2016 POLARIS RZR S 1000 TEST

Polaris introduced the RZR S 900 for 2015, and former XC1 UTV Pro GNCC champion William Yokley raced one against an ocean of 1000s last season. With 60-inch Mavericks taking the top four spots in the UTV GNCCs and Yokley ending up ninth, it was obvious the long-time Polaris racer needed more power to go along with the S 900’s nimble handling. So, Polaris slipped a slightly re-tuned version of the XP 1000 engine into the S 900 chassis to create the 2016 RZR S 1000 EPS with 100 horses under the hood—no, bed. The 60-inch S 1000 uses dual-A-arm rear suspension instead of trailing links and has a lower center of gravity for slicing through the woods. We got to check it out at Brimstone Recreation’s Camp RZR East to get a feeling for how Yokley may fare racing in 2016.

2016POLARIS_S1000_WDP_4779_©2015waynedavis

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2016?
The 100-horsepower, 999cc ProStar inline twin is wedged into the same frame as the 75-horsepower S 900. This gives a horsepower-to-weight ratio of 8.1 horsepower per 100 pounds of vehicle weight compared to the 6.2 horsepower per 100 pounds on the S 900. Pistons are the same size as on the S 900, but stroke is increased 9.1mm and compression is 11:1 instead of 10.6:1. Also, the S 1000 has two 48mm EFI throttle bodies instead of the S 900’s 46mm body. All this adds up to 7 pounds more dry weight, but, otherwise, the S 1000 EPS shares everything else with the S 900 EPS, including the frame, suspension, bodywork, cabin, overall dimensions and 27-inch GBC Dirt Commander tires on blacked-out aluminum mag wheels. The S 1000 is only available with Polaris’ variable-assist EPS, and the 60-inch-wide UTV has a 51.3-inch track width, 12.5-inches of ground clearance, and a 79-inch wheelbase. Its Fox 2.0 Podium X shocks have adjustable compression damping and ring preload adjusters; front travel is 12.25 inches, while rear travel is 13.2 inches. Like the RZR XP Turbo and XP 1000, the S 1000 gets new seating angles and an adjustable driver’s seat for optimized ergonomics and “getting up on the wheel.”

HOW DOES COST COMPARE?
The 2016 RZR S 1000 EPS is $17,999, and the RZR S 900 starts at $14,699 and goes to $16,499 with EPS. So, the extra 25 horsepower the S 1000 has over the 900 is only $1500! Arctic Cat’s Wildcat 1000X starts at $17,499 and has more travel but fewer horsepower. The Wildcat Sport 700 is $13,599 or $14,599 with EPS. The lowest-priced Can-Am Maverick 1000R is $16,399 without EPS and $17,449 with tri-mode EPS. The Maverick XC is $16,499 and the X XC is $18,449. The Commander 1000 DPS is $13,149, but it only has 10 inches of travel and 85 horsepower.

The ProStar 1000 engine has two 93mm pistons, a 73.5mm stroke, dual 48mm EFI throttle bodies and 11.0:1 compression. Remove the engine cover in the bed for access to the engine-oil filler, spark plugs and air filter. Access the dipstick and oil filter by removing a panel between the seats, and the 1000 wants 87-octane-or-higher gasoline with no more than 10 percent ethanol.
The ProStar 1000 engine has two 93mm pistons, a 73.5mm stroke, dual 48mm EFI throttle bodies and 11.0:1 compression. Remove the engine cover in the bed for access to the engine-oil filler, spark plugs and air filter. Access the dipstick and oil filter by removing a panel between the seats, and the 1000 wants 87-octane-or-higher gasoline with no more than 10 percent ethanol.

HOW FAST IS THE S 1000?
Really fast! Polaris claims 0–50 mph in a scant five seconds, and it sure feels like it’s true. It’s got serious yank coming out of corners and will carry wheelies over water bars and whoops with a stab of the throttle. In 2WD we spun donuts in a sawdust pile at Brimstone, and, in On-Demand 4WD, it rips from turn to turn. Power is so massive that it makes it harder to get a good rhythm going in really twisty woods trails with the S 1000 than with the S 900. We couldn’t find a trail long and straight enough to top it out at Brimstone, but it should do 75-78 mph. Low-end and midrange power are awesome, and it revs out well. It’s a beast!

