Sport Suspension:
Does this...
Sport Suspension:
Does this suspension look familiar? It should since it is exactly the same as what you'd find on the popular Polaris RZR S model.
The rear of the 4 houses the 760cc High Output engine and CVT transmission that gets the power to the ground, which again comes straight out of the popular RZR S. Knowing it does offer an 850cc High Output engine found in the Sportsman ATV line, I was surprised to see that Polaris opted not to use that engine. Knowing this machine already had an increase in weight from the lengthened frame and potential for more passenger cargo, I felt the 850 H.O. would have been the obvious choice for an engine. If they made clutching changes to the current powerplant or internal gear changes in the transmission, the 760 might be sufficient to pull the extra weight. Only on my initial test would I be able to tell.
Desert Tested
Since the video of the RZR 4 on the Polaris website emphasized its performance in the open desert, I decided to test on similar ground. I rounded up a few friends and took the RZR 4 to Lucerne Valley, California, where there was an abundance of high-speed sand washes, whooped-out trails, technical rock-crawling sections and even a few good jumping locations. The only thing I wouldn't face was a mud pit, but that is not what this machine was designed for. As soon as the truck was parked, I rolled the RZR off the trailer and we jumped into the seats anxious to see how well the sporty four-seater would perform. Four full-grown men weighing between 200 and 250 pounds each should give this machine a good run for its money.
With the engine warmed up and all of us buckled in, I stabbed the throttle to the floorboard and we were on our way. While the engine revved quickly, it is unfortunate that the same can't be said for the acceleration of the machine as we watched the speedometer leisurely make its way to 35 mph and struggle to keep climbing, mind you that we were on flat ground. To test the nimbleness of the machine, I darted in between bushes much like a slalom course to learn that the 4 actually handled quite well. While I did notice the higher center of gravity, I never felt as if I was out of control or was going to tip over. Even as I made a course, which consisted of sharp turns out of a straight where we achieved top speed, I could still dive into the corner with good momentum without feeling like we were going to end up with the wheels in the air. The deeper our ruts got, the better we could attack the turns.
To see how it handled low-speed technical driving, I took the RZR 4 over to a few rock piles that would test the articulation of the suspension. The length of the frame caused us to scrape the bottom of the frame quite a bit, but the machine felt relatively stable. The only times I felt uncomfortable were when I had to attempt a few off-camber sections that made the 4 feel tippy. My final test for the machine would be where I felt the RZR S shined and that was in very rough, whooped-out terrain. I held the throttle to the floor and aimed for some of the roughest ground I could find as everyone started to brace themselves for what they thought would be a wild ride. To my surprise, the long-wheelbase RZR 4 glided over the deep whoops much like its shorter version did when I had it. The harder I pushed it, the better it soaked up the big bumps. This led me to test out its jumping capabilities by launching it out of a sand wash that had a nice lip much like a launch ramp.
Here is where the suspension could use a little bit of work because of the length of the frame. By the time the front end had hit the face of the jump and started to lift, the rear end would compress and skyrocket up, almost slamming the front end to the ground and leaving you feeling as if you were trying to do a nose wheelie. While some of that effect could be taken care of with shock adjustment, I feel it would need more than just compression and preload changes to solve the problem. This will leave a good opportunity for aftermarket shock companies to profit with this model.Final Assessment.