ATV Test: 2008 Polaris RZR 800 EFI

ATV Test: 2008 Polaris RXR 800 EFI
By David King

Every once in a while something comes along that really stands alone. An idea that hits just perfect for what the market is looking for and rides the wave of enthusiasts all the way to “how much longer do I have to wait to get one” happens. Right now Polaris is hitting that wave and sailing into the sunset with their Ranger Razor 800 EFI side by side. Polaris is no stranger to the side by side market. Their Ranger series has proven to be effective workhorses but have lacked somewhat in sport and versatility. Polaris decided to forget the middle ground and go all out fun. Bringing fresh new ideas into a small package as a side by side is concerned has brought a lot of attention to the new Razor or RZR 800. Since last year, my post on the King’s Blog has still maintained high traffic as people continue to look for information and share ideas. So what makes the RZR 800 so appealing? For one is the size. The RZR 800 is the only side by side that is 50-inches wide. The reason this is so significant is many trails designated for ATVs have a limitation of 50-inches or less. In comparison, the Polaris Sportsman 800 ATV is 48-inches wide and the Yamaha Rhino 700 side by side is 54.4-inches wide. Cramming this two-seat package into 50-inches wasn’t easy, but Polaris has created a machine that has a very low center of gravity, decent ground clearance, fast and peppy motor, along with proven Polaris independent suspension.

Jumping into the RZR is a different experience. The safety straps are all over the place and the low center of gravity and roll cage make you kind of slide in. However, once are in the seat things coming together and fit nicely. The steering wheel has a hydraulic adjustment that allows you to move the steering wheel up or down which is a must when dealing with the tight quarters. Polaris has moved the motor in the back behind the seats, which allows for the low center of gravity. Because of this you are down close to the action. The shifter and control are all in easy reach. After hooking up the seat belt and playing around with the safety straps you are finally ready to roll. Due to the EFI (electronic fuel injection) the Polaris fires right up. Testing in very cold and snowy conditions gave us plenty of experience starting the RZR and benefiting from EFI. The motor fires up and instantly produces a growl from the twin cylinder four stroke. Pushing the in-line shifter into high range and grabbing a boot full of pedal shoots the RZR forward. No holding back on this machine, the RZR is more than ready to go. Very peppy and good torque throughout the powerband, the RZR is a blast to ride. The steering is nimble and quick and the small wheelbase tracks tight along the trails. Like usual Polaris has included great stock tires that provide aggressive traction and performance. In addition, the RZR is equipped with fully independent suspension with 9 inches up front and 9.5 inches in the back.

The RZR is made to go and keep going. I quickly found that out when going at slow speeds as the gas pedal can get a little jerky and the motor wanting to go faster. Once at a steady speed the low end torque is great and always seems to be ready for a jump in speed. Going around corners and through the bumps showcase the great suspension this RZR has. Soaking up the hard stuff is accomplished just like the Polaris ATVs. Getting into the rough stuff is not a problem for the suspension, and the RZR is even comfortable getting a little air. If hit hard, the front suspension has some limitations, but the back handled everything we threw at it with ease. The ruts and nasty rocks did give me some challenges, as the 10-inches of ground clearance just wasn’t enough in some instances. However, the skid plate did its job, but got banged up in the process. During our round of testing, we were able to encounter not only a lot of different terrain, but also different weather. Our winter here in Utah gave us huge amounts of snow, so I was dumb enough to challenge the snowmobiles. As usual, the four wheel drive system pulled hard in the deep snow and I was very impressed, but the snow got the best of me due to the ground clearance. I have been stuck before in the snow, but I think I deserved a world record on one occasion. I was so stuck and buried I was at the mercy of some gracious snowmobilers. Luckily I had some rope with me as it took multiple jerks from a tricked out mountain sled to get me out. My next extreme encounter was the need to test the roll cage. Of course this wasn’t planned originally, but my test became quite thorough after a powerslide in a corner left me and my passenger testing out the seat belt and roll cage a little too good. Needless to say, the roll cage and seat belts passed with flying colors. My ego on the other hand was a little dusted. I don’t recommend it, and the repairs were surprisingly more than I thought. Because of the short wheelbase, peppy motor and aggressive tires, care in the tight corners is a must.

Being the sport oriented bike that it is, we had to do some testing at the sand dunes as well. It was a blast at the dunes and really shined, as this is really where the RZR is comfortable. It even took two people all the way up Sand Mountain. However, one thing that we did find was the lack of or under-performing ability of the engine braking. The RZR does have engine braking, but there were multiple instances going down big, steep hills where the freewheeling feeling came about. You had to hit the gas to engage the engine. Not a good thing when you are putting one foot on the brake, but need to keep one on the gas as well to keep the RPMs up. Polaris needs to improve the engine braking on the RZR and provide a system that works better and engages better with the engine.

So how will this work for hunting? The RZR is a formidable trail rider that can get you into places just like an ATV. This is a huge plus for hunters. Getting in and out of the RZR is cumbersome and the safety straps are a pain to clasp on and off each time. Another big question is hauling your gear. The payload on the RZR is 300 pounds. That is about the same as a normal ATV with front and rear racks. The RZR has the back cargo box only and it is limited. The one nice thing about the RZR is the abundant accessories available for it. The more I talk to people about their RZR 800, the more I find that most of them are adding something to it. Lift kits and bigger tires are very popular, extension racks to the back box for additional storage and gun racks and cases are also very popular. The back cargo box is adequate for throwing in gear, tents and coolers, but in stock mode the tie down areas are limited. Also, the box has a lower jog in the middle. I think if the back box should be the same level all the way across as it would help in placing and securing your gear. Throwing a deer in the back is definitely doable, and with the roll cage as a support, it offers good tie down areas on the top side. There is a front storage compartment under the front hood, but it is minimal and not the easiest to get into. The RZR also has as 1,500 pound towing capacity, so pulling a small trailer would be a breeze. The RZR as a side by side unit is fun to ride with a passenger, and that is the whole benefit to having such a machine to share it with, but feel the motor is a little noisy and therefore makes it difficult to talk back and forth.
The Polaris RZR 800 EFI is quite the ride. It lives up to the hype and for those wanting more sport than utility is in for a nice surprise. Going through snow, dirt, mud, rocks and sand allowed our test riders to give the RZR a full western test that put it through the ringer. Everyone’s conclusion at the end was just how fun the RZR is to ride. It has some limitations and a few things we would like changed or improved upon, but the RZR 800 overall is great, and for some of you who have been on the waiting lists to get one, your time is about there. It’s worth the wait.