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Neebie Needs unbiased info on Ace Stability, Center of Gravity, etc.

13K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  4Nines 
#1 ·
Very interested in purchasing an Ace, however, if I ask questions on the phone to salesman---it is like a Razr But in person, oh it's much more stable than a Razr. Absolutely couldn't be Both!

I am a Grandmother that likes to ride and looking for something safer than an Atv. Had a couple of wrecks, I am a nurse and think this might be safer? Of course, only if it's more stable--I actually never want to See out the roll bars protect you! I like climbing steep hills and riding trails. I am Not a daredevil. I am more slow and steady--turtle wise. I don't do mud at all--mud puddles OK but not engine mud.

Unfortunately, a few years back I purchased a new Sportsman 400 on the smaller frame (only made these for a couple of years), boy, was that a huge mistake. hated it. Felt like it would flip over sideways all the time. Let some seasoned friends ride it--they felt the same--sold it at a huge loss just to get rid of it! Looked like brand new. That being said, I don't want to make another mistake.

Would love to test drive one at Windrock or Royal Blue in Tn if someone wants to meet me there. Would be willing to pay to test drive. Doesn't have to be all day, just a couple of trails.

Absolutely ANY info you owners have would help me with my decision would be great. I might add we also have a Kawasaki Mule--don't mind slow speed, very stable, just like 4-wheeler better. Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
I think you will find the ACE to be shockingly stable for what it is. I know I personally was wondering how a seat on an ATV platform could be stable without using your body weight to minimize body roll, but the super low center of gravity in the ACE makes all the difference in the world. I will let a few of our other ACE owners chime in, but I think the ACE is the perfect vehicle for you from what you described :)

Welcome to the forum and I hope you get to test drive one soon!
 
#4 ·
I agree with 4nines. I own two mules and love them for what they are. They seem bullet proof and I have had them both for over a decade. Great utility vehicles for hauling rock and general rural work. But.. (smile) if you want a little excitement, you came to the right place. I love my ACE. It is not a competition racer but it is plenty fast to give almost anyone a thrill. It is stable and yet will let you break loose a tire or two under power in a turn and generally behave well and predictably. Great fun.
 
#5 ·
Greetings, and welcome to the forum! I was planning to purchase a new 570 with EPS, but when my wife saw the ACE, there was no going back. My purpose was to use around the house to pull a trailer to haul wood (outdoor wood furnace), go to a farm for hunting, and plowing snow. Wife was not interested in the ATV type as she never had opportunity to ride a bike, and did not want to learn it. But with this, she had no reluctance to try it. I have pulled a trailer of wood several times at an angle descending across a fairly steep slope and felt no fear of any sort of rolling. I think you really do have to test it for yourself. It is so different! Words cannot describe how much better it is. If you like a Kawasaki Mule, (my sister-in-law got injured when she rolled hers), you will love this thing. Hope you get to drive one soon!
 
#6 ·
Haven't seen a mule roll over? We put it sideways on a steep incline, stood on the lower side and couldn't make it begin to tip over. Very stable. She must be a much more seasoned adventurous rider than we are. We have the 610 which is the smaller one. I just don't like riding with someone. I had rather scare myself, ha ha! Thanks for the info about the steep slope and no tip over. When I started riding a few years ago, I kept asking if there wasn't something that sat lower but would still rock climb with a roll cage--kinda like the go carts with larger wheels, so your center of gravity would be lower. Everybody said, it just don't work like that. This just might be the ticket especially after flipping my 4wheeler a few years ago, yeah, guess where it landed--on top of me. Wish I had the video---too fast climbing up a steep hill and hit some slick rocks???? I guess.... Thank God for my helmet! Remember, I said I'm a nurse! Hit my head hard on some rocks! Could have been a critical injury! Thanks for the info!
 
#12 ·
Whoa! I'm glad too that you had a helmet! Back in 1973 I used a Bell Star 120 when I road motorcycles. One of the more expensive helmets of the day... I guess I need to upgrade now anyway to a good one...

I think it was operator error which caused the problem with my sister-in-law. I never felt uneasy in a Mule. But, going down their driveway (fairly steep) to the horse barn, either she was exceeding the safe speed limit, or dropped off the edge of the road and overcompensated. Either way, it messed up her left leg and left elbow. They got the mule fixed, but she uses a cane occasionally still. When she saw the ACE, she fell in love with it right away. I had to tell her, they'll make more, this one is mine! ;)
 
#8 ·
I think you will like the Ace. I believe it to be about as stable as practical in a machine of this type. I owned a Rzr-s before the Ace. I'm not sure what the salesman meant by "It's more stable than a Rzr". My opinion is that the Ace is very similar in stability to the Rzr. There are several different models of Rzr's varying in width and height, so a direct comparison is difficult. One can roll anything over given the right conditions. One thing is for sure, it's safer than a quad, if you do roll it over.
 
