With great power, an effortless...
With great power, an effortless power steering system and a passenger seat with suspension, the Touring Sportsman is sure to be a hit with riders who enjoy riding together.
For 2010, the Touring models get the Sportsman XP's chassis, which is improved over previous years with even better ride and handling characteristics. The Sportsman uses a rolled independent rear suspension system paired with progressive dual-rate springs that have adjustable preload on both the front and rear shocks. The front suspension gets 9 inches of suspension travel while the rear gets 10. When it comes to bringing this mammoth to a quick stop, Polaris claims it is using larger brake discs, which help to displace heat and keeps them from fading. Another major breakthrough on the 2010 Touring is Polaris' anti-kickback steering and electronic power steering system. This is achieved by using longer A-arms and larger wheels, which move the steering pivot of each axle to the most neutral center part of the tire. Mate these updates with what Polaris claims is the most powerful electronic power steering system available on an ATV, and you've got an easy-to-steer ute with very little struggle in the bar.
When it comes to passenger benefits and comfort, the passenger really scores huge on this 2010 model. Polaris engineers worked hard to bring the passenger on this model a much-improved ride. Under the passenger seat is an adjustable individual shock to make the rough rides a good bit more comfortable, that's on top of the large backrest. They also designed the passenger area to have more room, soft vibration-absorbing handholds and vibration-absorbing footrests. And to top it all off, they even developed dual cup holders that feature a bungee for keeping your drink in place.
For those looking for a good two-up ATV or even a killer mud racer, Polaris hit the mark with the new Touring model. It is extremely comfortable for driver and passenger as well as possessing an explosion of power especially on the 850 model. And even though I prefer the strength and smooth grunt of the 850, the 550 still portrayed great power for hauling two riders through even the toughest of conditions. If you choose to ride alone just fold up the passenger seat: the handling and overall performance are stellar either way. My favorite feature of this new machine definitely lies with the anti-kickback and electronic power steering. After riding a non-power steering and -power steering model back to back, I realized just how significant the difference really is. The effortless handling of the PS unit would allow you a full day of extreme riding without early fatigue and continuous hard and painful hits throughout the day.
2010 Polaris New And Updated Models
Be sure to visit www.atvrideronline.com for more new releases and first ride tests on the 2010 Polaris lineup. Below is the list of new and updated machines that we tested.
Entry-Level ATVs
New! Scrambler 500 4x4
New! Trail Blazer 330
New! Trail Boss 330
Two-Up Utility ATVs
New! Sportsman 850 Touring EPS
New! Sportsman 550 Touring EPS
New! Sportsman 550 X2
New! Sportsman 500 H.O. Touring
Full-Size UTVs
More Power! Ranger 800 HD
More Power! Ranger 800 XP
More Power! Ranger 800 XP EPS
New! Ranger 800 6x6
More Power! Ranger 500 H.O.
Midsize UTVs
New! Ranger 400
New! Ranger EV
Multipassenger UTVs
NEW! Ranger 800 Crew
Ranger RZR
New Top Speed! Ranger RZR