Turning ability is much improved over the Predator and the front sticks better, but it takes some finesse to do it at speed. Fast turns make the tall machine attempt to tip and a considerable amount of body English is required to compensate. The pillow-soft seat doesn't help in the side-to-side transitions, either. It needs to be a touch firmer-even though riders who sit in the same spot and never move might argue-to enable body movement. Speaking of the seat, I too had issues with the mounting system or lack thereof; it needs more than a rubber grommet to sit on in the middle. It never came off on me, but it's not the most secure feeling here. The rest of the body work was an improvement over the Predator, as well, without the odd plastic interfering with knees. Its skull-shaped front styling elicits a love-it-or-hate-it reaction, so the jury is still out on that one.
But what about the engine, you ask? The 499cc mill was a surprise. Even after a jetting fix (dropped the needle one clip) to cure a serious blubber on the bottom, the bottom-end was lacking. It was just fluffy at low rpm and begged to be revved. Fortunately, the engine gets to high rpm in short order and makes good midrange power. I was expecting Newsom to report that smooth low-end would be an asset in the muck of the Eastern woods, as it wasn't that big of an advantage here in the dry West. A pipe and maybe airbox mods are the cure, as the White Brothers' Outlaw we rode at our 24-hour test was healthier in the bottom. Regardless of my nitpicking, the chassis and engine are adequate for the average trail junkie. It's only when the rider begins to really push the machine to higher speeds that any sign of trouble appears.
The biggest complaint we have with the Polaris isn't a performance issue. It's the mix-and-match bolts and fasteners that'll require any home mechanic to buy the entire Craftsman tool selection. Case in point, the levers; one side has Allen bolts and the other has torx bolts. Then there is the mix of standard and metric on the chassis/engine mounts. Come on, Polaris, cut it out. Riders want to carry the least amount of tools on the trail, so having six or more styles and sizes of bolts to worry about is excessive.
The IRS inherited from its utility brethren makes taming difficult obstacles and rough terrain very undemanding. Sure, the added components of the IRS mean the machine does weigh a bit more than its competitors. While not an issue while traversing the countryside, the additional pounds put the Outlaw at a disadvantage in racing and make it more of a workout when loading. With that off my chest, I'd like to commend Polaris for developing an exceptionally enjoyable trail machine. A racer it may not be, but the percentage of the market seeking a checkered flag to end their ride is the minority. With a few refinements, the $6899 Outlaw could be exactly what the masses are seeking.