#9 ·
FJK loved the videos!!! Great job! The terrain we ride on is very hilly, steep, and rocky. A question for you--does it have any engine holdback? I know that it doesn't in the specs but what I am referring to is ---in low, when going down a steep hill, if you throttle it just a little, it doesn't freewheel. That slows it down. The Polaris 400 we have does this, I just don't know if all of them do??? Thanks a lot! I am going to a dealer tomorrow to look at them and test drive, but only in parking lot, ugh! So hard to know on flat, paved ground.
 
#13 ·
Thanks FJK This looks like what we ride on except more rocky and sometimes steeper!!!! Could not find what kind of brakes the Ace has on the specs and wondering how does a 32 HP engine compare with a 455cc HO engine???? It looks like it has plenty of power for me but just wondering? Thanks again!!
 
#14 ·
cumminsdieselgt --- sorry for your sister-in-law --overcompensation--sounds like something I would do! I just love the roll cage!!! Didn't think I would ever ride a 4-wheeler after all the paralyzed young men I have taken care of over the years in nursing BUT sometimes a helmet would have saved them, other times--it would have taken some safety non-daredevil steps. Anyway, you just can't educate the young folks that are invincible!!!
 
#15 · (Edited)
Georgiadaisy, It's difficult to be unbiased when one already owns an ACE, but I like to think I do a pretty good job of presenting the facts as facts, and making it clear when it's just my opinion, and letting people make their own determinations.

So please check out my review of the ACE here. I have received a lot of compliments on this review here and on other forums, so I think I did a good job of laying it out for people. There are also some videos I took in that thread too. Note: The squeaks you hear in the video are not audible to the driver. That sound is the sway bar bushings squeaking, and is being transmitted via vibrations through the frame to the camera. Mine is not that noisy to the driver, though some people have reported audible squeaking.

Specifically regarding stability: I have a Grizzly 700, a RZR S 800, and now the ACE. The Grizzly is the least stable, mainly due to the width and wheel base. The RZR and the ACE are both very stable by comparison. I think the ACE has a lower center of gravity, and your weight will be centered in the vehicle instead of on the left side, so that helps too. It's tough to measure the stability between the ACE and RZR. The RZR has a longer wheel base and wider footprint, so that would indicate more stability - but the driver's weight is on the left side, so if you're in a tippy situation, the position of that weight could throw off the balance.
It is also worth noting that in a two-seater, you only have visibility of the left side of the machine. With the ACE, you can lean out either side and look at where your wheels are planted.

I also feel that the RZR is more "squirrely" at speed on gravel roads. I feel that the ACE tracks better at speed.

I was riding on a trail with deep ruts behind an ATV with oversized mud tires. He was at 53 inches wide, and I was at 50". He was leaning hard, and at one point put his leg out and braced against the side of the trail to keep from tipping over. My ACE just drove right through it.

The ACE is not a speed demon, but it keeps up - and if you want to do slow and steady, it's geared perfectly for that.
 
#16 ·
:woot:OK everybody--I bought an ACE on Saturday and I was surprised that my husband wanted one too after he test drove one so we bought 2. We went to Windrock Park Oliver Springs TN on Sunday to try them out and guess what??? I am now on Windrock Park's facebook page. Everyone was excited to see the Ace. It was a great day. NO regrets!!! No problem climbing many rocky steep inclines. My husband says I am riding 10-15 mph faster now. Feels so much better than a 4-wheeler. Much more stable!!!! Can't wait to go back out!!
 
#19 · (Edited)
Georgiadaisy, I think you are right! Well, I took my ACE over to my brother's on the 5th. My sister in law came riding up in a Kubota diesel UTV, and she spied my ACE again. This time it was out where she could ride it around. She asked if she could take it for a ride, and told her, "by all means!" She took off like she had been riding one for years! Down the hill she went, all the way to their horse barn, ran around it, out in the field, and back up several times. When she rode up to us, stopped, put it in park, then looked up at us, her face was all grins!!! She was pumped up! Every word like, WOW, AMAZING, etc. that you see in the forums here, was all she could say for about 5 minutes. There may be an ACE in their garage next to their Kubota soon!

My brother got on his Bombardier, and I got in the ACE and away we went on his trail up the mountain. He had a dozer cut it in the side of the mountain when he cleared his building site. It is a series of switchbacks on the side of the mountain and is about 6ft. wide. We had to stop along the way so I could fire up the Stihl and cut up some trees that had fallen over the trail in order for us to go all the way up. The last switchback to the top is pretty steep and is about a 45 degree incline. My brother stood up on the ATV and leaned over the handlebars to climb on up. I put the ACE in 4WD 'L', didn't gun it, but kept it moving and held the throttle steady, and it went right on up it without a bit of slippage. It amazed both of us! Even the front end did not try to lift up. It felt really steep, but very manageable since the COG was so low in the ACE. I couldn't have been more pleased! I'm still in awe as to how the thing climbs!

Scoundrel said it really clearly when he said, "...if you want to do slow and steady, it's geared perfectly for that." His layout of the performance and features sums it up really well!
 
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