HOW IS THE CVT/4X4 DELIVERY?
Excellent. The S 1000 has a low range good for 40-plus mph and crawling over nasty obstacles. The highend CVT clutching spools up quickly yet smoothly, and the S 1000 gets the same third cooling duct the XP 1000 sports. Delivery is also excellent in high range, and the close-ratio, On-Demand front differential engages quickly to pull you out of trouble in a hurry.

Overall width is 60 inches, while track width is 51.3 inches. The 27x9-12 GBC Dirt Commanders provide plenty of straightline, turning and braking traction on a wide variety of surfaces. Halogen headlights have 55-watt output on low beam and 60-watt high beams.
Overall width is 60 inches, while track width is 51.3 inches. The 27×9-12 GBC Dirt Commanders provide plenty of straightline, turning and braking traction on a wide variety of surfaces. Halogen headlights have 55-watt output on low beam and 60-watt high beams.
Ground clearance is 12.5 inches, and the S 1000 will tow 1500 pounds via the 1.25-inch hitch receiver. The bed will carry 300 pounds, and the dual LED taillights are bright. The cage crossbar has mounts for four-point harnesses.
Ground clearance is 12.5 inches, and the S 1000 will tow 1500 pounds via the 1.25-inch hitch receiver. The bed will carry 300 pounds, and the dual LED taillights are bright. The cage crossbar has mounts for four-point harnesses.

HOW DOES THE S 1000 HANDLE?
It’s very agile yet confidence-inspiring. It’ll snake worm tracks and woods trails with abandon, and the On-Demand 4WD system keeps it in 2WD until rear wheelspin is sensed. This lets it turn in without pushing like full-time 4WDs, and the front diff engages when you mat the pedal exiting the turn to get maximum yank to the next corner. The 79-inch wheelbase gives the S 1000 quick turning manners and good stability on high-speed sections. EPS and suspension tuning complement the steering geometry for an agile ride.

Front hydraulic-brake calipers have dual pistons, while the rear calipers are single pucks. Front travel is 12.25 inches, and the Fox 2.0 Podium X shocks have 20-position compression damping adjusters on the piggyback reservoirs. Check out the combination CV boot/caliper guard.
Front hydraulic-brake calipers have dual pistons, while the rear calipers are single pucks. Front travel is 12.25 inches, and the Fox 2.0 Podium X shocks have 20-position compression damping adjusters on the piggyback reservoirs. Check out the combination CV boot/caliper guard.

HOW ABOUT THE SUSPENSION?
It doesn’t gobble deep sand whoops like an XP 1000, but the S 1000 has excellent suspension for a wide variety of terrain. The Fox 2.0 Podium X piggyback shocks are tuned well for a plush ride over trail junk like roots, rocks and ruts, yet they firm up at the end of travel to resist bottoming on G-outs and water bars. Having all that power also helps unload the front end over water bars and rocks, and there’s a wide range of tuning. Factory settings for the compression clickers are 12 out, front and rear, and the softest setting is 20 out, while the stiffest is two out. We went to 10 out on the front to prevent bottoming on G-outs.

Polaris recommends not going any deeper than floor-level, but we went deeper than that at Brimstone. Sharing its cabin with the XP 1000, the RZR S 1000 has more splash protection, but front-tire roost slings mud under the half-doors. The S 1000 has plenty of power to turn taller tires.
Polaris recommends not going any deeper than floor-level, but we went deeper than that at Brimstone. Sharing its cabin with the XP 1000, the RZR S 1000 has more splash protection, but front-tire roost slings mud under the half-doors. The S 1000 has plenty of power to turn taller tires.

HOW IS IT IN ROCKS AND MUD?
Awesome! We crawled over obstacles that seemed impossible at Brimstone and cruised up insanely steep trails with no drama in low range. The Dirt Commander tires hook up well on rocks and clay mud alike. Factory pressures are 10 psi in front and 14 psi rear. The independent rear suspension articulates well on rocks and deep ruts, and it got us out of trouble in tight spots. The S 1000 is also great in mud with its wide low range, closeratio front diff and big knobs, but mud riders will definitely want door inserts or full doors. Roost from the front tires slung mud through the gaps below the quarter-doors and coated the inside of the doors, the seat bolsters and our shoulders. The floor drains make it easy to clean up after a mud run, too.

