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By Keith Gribbins

Some crews work where there are no roads — at least none meant for conventional trucks. These remote jobsites require the right set of wheels that can travel through a variety of challenging off-road terrain (whether it’s steep hills and muddy trails or pristine golf courses and snow-covered streets).

These jobs call for an ATV or utility vehicle (UTV). Professionals have been using these all-terrain transportation vehicles for decades to carry personnel or cargo to out-of-the-way jobsites. In fact, companies like Polaris have been making these all-terrain work tools for professionals and recreational buffs for more than 50 years.

“In our business, the definition of work is transporting people, tools and cargo,” says Jan Rintamaki, Polaris Ranger marketing manager. “And our commercial
customers have rough terrain to cover. If you want to move cargo from point A to point B over a smooth surface, there are lots of vehicles that can do that for you.
When conditions get rough, that’s when your all-terrain vehicle earns its money.”

It’s safe to say Polaris has designed its all-terrain machines to work in the rough. CE had the chance to experience this firsthand when Polaris held its 2006
press launch at the Windrock ATV club in Oliver Springs, Tenn., June 15-17. Situated on 72,000 acres of the old Coal Creek Mining and Mfg. grounds, the ATV club manages thousands of miles of off-roading trails in the Smokey Mountains.

It was the perfect setting for Polaris to introduce its new 2006 lineup — seven new ATVs and five new models of utility vehicles. A small group of farming and construction magazine editors gathered around the new set of all-terrain vehicles, strapping on helmets, gloves and goggles.

After thorough instructions from Polaris product managers (covering features, as well as safety), the editors got the opportunity to test-drive the company’s new line of Sportsman ATVs. The Sportsman line is Polaris’ rough and tough utility ATV series — which has “the best-selling 4x4 automatic on the planet,” say Polaris professionals.

“If you talk to consumers, what you would hear is that [our ATVs] are the toughest out there,” says Jeff LeFever, ATV marketing manager at Polaris. “And that’s just to say we haven’t cut corners on any part of it. So we’re known
for the best independent rear suspension. We are the pioneers in independent rear suspension. True all-wheel drive sets us apart, and again, that’s the shift-on-the-fly and it truly engages all four wheels with limited slip. That means all four wheels receive full power — not a limited-slip system like you would find on most competitive ATVs. Then some of it is the bells and whistles. We’re known for fantastic ride and handling, integrated storage and innovate accessories like the Lock & Ride system.”

Polaris also pioneered electronic fuel injection (EFI) for the ATV market when it introduced the Sportsman 700 a couple of years ago. EFI allows for a more effective fuel system (i.e. reliable starting in any weather, altitude and temperature).

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“It is also more fuel efficient,” says LeFever. “At typical trail riding speeds — 25 mph — it’s about 25 percent more fuel efficient. So that’s a big benefit. It will give you a longer range as well, which is another safety factor. And it does give you better throttle response at low speeds. So if you’re going over particularly rocky terrain, you’ll have better low speed control.”

In 2004, Polaris added the Sportsman 800 EFI unit to its bag of tricks. For 2006, Polaris brings that advance technology to the heart of the segment — the 500-cc units. “We’re the only people who have it there,” says LeFever. Today, Polaris has one of the biggest lines of EFI ATV machines out there. The company also has one of the only two-seater ATVs, called the Sportsman X2.

The full-size Sportsman X2 has the ability to transform from a two-person riding machine to a cargo ATV with a rear cargo box. The Sportsman X2 design is built on the best-selling Sportsman 500 platform. Because of the integrated seating system, the rider can transform this vehicle from carrying cargo to carrying a passenger in seconds. In this way, the Sportsman X2 is equipped to transport gear, crew and family to and from a worksite, hunting site or campsite. The unit retails for $7,899.

The Sportsman X2 enjoys the full benefits of EFI and the hard working engine found at the heart of Polaris’ best-selling Sportsman 500. At the core of the Sportsman X2 is a liquid-cooled Polaris 499-cc, high output, four-stroke, single-cylinder engine. According to Polaris officials, the engine delivers class-leading towing, hauling and payload through an automatic Polaris Variable Transmission (PVT). Towing capacity is 1,225 lbs, while cargo capacity is 490 lbs (400 lbs in the rear box and 90 lbs on the front rack with a single rider).

“The X2 is really more than just a two-up unit,” says LeFever. “We’ve heard one of the limitations to ATVs before is that you can only get one person at a time on the machine. Now with this, you really have the ability to take two workers to remote locations with one vehicle. And it’s got a 400-lb dump bed capacity, so it can haul a lot.”

