40 www.dirtwheelsmag.com
While riding in the Pennsylvania woods,
we quickly came to appreciate the light
steering, nimble handling and able
engine that the Sportsman 570 com-
bines into a formidable 4x4 package.
The Polaris 570 single-cylinder
engine is a little gem with loads of nice
features, including the spin-off oil filter
and an effective counterbalance system.
The slimmer riding position is very
welcome. Riders who grip the machine
with their legs may feel heat from the
exhaust through the plastic. If you wear
tall boots and knee guards, you may not
feel any heat at all.
Polaris has swapped to an A-arm front
suspension on some of the other 4x4
platforms, but the MacPherson-strut
system still offers a supple ride and
good travel numbers.
The machine is just as comfortable
while you are seated. Aside from
integrating with the new bodywork,
the seat feels pretty much the same,
but the two-up touring model of the
Sportsman 570 uses a one-piece seat
like the Victory Vision. The Vision
is the long-distance touring model
of the Polaris motorcycle line, so it
should be a great perch for two riders.
We found the look of the 570 aggressive and rugged. The large fenders
did a great job of keeping mud and
water off of the rider. While Polaris
was working on the bodywork, it
made the 6.5-gallon front storage
box stronger and more functional.
Hopefully you won’t need to deal
with it often, but the electric terminal
box is mounted in the front storage
box, so getting at the fuses is a snap.
Above the bodywork are newly
mounted plastic-decked steel carrying racks. At points, the rack’s steel
frame is exposed to give more and
stronger tie-down points. Most ATV
rack systems are rated for 199 pounds
for both racks combined, but the
Sportsman is rated for 270 pounds,
broken up to 90 in the front and 180
in the rear. The standard hitch is
rated at 1225 pounds towing, but the
machine is rated for 1786 pounds.
THE BONES
Polaris didn’t feel the need to
change the actual chassis, since it
remains thoroughly effective. There is
8. 2 inches of travel via a smooth-rid-
ing and responsive MacPherson strut
suspension in front and 9. 5 inches
of rear travel provided by a dou-
ble-A-arm independent rear suspen-
sion (IRS) system that provides great
ground clearance. Polaris claims 11
inches of clearance, and we gave it
a test in very rocky terrain; we rare-
ly heard the skid plates make solid
contact.
STILL UNIQUE
By sheer sales volume, Polaris has
taken some really unique control set-ups and made them mainstream.
The CVT transmission adapted to
ATVs from the snowmobile world is
now close to standard in the industry
for utility machines—no matter how
sporty they are. And since your right
hand is busy with the thumb throttle,
Polaris mounts the hand-brake lever
to the left side of the bar and linked
it with all four wheels. There is a foot
brake as well for those who prefer
that.
Overall, the braking works very
well. It is different if you are switching
from an Asian machine, but it is easy
to adapt to. There is a lock on the