By Mark
Bourbeau
Photos by Wayne Davis
The Bull
Run Guest Ranch (www.bullrunguestranch.com/), aka, Rockpile
Ranch, located a little south and west of Cascade, MT, (elevation 3,389 feet)
was the scene of the crime.
Yeah, some
people say "it's a crime" that part of our job involves accepting an invitation
to show up at places like the Bull Run Guest Ranch and thoroughly test the 2013
Polaris ATV/UTV early build models. Guilty
as charged. And we don't even feel bad about it.
Our main
focus this time around was centered on Polaris' new and improved equipment,
more specifically the totally redesigned, full-size Ranger XP 900 EPS.
And while
we are on the subject of new and improved, the 2013 Ranger 900 fits both
bills with a claimed three years of 70,000 man (and woman) hours of labor to
develop, build and finalize approximately 500 product improvements found on the
vehicle. That includes everything from the 25 percent brighter headlights to
the 30 percent increase in stator output and high capacity battery to the
redesigned with more tie-down points cargo box/tailgate and most everything in between.
Probably
the most notable change to this Ranger as far as we're concerned is the new ProStar
900 engine and the accompanying drive train. Those two features really left an
impression on us. And once again, we say new
because this powerplant and delivery system has a real job to do, somewhat
unlike its cousin the RZR XP 900, which is all fun and no work. The Ranger XP
900 is both work and play.
Polaris
officials went to great lengths to explain that the Ranger's engine is not the
same engine as the RZR's, with Chris Hurd, Polaris' project lead for engines,
telling us the Ranger ProStar is tuned specifically for utility use. The RZR
900 offers up 88 hp and 60 ft. lbs. of torque whereas this Ranger is much lower
at 60 hp and a slightly comparable 54 ft. lbs. of torque, all while delivering
the same fuel economy as the 800 motor. This horsepower/torque difference was
accomplished by means of a different cam shaft, combustion chambers, engine
management and fuel systems. The redesigned wet sump ProStar is also built with
a new rod design and a cooling system for the valve train and is relocated more
rearward in the chassis, to assist with heat and noise issues. The decibels get
a double whammy with the new exhaust system that very quiet on this 2013 Ranger.
"This is a
very different engine," Hurd said of the Ranger's ProStar powerplant. "One
(ProStar) is designed for horsepower-the RZR-and one is designed for torque-the
Ranger." In fact Hurd compared the engines in a way everyone can get their head
around. "It's like a Corvette vs. a pickup," he said. "Both have a V8 but are
designed for different use."
Polaris
engineers mated this "torquer" of an engine with a 10.6:1 compression ratio to
the transmission via a solid mount, then in to a clutch compartment with a new
compound drive belt and a dramatically improved cooling system for the clutches
and belt to perform more efficiently, especially under extreme heat and payloads.
The end result is, you guessed it, more power to turn those wheels, so much
more that Polaris claims more power to the ground with this 60 hp motor than a
competitor's 70 hp motor. Hurd explained that the system is designed to give
the maximum amount of torque down low. For example, 80 percent of the torque is
delivered at 2800 rpm while 90 percent is delivered at 4800 rpm.
We didn't really
get the opportunity to throw some weight on or behind this 900 and feel that experience
from the driver seat due to slick mud during our test rides, but there was an impressive
demonstration the first evening on extremely dry soil that had the consistency
of flour on top, which didn't offer much traction either. The Ranger 900 pulled
a dead-in-the-water 2-ton dump truck from a dead stop straight up approximately
a 15 to 20 degree incline, gaining speed as it went further up the hill with the
dust a flyin'. We're guessing Polaris may have exceeded the max rated towing
capacity on that demonstration. It was impressive none-the-less.
After that
demonstration, Ma Nature kicked up a fuss, throwing 90 plus mph winds our
direction, followed by a steady, cold rain much of the night and past noon on our
ride/drive day, creating extremely sloppy conditions. We came to ride, though,
and a little rain wasn't going to stop us. Of course, it didn't hurt that the
Ranger 900 was equipped with a flush-mount Lock&Ride Pro-Fit cab system.
We headed
out into the clouds and rain that had settled in on the mountains of this
13,000 acre working cattle ranch and had a real blast covering as much
territory as we could in one day. Obviously, real power testing was out of the
picture at this point but throttle response and power delivery were very smooth
and immediate whenever and wherever on the fairly diverse Rockpile trail system.
