2007 Polaris Outlaw 525 - First Ride

In an effort to provide trail riders the lighter weight and quicker handling of a sport ATV yet the ground clearance and uneven-trail capability of a utility, Polaris engineers certainly climbed out of the box with their innovative approach to this problem-they mated a sport ATV with Independent Rear Suspension. We lauded the Outlaw 500's crossbred marriage of sport chassis and utility rear setup by considering it for the 2006 Sport ATV of the Year (Nov. '06). Racers may have had issues with the Outlaw, but for rock crawling or cruising on the trails, it was a capable machine.

However, we were not blindly smitten with the model. It was heavy, slow and had an irritating mishmash of fasteners. Those were the big grievances; we got over the funky seat mounting and odd looks (yeah, I know some of you out there like the black and aggressive buglike plastic design) enough to compete on it back East. We also searched out the rocky sections out West aboard the chunky steed. If it could lose some weight and get more power, it could only get better.

Evidently, Polaris came to that same conclusion and used its cooperative agreement with KTM to score the Austrian brand's proven 525 engine for the Outlaw. Simply scrapping the old tractor motor and replacing it with the svelte Katoom motor worked better than a dose of Phen-Fen, shaving off some 30 pounds. During the adaptation from bike to quad, sixth gear was replaced by reverse and its oil capacity doubled. A new header and exhaust and the 510cc motor was ready to go. And since the overall size of the engine was smaller, there was room for more fuel; it carries more at 3.9 gallons now.

First Look
After months of hearing about the evolved model and its new motor, we finally got our first sighting of the Outlaw 525. It doesn't take long to distinguish its new engine-its silver color betrays its presence. Beyond new graphics and seat-cover colors, the makeover also included the new RydeFX shocks. In fact, both the 2007 Outlaw and Predator will be fitted with shocks from the Canadian company. We didn't get to try any adjustments on the RydeFX equipment, even though the SOLOs in the rear are supposed to have adjustable compression. But I digress

On our walk around, we spotted another side benefit of the KTM engine-a Magura hydraulic clutch. And with promises of light action and effortless clutch action, we were now primed to sample the KTM-powered quad.

First Impression
Press intros are often like blind dates. After all the hype about personality and looks, when you finally meet the person, reality is often on a different course. Sometimes events turn out even better than you thought possible. And other meetings result in awkward silences or a never-ending trip to the restroom. Of course, at the end, the matchmakers are always antsy to hear a good report, and if things headed south in a hurry, you're stuck with wondering how to let them down gently. It's a careful dance routine we waltz in the editorial world-too nice and readers believe we're blowing smoke, while overly harsh criticism earns us a rep for not liking anything and sometimes means no second dates with a particular manufacturer. So, as a photography instructor once said during a portraiture class, "Everyone has something beautiful. It's your job to find it and accentuate it."