Dual-A-arm rear suspension provides 13.2 inches of rear travel, and the rear section of the frame is tapered for rolled-IRS smoothness. A rear torsion bar fights body roll in turns, and the S 1000 spins donuts like no other RZR.
Dual-A-arm rear suspension provides 13.2 inches of rear travel, and the rear section of the frame is tapered for rolled-IRS smoothness. A rear torsion bar fights body roll in turns, and the S 1000 spins donuts like no other RZR.

WHAT ABOUT TRAIL COMFORT?
The S 1000 is like the world’s fastest couch. Cabin comfort is awesome, with great seats and seating positions, excellent legroom and foot braces, tilt steering wheel, adjustable passenger T-bar, nice elbow room and easy-touse doors. We’d like to see the seat belts have adjustable shoulder mounts like the XP Turbo has, as the S 1000 shoulder belts chafed our necks during our day in the saddle at Brimstone. Our test unit had Polaris’ new Graphic Sport roof ($399.99, #2881206), which really increases the comfort level in the hot sun and cold rain.

HOW SPORTY ARE THE BRAKES?
Very sporty. Dual-piston front calipers and single-piston rear calipers squeeze perforated rotors to haul the S 1000 down from speed quickly with an assist from the aggressive GBC Dirt Commanders. There is also a Park mode in the transmission but no engine braking system.

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WHAT’S OUR FINAL ANSWER?
Polaris was smart to put the 999cc, 100-horsepower ProStar twin in the S 900 frame to create the 2016 RZR S 1000 EPS. The IRS A-arm rear end and lower center of gravity give the S 1000 super-agile handling for tight woods work and snaking through sand tracks, and the hot-rod engine makes it more fun than the S 900 on more open terrain. The light-weight, short-wheelbase S 1000 is 134 pounds lighter than the XP 1000, but it feels much lighter than that on the trail. And its power-to-weight ratio really pins you to the seats when you mat the throttle. It should really make the 2016 UTV GNCC season interesting.

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SPECS
2015 POLARIS RZR S 1000 EPS 4X4
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION
Engine type Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, DOHC 4-stroke twin
Displacement …………………………………………999cc
Bore x stroke …………………….93mm x 73.5mm (x2)
Compression ratio ……………………………………. 11:1
Lubrication system ……………………………. Wet sump
Additional cooling …………………………………. Auto fan
Induction …………………. 48mm EFI throttle body (X2)
Starting/back-up ……………………………..Electric/none
Starting procedure …………………. Turn ignition switch
Air filter:
Type …………………………………………….Paper pleat
Access ……… Tool-less, remove engine panel & undo
2 straps
Transmission ………………..Dual-range CVT w/ reverse
Reverse procedure……….. Move range selector to “R”
Drive system ….Selectable 2WD/4WD w/auto diff lock
Final drives …………………………………………… Shafts
DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES/WEIGHTS
Fuel capacity ……………………………………….. 9.5 gal.
Wheelbase …………………………………………….. 79.0”
Overall length/width/height ……………..106”/60”/71.5”
Ground clearance …………………………………….. 12.5”
Claimed dry weight ………………………………1,235 lb.
Bed weight limit……………………………………..300 lb.
Hitch ……………………………………………………….. No
Towing limit……………………………………………….N/A
ROLLING CHASSIS
Frame ……………………………………. Steel round tube
Suspension/wheel travel:
Front ………………….. Dual A-arm w/ prel./comp.-adj.
Fox 2.0 shocks/12.25”
Rear …………… IRS Trailing-arms w/ prel./comp.-adj.
Fox 2.0 shocks/13.2”
Brakes/actuation:
Front …………………….Hydraulic discs/left-side pedal
Rear …………………… Hydraulic discs/left-side pedal
Parking …………………………………… Lever on console
Tires:
Front …………….. AT 27×9-12 GBC Dirt Commander
Rear ……………. AT 27×12-12 GBC Dirt Commander
ELECTRICAL
DC outlet ……………………………………………. Console
Lighting:
Front ……………..2 Halogen 55/60W hi/lo headlights
Rear ………………………….. Dual LED brake/tail lights
DETAILS
Instrumentation …. Speed/odo/trip/hour/rpm/fuel/gear/
clock/2WD-4WD
Colors …………….. Matte White Lightning, Black Pearl
Minimum recommended operator age ………………. 16
Suggested retail price ………………………….. $17,999
Contact …………………………. www.polaris.com, (800) POLARIS

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