Along with the Sportsman X2, Polaris’ 6x6 Sportsman is the company’s other heavy-duty, commercial ATV. Engineered with six wheels (and six-wheel drive), the 6X6 features a powerful liquid-cooled Polaris 499-cc engine and a molded rear dump box, hinged for easy unloading and 800 lbs of capacity. Both the Sportsman X2 and 6x6 are great for a myriad of transportation and cargo applications (from hauling bales of hay to surveying construction sites).

Also new to the Polaris 2006 ATV lineup is the introduction of the Sportsman 450 (replacing the 400) and the launch of the small Sawtooth (a 200-cc ATV) and the mid-size Hawkeye (with 2x4 or 4x4 options).

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Getting Behind the Wheel of a Ranger
After tooling around the gorgeous hills and muddy trails of Windrock with a whole host of ATVs, Polaris introduced its 2006 Ranger utility vehicle lineup in the afternoon. Five new models for the new year, including ground-breaking integration of EFI technology to the UTV segment.

“Polaris Ranger is the first and only lineup of utility vehicles to offer electronic fuel injection or EFI,” explains Rintamaki. “That delivers three benefits — start anywhere capability, altitude compensation and temperature adjustment. Landscapers and contractors in four season climates can now have a machine that starts easily at 20 below or 110 degrees — whenever they need to get their work done. EFI requires no re-jetting for altitudes up to 10,000 ft. And EFI automatically adjusts the power and fuel efficiency to current weather and temperature conditions.”

EFI technology is standard on the Ranger XP, the Ranger 6x6 EFI and the limited edition Ranger 4x4 EFI (available in December). The Ranger 4x4 will also continue to come in a carbureted version, as the 4x4 is Polaris’ most popular commercial vehicle.

“[The Ranger 4x4] is about getting your work done over rough terrain anywhere, anytime,” says Rintamaki. “You know Ranger’s motto — hardest working, smoothest riding.”

The Ranger 4x4 is popular with many professional users because of its electronic-locking rear differential. It gives operators the choice of all-wheel drive, two-wheel drive and one-wheel drive, so drivers can minimize damage to turf and sensitive terrain, yet get through treacherous topography when they need to. The carbureted Ranger 4x4 is also the company’s only machine in the 2006 lineup that still has the innovative SpeedKey system.

The dealer-installed SpeedKey option costs around $200 and can control a module that can limit the speed of a UTV without loss of power. You end up with two keys on the machine — a yellow key that limits the machine’s top end to 25 mph and a black key that lets it go up to 41 mph. It’s engineered for those contractors who want to limit speeds on worksites and then have fun with their unit after work. As of right now, SpeedKey is not on any EFI units.

Along with the Ranger 4x4, the Ranger 6x6 is also a popular commercial UTV — especially when considering heavy-load applications. The new Ranger 6x6 EFI model offers smooth weight-carrying ability and traction. With its 40-hp, 700 Twin EFI engine, the Ranger 6x6 has a 1,750-lb payload and a 1,250-lb cargo capacity — the highest in the industry. The unit sports a 15-cu ft cargo bed, industry-leading 1,750-lb towing capacity and a top speed of 44 mph, not to mention exclusive, on-demand, true six-wheel drive.

“Ranger 6x6 EFI lives to carry and tow heavy loads in low traction, rough environments,” says Rintamaki. Rounding out the new lineup, Polaris introduced two limited edition Ranger XP models — a Mossy Oak XP and a painted Midnight Red Ranger XP.

To go along with all of these 2006 ATVs and UTVs, Polaris is still heavily promoting its innovative Lock & Ride Cargo System accessories. The Polaris Lock & Ride system is engineered as an easy-on/easy-off attachment system that takes only seconds to remove and replace ancillary items such as storage racks, tool boxes, gun racks and cab enclosures. New for 2006’s Lock & Ride system is a multi-mount winch (with a 4,000-lb capacity) and a 3-point hitch attachment system for Ranger with attachments like a box scrapper, blade and a landscape rake.

“Lock & Ride attachments carry items easier and better,” says Rintamaki. “We carry stuff above and on the sides of the box, which is different than just about everybody else. We also have dedicated tool holders that can come on
and off in seconds — backpack blowers, weed whips, fuel cans, chainsaw mounts, water carriers, tool boxes, expanded bedwall extensions. What all of that means is increased productivity.”

And increasing productivity is what Polaris is all about.

Keith Gribbins is managing editor of Compact Equipment.

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