As our test mule accommodated us with a relatively positive feel and smooth
ride, we were able to see the "double nickel" on the speedo and then back out
for safety reasons down on the lower trails showing us that this package has
some swat up on the top side also, backing up the dead dump truck pull,
confirming the low end grunt.
The
positive feel and relatively smooth ride we experienced throughout our test
drive are compliments of a new stiffer chassis delivering 100 percent more
torsional strength while supporting a five-inch longer wheelbase compared to its
predecessor, sprung on a proven suspension package upgraded with one more inch
or 10 percent of travel. There is also 12 inches of ground clearance. One inch
is marginal yet the extended suspension travel helped keep us from banging off
of most of the boulders in the creek crossings and from high-centering on the unique
cattle/horse proof fence crossings, which also lent testimony to the chassis
rigidity as we literally had to bounce over the tops of the crossings.
We did
experience a popping noise in the upper cage area associated with the Pro-Fit
cab system that one engineer assured us was inherent to these early run models
and already had been addressed for the "production" runs.
A lot of
the Rockpile UTV and ATV trails were just wide enough to accommodate the side-by-side
machines and in some places, if you slid off the trail, it was a long way to the
bottom. Several hours of steady rainfall made the trails all slicked up, somewhat
like a greased pig, making for some white knuckle travel on some of the side
hill cuts. We felt relatively comfortable at most times working a brisk pace
with the feedback from the chassis/suspension and associate some of these
positive traits to the specked Maxxis tires that performed and cleaned
themselves well in the challenging, low-to-no traction conditions in most of
the areas we drove. Now, throw in the helping hand known as EPS for those slow
speed tight maneuvers around the trees and boulders, not to mention the fly
swatting episodes on the greased out trails, and we were livin' large and lovin'
every minute of keeping control.
While we didn't
have to do any chores with the Ranger XP 900 we tested, we do think this
workhorse of a Cadillac in the UTV world might just make chores and other work
much more pleasurable and mostly fun.
We have
only touched on the main components of this full sized Polaris as there is
laundry list of creature comforts and working accessories standard with the XP
package. Then toss in the available options for the Ranger and the
possibilities cover a wide spectrum. As we left the Rockpile, our thoughts were
that the 2013 Polaris Ranger XP 900 EPS could very well be the latest and
greatest ultimate blend of work and pleasure, raising the bar for all
competitors to prove otherwise.
2013 Polaris Ranger XP 900 EPS
ENGINE
Engine Type 4-Stroke Twin Cylinder
Displacement 875cc
Fuel System Electronic Fuel Injection
Cooling Liquid
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission/Final Drive Automatic PVT
H/L/N/R/P; Shaft
Drive System On-Demand True AWD/2WD/ VersaTrac Turf
Mode
Engine Braking System/Active Descent Control Not Equipped
SUSPENSION
Front Suspension Dual A-Arm 10 in. (25.4
cm) Travel
Rear Suspension Dual A-Arm, IRS 10 in.
(25.4 cm) Travel
BRAKES
Front/Rear Brakes 4-Wheel Hydraulic Disc
with Dual-Bore Front Calipers
Parking Brake Park In-Transmission
TIRES/WHEELS
Front Tires 25 x 10-12; 489
Rear Tires 25 x 11-12; 489
Wheels Stamped Steel
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES
Wheelbase 81 in. (206cm)
Dry Weight 1,360 lb (618 kg)
Overall Vehicle Size (LxWxH) 116.5x60x76 in. (296 x
152 x 193 cm)
Ground Clearance 12 in. (30.5 cm)
Seat Height N.A.
Fuel Capacity 10 gal (37.9 L)
Bed Box Dimensions (L x W x H) 36.5x54x11.5 in. (93 x
137 x 29 cm)
Front/Rear Rack or Box Capacity N.A./1,000 lb (453.6
kg)
Payload Capacity 1,500 lb (680.4 kg)
Hitch Towing Rating 2,000 lb (907.2 kg)
Unbraked Trailer Towing Capacity N.A.
Hitch/Type Standard/2 in. Receiver
FEATURES
Cargo System Lock & Ride
Lighting 55W low/60W high, LED Tail
Electronic Power Steering Available
Instrumentation Digital Gauge,
Speedometer, Odometer, Tachometer, Tripmeter, Hour Meter, Clock, Gear Indicator,
Fuel Gauge, Hi-Temp/Low-Batt Lights, DC Outlets (2)
