Reviews on the 2013 Polaris 550 Xp Limited Edition

I spent iii months and untold hours taking the 2013 Polaris Sportsman Touring 550 EPS anywhere and everywhere. It has earned a special identify in my off-road-loving heart.

In my armory of riding gear, boots, helmets, gloves, socks, shirts and pants, I have a few favorites of each. But of my riding gear is a pair of boots that I am specially addicted of; and this pair of boots is what I wear when I am non involved in some magazine photo shoot or editorial trip. Like you, when I slip these boots I say "Ahh, that's nice." They are comfortable. That is how I feel most Polaris' Sportsman Touring 550 EPS… comfortable.

As an ATV.com journo, I pay attention to what toys mountain backcountry riders place on their trailer or pickup box. After receiving our test unit of measurement, I began seeing Blue Fire Polaris Sportsman Touring 550 ATVs with their signature passenger seats and back rests on many trailers and in many pickups.

For whatever reason, the 2014 Polaris Sportsman Touring 550 just fits.

Could it be they have a comfortable pair of boots similar mine? Or, could it be they have learned the two-upwardly Polaris Sportsman Touring 550 EPS is simply a comfy and fun loving ATV?

Then pleased are we with the sky blue Sportsman Touring 550 that nosotros have given it a name, "Sky." Only those products that distinguish themselves from our fleet of test vehicles receive a name. Those products that fall apart during long-term evaluations are only known every bit "that POC" (for slice of crap).

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2013 Polaris Sportsman Touring 850 EPS

The 2013 two-up Sportsman Touring 550 from Polaris is powered by single cylinder four-stroke motor that has a displacement of 549cc. It is an electronically fuel-injected motor. This mill generates excellent torque, especially at bottom RPM.

Front suspension is handled by Polaris' dual A-arm pattern with a vertical travel of 9.0 inches. Rear pause is as well a dual A-arm system, only its vertical travel is longer, ten.25 inches. The rear suspension is Polaris' "Rolled Contained Rear Suspension (IRS)." This unique label means the rear shocks are angled rearward which helps information technology gain an extra ane.25 inches of travel over that of the front, and as Polaris declares, the IRS prevents squatting under acceleration. What this means is that when the throttle is jabbed, bulldoze torque does non force the forepart end upwards and the rear pause down. All in all, the vehicle stays apartment.

With more 11 inches of ground clearance, the 550 Touring eagerly rolls over almost trail debris.

Steering is managed past EPS – electronic power steering – which is coupled with Variable Assist. Variable Help controls the speed, or the EPS' sensitivity, to assure nether dull speeds and high front-end loads that steering remains feathery light.

Up front the Polaris Sportsman Touring 550 rolls on Maxxis 26 10 8-14 M9805 tires. At the tail end are Maxxis 26 ten 10-14 M9806 tires. All iv Maxxis tires are mated to viii-spoke cast aluminum rims. For a small-bore touring ATV, this tire and bicycle combination offers an expensive and classy look. The tires provided traction on dirt and loose stone, simply in loose sand, such as on sand dunes, they could not hook upward like a paddle tire. Nevertheless, the 550 Touring is not designed as a sand dune toy like a sport quad. To that end, for its intended purpose, the Maxxis tires are perfect – and strong – for trail cruising. Wheelbase is a generous 57 inches.

Forepart and rear racks are limited to 120 pounds of capacity and the total payload capacity for the unit is 570 pounds. Polaris advertises the 550 Touring as having a dry weight of 765 pounds. Nosotros weighed the auto in full moisture ready-to-right configuration at 820 pounds.

Kickoff Me Up

Starting upwardly the 550 Touring is e'er easy and its distinctive sound, which is reminiscent of a two-cylinder diesel, caught some of our guest examination riders off guard. Two commented that it sounds like the motor threw a cam or is ready to suck a valve. Afterwards schooling them on the motor – that it is a single-cylinder 4-stroke – all comments subsided. Its unique musical notation is different… that's all.

The cockpit of the 550 Touring is comfortable and controls are intuitive and easy to employ.

As you lot might look, power for the Polaris Sportsman Touring 550 is sufficient, but not Clydesdale strong. Though we had two more powerful 2-up ATVs in our test fleet, many of our test riders gravitate to the 550 Touring considering, as they oftentimes land, information technology feels more in control on tight and narrow trails. Not a caput snapper, when you pinch the throttle broad open up, the motor gently rolls out high RPM and MPH without existence fell. For newbies and the less experienced, this is a plus as these folk are scared of existence dumped off an ATV. The 550 is stiff, but tamed.

COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2009 Can-Am Outlander MAX 500

In our thin Rocky Mountain air, where on average a motor loses near 3% of its sea level horsepower per every chiliad anxiety gained in elevation, the 550 Touring becomes somewhat lethargic at 6,000 anxiety and above. Carrying two people and a day's worth of photo equipment and food, the 549cc motor loses its giddy up. I don't fault the machine for this, for that is the nature of physics at high altitude. Yet, those darn trailers and pickups hauled many Polaris Sportsman 550 Touring ATVs upward to the mountains.

Ride Quality

The 550 Touring has a very compliant ride. With its tall wheels and tires, the unit of measurement rolls over churr bumps, ruts and sand rollers with ease. The alpine wheels are a plus for the 550.

