[mnormand]

Hello to all: first post..

Enjoying reading all the info here. Great stuff especially the vids.

Mid fifties w lots of experience w usual Jap atvs mostly for southern deer hunting, and light dirt bike trail riding, etc.
No exp w Polaris at all except for short ride recently on brothers new 550 Browning LE model. Very impressed w smooth riding through choppy grounds. The long travel susp was noticeable immediately.

I thought I would try my first sxs recently and found a mint 700fi Rhino. Friends had them, and always thought they were cab noisy, and dust buckets with a windshield. But u know that jap build quality, hard to beat. I put my rhino on a 2in lift w 30 tires, but just never warmed up to it, looked good, but no wow ride factor. Our rides are enjoyable and we don't tear up gear just because. We do mud etc but sensibly. Sold it and have a nice used carb Griz 450 now that is mint condition. I like it a lot because it can go anywhere or around anything as needed.

Anyway this Ace is very intriguing. I have a situation where the hunting lease is 5hrs away, 3500 acres, camp nearby. Deer hauling is mandatory, all bow hunting. Then off season random group rec riding at big atv parks.

So Ace questions: how's the dust pull from the rear w a front windshield? It's hot in summers here, and combined w bad dust...

3rd party winch friendly ? Warn, superwinch etc?

Any comparisons of cab noise to Rhino or similar? Is the Ace engine mounted kinda like a dune buggy rearward? I'm all about quietness, for stealthy to/from hunting, and general enjoyment.

Is there a 2" receiver? Think it would carry a lightweight hitch haul luggage carrier thingy, smaller alum model? Not sure if I could or would be able to drag a deer into the high bed space. On quads I drag it up from the floor board area while I stand on back rack, works ok.

Bigger tires strictly for more ground clearance be okay?

I often free ride through trees and timber scouting in offseason. Rhino was terrible for this, too much brush, downed trees etc. Griz is excellent, extremely agile, lightweight.

Do they offer a extra warranty? I hate/stress over expensive dealer repairs, and can't/won't do most myself. Very cautious w Polaris for now.

Not ready to jump yet, but I have been known to move quick, ha. I much prefer to buy good used equip anyway. What I don't want is marginal build quality. Down here for a long time it was all jap gear, now just last number of years as rec riding became more popular in off hunting season there's a lot of CanAm, Polaris big bores.

The Ace might be the wrong tool for my jobs, but it sure is interesting!

 

[Scoundrel]

Well, let me take a crack at a few of your questions:

1. How's the dust pull from the rear w a front windshield?
A: Anytime you have a windshield on a cab, it's going to suck in dust from the sides/rear. This can be offset to some degree by a rear windshield and full doors. There is a rear windshield available for the ACE now, but not the full doors yet - only the half ones.

2. 3rd party winch friendly?
A: Yes, once you buy a mounting bracket. Polaris has a kit that includes a Polaris winch and a special plastic fascia for looks, but you don't have to go that way. You can get a mounting plate from EMP and throw a Vipre or a Warn in there.

3. Any comparisons of cab noise to Rhino or similar?
A: I find it considerably quieter than my RZR S 800, even with the special quiet exhaust I bought for the RZR. My RZR is quiet on the outside, but still noisy in the cab due to vibrations. The ACE is quieter both inside and out than the RZR. Of course if you put on windshields, roof, doors then it will get noisier inside the cab due to reflected noise, but not outside. I've never ridden in a Rhino so cannot speak to noise comparison with that. Some people have wrapped their exhaust headers with a special material to reduce noise. Not sure what that's all about.

4. Is the Ace engine mounted kinda like a dune buggy rearward?
A: The engine is mounted just behind the seat. The header pipe comes out of the "front" (toward the seat) and wraps around the engine to the muffler at the rear.

5. Is there a 2" receiver?
A: There is a 1" receiver. You can buy an adapter at your local auto parts store to put a 2" stinger in there, or just put a 2" ball on a 1" stinger - but be mindful of the stated towing capacity. Also, it is roughly the same setup as the RZR, which I am told is somewhat fragile.

6. Bigger tires strictly for more ground clearance be okay?
A: Sure, people are already putting larger wheels/tires on it and reporting that it still has enough power. Also, some accessory shops are already working on lift kits for it. Won't be long now.

7. I often free ride through trees and timber scouting in off season. Rhino was terrible for this, too much brush, downed trees etc. Griz is excellent, extremely agile, lightweight.
A: Speaking as someone who also has a RZR S and a Grizzly 700, I can tell you that the cornering on an ACE is better than the RZR and not anywhere near as good as the Grizzly. It has as much low-end and medium-range power as the Grizzly, but is not nearly as agile. Haven not driven a Rhino, I can't speak directly to that, but I believe I have heard that the RZR has better cornering than the Rhino. Certainly it is lighter and has a shorter wheelbase.

8. Do they offer a extra warranty?
A: Yes, Polaris offers an extended warranty on the ACE. Pricing is not too bad, from what people here have posted. Every brand has its bad machines, and Polaris has a bad reputation from some machines that had problems a number of years ago, but their build quality has improved leaps and bounds since then. I haven't had any problems with my RZR other than normal wear and tear items, and the ACE seems built just as well. As long as you don't beat it, it will come through for you.

 

[Scoundrel]

Just saw this:

Polaris ACE Rear 2" Reciever