500-Class Shootout: Honda VS Polaris
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I have already stated I am no fan of Polaris ATV's and it doesn't make a difference to me what CC it is , if it is Polaris then it is cheaply made ---------------- now the Honda 500 is a different animal , it is a good farm , deer hunter , dry trailer rider atv , but in the mud with ruts , roots ,uneven terrain , slop and water , it is not a good mud riding bike , for some reason it gets stuck a lot , so much that my neighbor who bought one in 2016 to ride with us found out quick that it is a turd in the mud , he bought a 2nd bike which is a used Yamaha 400 and put the 27's off the 500 on the 400 , he will tell you there is no comparison to the 2 bikes , he went from the worst bike in the group as far as always stuck to one that does very well ----personally I think the 420 out performs the 500 in the mud , if mud is what you are looking to do
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I like their YouTube channel, I try to watch a couple vids every weekend.
However, I'm totally biased towards Honda! As soon as I hear Polaris I feel bad for the dude.
However, I'm totally biased towards Honda! As soon as I hear Polaris I feel bad for the dude.
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1,418 Posts
I would like to see this comparison and opinion about 3 years from now when both have 3,000 miles or 300 hours....
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1,759 Posts
I wish they would have considered longevity/reliability.
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I concur, making a 30 min loop around the track is one thing, so I want to see some seat time.
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559 Posts
On their channel they have some older bikes and projects they work on, and will often do update videos on them.
Ever since my dad bought his machine I've been addicted to their channel lol
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1,203 Posts
The only Polaris I would buy would be there S/S those things are nice
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1,422 Posts
Id DirtTrax actually had to buy their own machines and keep them longer than the time it takes to do a "shootout", I'm sure the outcomes would be vastly different.
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I'm afraid I completely disagree on that one. It makes no sense whatsoever. How could a 420, with less power, higher gears, and no diff lock beat the 500 in anything? Their weights are even within 50-80lbs depending on model. The IRS machines even share the same frame and suspension. SRA models share the same rear ends....really doesn't add up to me. My Rubi had more GC on 30's than my Can-am on 31's, manual locker, thrives in mud and ruts, uneven terrain.....
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I can't explain other than maybe numbers on paper don't always add up in real life and you need to do field trials , I seen it with my own eyes , the 420 out performs the 500 and the 400 Yamaha outperforms both of them ----now maybe driver skills comes into play a bit as mudding is a game of inches , a couple of inches either way came make or break you , maybe it is weight distribution , ground clearance , limited slip characteristics of the front ends , or maybe differences in the right thumbs , who knows , I think it takes the right combination of HP , gearing , front end slip characteristics , weight , ground clearance , tire thread /size and operator skills to be a good mudder -----all I do know is across the street there is a 2016 Honda 500 foot shift that stays parked every weekend and he rides his Yamaha 400 and loves it and we can see the results as we don't pull him out no where near as much , in fact we have 3 Yamaha 400 Big bears that ride with us and all do unbelievably well , I would say the 420 is right there with the 400 Yammy , we see the 420 go thru the bad holes and make it ------- maybe the 500 needs skid plates as something under the frame is hanging up on roots or ruts on him , but that 500 is an anchor
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I agree, there is something about having the right combination and remember as a kid growing up right where you live/play my Dad and others enjoyed full size Chevy, Ford, trucks that were 4WD and I thought they were unstoppable, until a Jeep with good tires came along as well as some older Toyotas, and realized that light weight, benefited them tremendously in swamp, so I agree, getting the right combination is key to playing....
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Yeah lighter machines can go further but if you know anything about the 2014+ Foremans, Ranchers and Rubicons you’d realize how mind boggling that statement is. If he specified that the 420 was a 2007-2013 then I could see it but new machines there is no way, I’d put money on it.
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Well , I'd guess since " you " don't think so , what we have seen can't be true and it is just our imaginations ! ---- The 420 I mentioned is a 2017 straight axle , foot shift and the 500 is a 2016 foot shift , straight axle ( probably a 2015 bought in 2016 )
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I’m not saying it never happened, and I’m not saying your lying about it. But I’m saying it makes no sense whatsoever, now that you say they are both newer SRA machines makes even less sense. I was thinking that MAYBE if the 500 was a Rubicon then that almost 100lbs weight difference might have been why the 420 our performed it, but both being solid axle foot shift models there is like 20lbs in the difference.....makes no sense to me....
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