I drove both and thought the non-EPS steered better than the old SP chassis, and I also liked the extra fuel capacity too, so I opted for non-EPS. I still wonder if I'd have liked the EPS better in the long run though.
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-2009 SP 850 XP camoWorth every one of the one million pennies payed for it
-2001 Kawasaki Prairie 300 2WD that my oldest daughter runs, mostly
-2005 SP 500 HO sold (nearly forgotten too!)
Mine has EPS and I will never drive anything without it again. It makes a huge difference in mud, snow and on the open trail and is absolutely worth the extra dollars. Will increase resale value also since I fully expect all bikes will soon have EPS. Older bikes without will be worth much less imo.
Mine has EPS and I will never drive anything without it again
That is the response I get from everybody who has bought a machine with EPS. Didn't think it was necessary or was a silly gimmick - until they put in some seat time with it. They say they'll never have another machine without it
Have EPS on both my XP's and love it. Ride hard all day with my kids and there buddies and I have no fatigue or discomfort in my shoulders or arms. Do really "need" it .... probably not but dang it is nice to have.
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2009 850 XP EPS - Sage green (mine)
2009 550 XP EPS - Sage green (Eva's)
Front storage boxes
Rear extenders
RT30 Warn 3000# winches
I got mine with EPS and wouldn't be without it. A die-hard old-school friend rode it and even agreed with me (much to my surprise). I LOVE the anti-kickback function of it. I actually broke my left wrist due to handlebar kickback on my SP800 once... and it has the least amount of kickback of any quad I've ever ridden (prior to the XP).
Worst part is I didn't know I'd broken it. Basically, I had gotten a hairline fracture in it a couple years earlier while snowmobiling, but then the impact from the latest one snapped the bone in half (the scaphoid for those who know anything about wrists). Gonna have to get it fixed eventually.
BTW, fuel tank capacity isn't a huge issue for me. My first time out this weekend riding I got 19.5 mpg through a mix of slow technical and medium-speed trail riding. Even better than my 800!
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09 Polaris Sportsman XP 850 EPS
08 Polaris Outlaw 525 S
02 Yamaha Grizzly 660
The "anti-kickback" is in the suspension/A-arms, not the steering. If anything the EPS makes the wheels turn even easier resulting in "kickback". Some call it twitchy. Hitting a rock or root in the trail and the bars jerking one direction very fast.
Not sure why everyone thinks it's in the steering.........
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'09 Sportsman XP 850
'07 Sportsman 500 HO EFI
Well, I got zero kickback on my rides Sat and Sun. Ever since Yamaha came out with it a couple of years ago, the power steering setups have been touted as acting like a steering damper, reducing or eliminating the kickback.
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09 Polaris Sportsman XP 850 EPS
08 Polaris Outlaw 525 S
02 Yamaha Grizzly 660
Worth every one of the one million pennies payed for it
