more moveability and to help block the trail elements like wind and water. Also, with a leather heat shield on the inside of the legs to protect from motor heat and 6 zippered vents for that perfect breeze when needed. The adjustable material and the little belt strap, these pants will stay around your waste with all the twisting and moving. These pants look sharp and the durable material will last a long time. Check out www.flyracing.com

RICOCHET 2-PIECE A-ARM & CV BOOT GUARDS,

You can’t help but cringe at the grinding sound when you bottom out on a rock, and then spend the next while worrying you might have ripped a cv boot or a front axle out. Relax in the hands of Ricochet with the 2-Piece A-Arm & CV Boot Guards. We took a closer look at a pair of front a-arm guards from Ricochet Off-Road and we were impressed. They’re made of strong lightweight aluminum for strength and durability, not to mention Ricochet will powder coat them for you right at the factory so they are a simple bolt-on. with no more stress when you hear that awful thud when going over a rock or tree. Be safe and not sorry, and head over to www.ricohetoffroad.com and order a bolt-on set for your ATV or SXS.

SUMMIT RACING LED OFF-ROAD LIGHTS

Summit Racing LED Off-Road Lights are the LED light pods you need to illuminate a night trail ride. The lights have high-quality white or ultra-white LED chips, polycarbonate lenses, and durable aluminum housings that provide excellent heat dissipation. Summit Racing LED Off-Road Lights come in pairs; some include a wiring harness, light switch, and mounting brackets. Summit Racing has developed these lights with a ton of different size options to fit in almost any nook and cranny on your ATV. Check out which ones will work best for your night rides at www.summitracing.com

Hurricane Itp Wheel

Have you been searching for a new set of rims to freshen up the look of your Ride? Check out the ITP hurricane rims. These rims are ITP exclusive “Rock Armor” with an inner wheel lip to provide unequalled structural integrity. These rims have a load rating of 1,200-lb, so they can withstand a lot of force. Saying that they are also backed by the company’s ‘Lifetime Structural Warranty.’ ITP has brought this wheel out in two different color options: one being bronze and the other black. These rims will look great on any bike they fit on. Check them out at www.kimpex.com