SPORTSMAN 800 Off-Road Trail Review

Recently we tested the 800 Sportsman by Polaris.  The Sportsman 800 last production year was in 2014 and the 800 twin cylinder monster was replaced by the ProStar Series of power plants.  There are many good Sportsman 800's floating around in the used market place and they may be the most underrated ATV we've tested.

I'll start this review by debunking my own dated perspective of Polaris ATV's coming into this review.  Back in the 90's we rode with several Polaris ATV's.  This was a time when Polaris was just coming into the Kentucky market place and they were still getting the bugs worked out.  During those years we witnessed many of those early Polaris ATV's breaking down frequently on the trail.  Engines coming apart, CVT belt issues and other drive line failure was fairly routine.  Not only that, but heard stories of the dealership not being able to fix certain failures and ultimately leaving owners with a oversized paper weight.

Those were the early days of the Polaris ATV's and since then it's obvious they have came a long, long way in performance and reliability.  Certainly have been impressed at the build quality and common sense engineering of our Sportsman 800 test ATV.  As with any quad we test there are areas that really impress us at Everything ATV UTV Reviews.

• Engine
• Suspension
• 4wd System

Engine: The 800 twin cylinder power plant comes to life hassle free with help from the fuel injection system.  Once started it sounds okay, but not like a V-Twin Brute Force or Can-Am.  The engine does however deliver quick acceleration and ample torque to raise the front end at will and power through and over the toughest terrain.  The 800 Sportsman will not leave you wanting more power and if you can go wide open throttle for more than eight seconds you must be on the highway.


Suspension:  The 800 Sportsman is one of the most comfortable smoothest riding quads we've tested.  The seat is soft and similar to laying down on a memory foam mattress, but never bottoms out.  The Sportsman 800 has massive ground clearance and fully independent suspension at all four corners with big time wheel travel.  Simply put the Sportsman has one of the smoothest and trail capable suspension setups in the business.

4wd System:  Polaris refers to their 4wd system as AWD or All Wheel Drive.  They call it this because their 4x4 system actually delivers true four wheel lockup.  No limited slip action at the front differential where only one tire spins.  The system is simple and requires only a flip of the handle bar mounted switch to engage.  The Sportsman 800 we tested rarely had to be switched into AWD just due to its ability to power through and over obstacles with the 800 twin cylinder engine and tremendous ground clearance.

With all the capability of the Sportsman 800 there was one feature that would take some getting used to.  The single lever braking handle on our Sportsman test quad worked great and it is simple to slow the quad, but it's not what we're accustom to.  Some more seat time on the atv would undoubtedly make the feature more comfortable for folks like us who are accustomed to the independent front-rear braking handles on other atv's.

• Other notable mentions on the Sportsman 800 would be ease of maintenance, ample storage compartments, tough front valence, winch pre-wiring and a built in rear receiver hitch.

In conclusion, the Sportsman 800 really delivers a great package and is nothing like the pioneering Polaris ATV's.  If you're looking for a used ATV that has all the right ingredients the Sportsman 800 is certainly one to consider. -Everything ATV UTV Reviews

Sportsman 800 Front Gearcase Differential Fluid Change

Changing the front differential gearcase fluid on a 2012 Polaris Sportsman is not a hard job.  There is much debate about fluid compatibility, using the recommended Polaris Demand Drive Fluid or Angle Drive Fluid.  The Angle Drive Fluid is a thicker oil and is used in approximately 2004 and earlier Polaris models that engage the AWD at the front hubs.  These models have a larger bolt on center cap on the front wheels.  In the newer models the AWD system is referred to as being centralized and engages in the front differential gearcase and uses the thinner Demand Drive Fluid.  See the Difference between Demand Drive Fluid and Angle Drive Fluid here. We recommend sticking with the factory recommended Demand Drive Fluid.  
To watch the entire fluid change click here.

Before getting started have the following ready:
1. Polaris Demand Drive Fluid (9oz.)
2. 8mm allen wrench
3. oil catch pan
4. rags

Begin by driving the Sportsman 800 for a couple miles at road speeds to warm the fluid. Next park on level ground and removing the 8mm allen head drain plug located under the front skid plate.  The drain plug is magnetic, check for debris and remember some build up is normal.  While the fluid is draining remove the 8mm allen head fill plug located on front of the differential gearcase.  Re-install the drain plug and fill the gearcase with Demand Drive Fluid, approximately 9 oz. or until it reaches the bottom of the fill plug.