|
Polaris Outlaw 450
MXR
Polaris Outlaw 450 MXR |
A few years ago it was pretty easy to
identify the sport segment of the Polaris
lineup. The Predator was the 500cc straight axle
and the Outlaw was the (first and only) sport
quad to offer independent rear suspension (IRS).
Of course, these days Honda has come back with
an IRS equipped sport quad of their own in the
700xx and the Predator is no more. In its place
is the Outlaw--no, not the original IRS model
but rather a whole series of sport/ performance
machines bearing the Outlaw namesake. Confused
yet? Don’t be, all you need to know is that the
original Outlaw still exists and what used to be
the Predator’s spot in the lineup has been
filled with the Outlaw 450 MXR and the Outlaw
525S.
Savvy readers may remember hearing
about collaboration between KTM and Polaris back
in 2006 (before KTM hit the market with race
quads of
their own). Well, the partnership was
fairly short-lived, but the end result can be
seen even now through the Polaris Outlaw ATVs as
KTM engines power them all. This review will
focus only on the straight-axle Outlaws as the
IRS model is designed for more weekend-warrior
types and trail riders who don’t let a little
thing like mud and rain ruts get in the way of
the fun.
That being said, the Outlaw 450
and 525S share the same frames, suspensions, and
bodywork. The motors themselves are nearly
identical save for the fact that the 525
features a slightly larger bore (95mm as opposed
to 89mm on the 450). The remaining differences
are quite minor. The 450 comes with piggyback
reservoir equipped front shocks while the 525S
does not and the 525 comes stock with
20 inch
rear tires (for trail use) while the 450 comes
with 18 inch rears for MX applications. Other
than that the quads are essentially clones (not
unlike the relationship between KTM’s own 450
and 525 XC ATVs). Even the motor mounts and
compression ratios are identical!
We
recently spent some time aboard the 450 MXR and
tested the machine on both a dusty MX track in
the mid-August heat and spent a few days ripping
along some east-coast trail networks. The ATV,
we are pleased to report, is equally competent
in both environments (with a bit of suspension
tuning). One thing for sure is that whether a
rider chooses the Outlaw 450, 525S, 525 or any
of the KTM brand machines (which now includes
two XC models and two SX variations), they win.
KTM’s desire to enter into the ATV business has
benefited riders of many disciplines, styles,
and budgets.
The Setup
The
Polaris Outlaw 450 MXR mill is based on KTM’s
motorcycle variation with a few tweaks. Instead
of running a six-forward gear transmission, the
ATV configuration is dropped to five forward
gears with reverse. Best of all, since a forward
gear was removed to make way for reverse, it
didn’t add much weight to the equation (KTM says
a bit under 2 pounds total). With a stance of
47.5 inches, the 450 MXR is just shy of the
racing regulation max of 50 inches. Coming in
the form of fully adjustable Fox Racing Shox,
the 450 boasts an impressive ten inches of wheel
travel both up front and in the rear. In keeping
with KTM’s long-standing tradition both in the
two and four-wheeled worlds, the rear suspension
design is linkless. We tested this setup on the
KTM 450XC and were quite surprised with the
results. If there is one company on the planet
who has ample experience developing linkageless
rear suspension, it’s KTM.
Maxxis Razr
MX tires wrap around Douglas Wheels all around
and like all KTMs (and Polaris Predators for
that matter) the Outlaw sports a Magura
hydraulic clutch. The exhaust pipe has been
moved to the center of the quad and, like the
remainder of the system, has been lightened and
designed to flow more freely. Bucking the
popular trend of fuel injection, the Outlaws
(like their cousin quads from KTM) retain
carburetion in the form of a 39mm Keihin FCR.
All told, the Outlaw 450 MXR weighs in at 365
pounds (making it a very light addition to the
450 field).
Sure the spec sheet is very
impressive, but we all know that means little
once the gate drops so we took our 450 MXR to
several open night MX track practices and then
into the thick of the woods to find the quad’s
strengths and weaknesses. Here’s what we
learned:
On The Track:
With a
quick stab of the bar-mounted e-start button,
the Outlaw fires up with a surge of authority,
be it early on a frost-laden morning or after
stalling it hot in a corner. The hydraulic
clutch’s throw and pull are industry-leading and
try as we may, refused to slip despite our
abuse. Once underway, the engine simply shined
in the intermittent soft loam and hard packed
clay that our local tracks consist of. Much like
its cousin, the KTM 450XC, the Outlaw 450 is
blessed with abundant torque that can be
utilized through nearly every rpm of its range.
In fact, a common technique with the MXR was to
exit a corner a full gear higher than we should
have been able to pull, feather the clutch, and
let the engine’s torque fill in the gaps. With
this technique, it was often like riding an
automatic around the course (a benefit
especially noted when the terrain demands your
full attention).
Page 1
2
3
|