Polaris' EPS is feathery light. Being the 550 Touring does not blast the trails similar a white tail deer running from a hunter, our exam riders take not mentioned the over steer/over correcting cistron similar those who tested the 850 Touring. Though an effortless electric ability steering unit, its feedback to the driver is spot on for the speeds the 549cc factory delivers.

Steering on the 550 Touring, even with a passenger, is impressively lite.

Throttle pull is non a drag on the thumb; it is low-cal. Handlebar controls are easily distinguished and require picayune effort to push or movement. The 550's shift selector is non cumbersome, it moves into and out of a desired gear with ease.

To bring frontward motion to a halt, the brakes are quick acting. When the left brake lever is squeezed, the tall tires out front come up to a gentle and controlled stop. Likewise, the correct foot pedal when stomped brings the 550's rear bulldoze to a stop, just non as gentle as the front. When the lever and pedal are simultaneously acted on, the disc brakes bring the ATV to a hurried stop.

The front lever is more progressive than the rear brake pedal due to the fact with a boot, drivers tend to crush the rear brake pedal rather than gently printing on it. Regardless, we have non experienced any brake fade or vehicle migrate to the correct or left when applying the brakes.

Handholds do a swell chore of making the passenger feel secure.

Rear seat passengers appreciate the well designed seat and backrest. Handholds are sufficient in keeping passengers secure. The Condolement Ride Rear Interruption for the rider has a curlicue spring beneath the rider seat that adds an inch of travel. The adaptable leap tunes rear seat travel and load absorption for passenger weight. Adjustments are made with a Polaris-supplied tool. We found the manufactory setting to be adequate. Like the 850 Touring, nosotros made adjustments, so returned to the manufactory setting. When I am on the back, though, I adjust the shock to its stiffest setting.

We learned if a driver is effectually 125 pounds and the passenger is 200 pounds, then 550 Touring's nose becomes light. When loaded downwardly like this, steering is non equally responsive; the forepart wheels are not aggressively biting the dirt surface. Hence, when loading downwards the rear passenger seat with loads beyond 200 pounds, the Touring 550 (as well as the 850) can exist a bit unpredictable when powering across a trail with rollers or when climbing.

Polaris' on-demand 2WD/4WD system works seamlessly. Generally we ride the 550 Touring in 2WD High, just when nosotros come across loose dirt on an incline, we flip the toggle to 4WD and keep the tranny in High.

The Sportsman Touring 550 EPS, similar the 850 Touring, comes with Active Descent Control (ADC) and an Engine Braking Arrangement (EBS). These, according to Polaris "work together to monitor and command downhill braking to give you lot optimum control and smooth, fifty-fifty deceleration during descents (less than 15 mph)." Equally a mountain snowmobiler, descent command is a must. Thus, we are pleased the 550 Touring (and 850 Touring) have this. We use it, call on it often, and detect this system does indeed aid minimize speed off a descent and keeps our passengers calm.

A mash of the brake pedal brings the 550 Touring to a quick, though non exactly smooth, finish.

To light the fashion, the 550 Touring has three headlamps up front, one that rotates with the handlebars and ii buried in the front plastic bumper. Drivers appreciate having a calorie-free (when fix on Loftier Beam) that travels around a bend, following handlebar rotation, while the fixed lights provide a broad beam. This is a well-thought concept.

Comparing: Read our review of the 2011 Polaris Sportsman X2 550

Fit and finish on the Sportsman Touring 550 is tough and appealing to the heart. The only nit we have is the bluish paint, where the driver'south knees rub, has begun to scrub to a dull white.

Storage on the 550 is ample for our needs. Though we have not taken any three-twenty-four hours long treks across the Continental Divide, we discover long-day excursions are easily handled by loading up the front storage compartment. Polaris offers many accessories to carry your junk and we recommend their products.

Fuel consumption on the 550 Touring impressive – this ATV is a fuel-pinching Scrooge. Though it is a happy ATV, it uses piffling pocket change to fuel up after a day'due south long outing. We oasis't kept mileage stats, but we oft annotation after fueling upwardly the other ATVs that the 550 hardly took a beverage.

Our one complaint with the Sportsman Touring 550 EPS is its rear catch handle.

Amazingly, we accept only one gripe with the 550 Touring – its rear catch handle. Located at the rear of the unit, the unmarried grab handle is small and moving the 550 Touring inside an enclosed trailer to position it with other ATVs makes us gritch and groan. We'd like to run across a larger grab handle in the rear and a rear bumper with grab bars backside each rear fender like to the Can-Am Outlander MAX Limited. Manually moving the 550 Touring inside a trailer is a stink.

Conclusion

After three months riding the Sportsman Touring 550 EPS, I believe Polaris offers the consumer a overnice looking, tough and gentle two-up touring ATV. This is a production just well-nigh everyone could drive with confidence and safety. Information technology is tuned for comfortable riding for both the driver and rider. With a $9,299 base of operations price, the 550 Touring delivers big-price ride, comfort, reliability and quality.

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Source: https://www.atv.com/manufacturers/polaris/2013-polaris-sportsman-touring-550-eps-long-term-review-2224.html