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(2015) Sportsman 1000 or Scrambler 1000?

34K views 120 replies 21 participants last post by  SportsmanXP1000 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello,
I own a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 (I bought it new) and I'm in the market for either atv. I have taken my 500 out on trails, it does okay but just doesn't have the power that I really need. I ride on sand and other trails, it's really a mixture of just about everything besides swamps (including mud, dirt, grass, deep water, sand, etc). I can't decide which atv will be better for me, my main use for this will be mudding and heavy duty trails. I love both quads but the sportsman is a hefty 822lbs while the scrambler is 745 lbs. The sportsman has 88 hp while the scrambler has 89 horsepower (same motor just different exhaust..that's why it suffers 1 hp difference; I think). I know that both quads are totally different, but I can't decide between the two:bam:

I want something that has the big bore power and is for me, the sportsman is 1,300 cheaper than the scrambler but I'm kinda leaning towards the scrambler...any thoughts?

I want the one that has good pick up on the line, great low end torque, has good mid range power, someting that can handle a lot of mud and water (without snorkel kit which I'll probably upgrade later on) and something that is the most reliable.

Give me your thoughts and opinions please, thank you!:)
- Andrew
 
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#58 ·
It's up to you, both the scrambler and sportsman go 80+, both beat the can am's after the first 30 ft, (yep the Can AM they are quick off the line then thats it) so if you are interested in the first few feet being snappy and a rough ride and numerous other problems get the Can AM, I ride with a group of about 18, 2 Polaris 850 and 1000 sportsman and 1 cat and 1 yamie and the rest can am including the 1000 outie and 800 renegade, i have the 1000, well allot of us had new ones this year so the racing and switching rides and racing in the woods well the 850 held its own in the mid range and top end but the 1000 sportsman beat them hands down in every thing including the first 50 ft and the 100 ft and the top end Can am 74MPH the the 850 sportsman 76MPH and the 1000 sportsman 86MPH so at the end of the day the guy with the 1000 outie says ya your Polaris are Fast, a nice smooth ride and stay flat in the woods, then he said something crazy, he goes ya but if you want the power you have to have the Can am, i said you just got your ass kicked all day long in every aspect, he said i know but my feels allot faster, i did'nt know what to say, so don't make the mistake and be that guy,
i drive the 1000 Sportsman because i like the fender coverage and storage butt there is not allot of difference between the 2, scramie and sportsman, My Bother in law has a 1000 scrambler and the shocks and lighter really is not enough for me to justify the money or the mud in your face and no storage, performance is really close only 1 hp difference, but if the guy is a wanna be Joe Racer, that thinks he has to ride a race ATV then the Scrambler is the choice,
 
#61 · (Edited)
Also, by your posts, I can tell you have not had the opportunity to ride the Scrambler (no first hand experience comments). If you would like to meet up some time for a ride, I would gladly let you rip around on it. I am willing to bet you feel differently after getting back on your Sportsman.
The "minor" physical differences as you seem to feel they are, make for an entirely different ride. The only way to understand is to experience it first hand.
Just an fyi, I remember reading an article back in the day where Suzuki (sorry was Suzuki, not Kawasaki) moved the foot pegs of Ricky Carmichaels MX bike by a few mm's and it helped shave time off his laps...... imagine if they had added 22lbs to his bike....
 
#62 ·
most likely placebo effect. They are virtually the same machine...22lbs makes a huge difference on a 300 lb machine..on an 800lb machine...not so much IMO. If having less plastic coverage makes a person that much faster, then so be it...but same chassis, same arms, same shocks, etc..exhaust and clutch different I think. Perhaps it is the riding position and different cockpit that helps (I know I was faster when I had Rox Risers and better bars on my Brute than stock). Maybe can move around more (throwing it around like a dirt bike) on the scrambler due to less plastics and riding position? I dunno as I have not driven a scrambler...but they are essentially the same machine, plus or minus a winch and a few parts. Its not like comparing one to an value line 800 or something. Carry on...
 
#63 ·
This is exacly what i am saying. It is more of a mental thing where you may feel like you are faster but in reality, the "fact" of the mechanics speak for themselves disproving that theory. If you strip the body off each, what do you have?? You have the same quad with a different exhaust. The difference in clutching is due to the sportsman having engine braking which is something that is irrelevant when you have the hammer down. If the body of the scrambler makes you feel faster autosport, then good for you but to argue there is a remarkable difference between them holds no truth. Maybe in your head it does, but not when you actually compare them mechanically. I also agree with gtsum, a 22lb difference is noticeable on a sport quad but hardly noticable on a big bore sport ute.
 
#67 ·
Hmm...interesting info above! I would agree 100% if the additional 22lbs was rotational weight...then I think one would really feel it on the trail. And u might well be right on being a bit faster over the course of a 2 mile gncc type loop. I still say the r, for all intents and purposes, pretty much the same machine....at least on paper:)
 
#71 ·
You do realize to make up that 1/10 with the added weight you would need an additional 5% in HP right? When your talking only an 89hp machine, that's quite a bit!
 
#74 ·
I would love to give that a shot, same track and conditions with the stock version of each quad as they sit on the showroom floor. I'm pretty confident that I would smoke the sportsman 1k track times with my scrambler. I understand where both sides are coming from, on one hand when placed side by side on paper they do not have a lot of differences, but on the trail those differences are magnified. The shocks and less front end weight (no winch) alone will make a huge difference in handling the rough stuff and keeping the front end from diving in corners. If you're not a fast, aggressive trail rider the differences don't make as much of an impact, it's when you push both machines to their limit in stock form that the Scrambler is going to come out ahead...I'm not looking for an argument or to disagree with anyone, these are just my thoughts on the situation.
 
#75 ·
The hell you say! Don't kid yourself, they have same engine!!!!:motz:
 
#79 ·
I would love to give that a shot, same track and conditions with the stock version of each quad as they sit on the showroom floor. I'm pretty confident that I would smoke the sportsman 1k track times with my scrambler. I understand where both sides are coming from, on one hand when placed side by side on paper they do not have a lot of differences, but on the trail those differences are magnified. The shocks and less front end weight (no winch) alone will make a huge difference in handling the rough stuff and keeping the front end from diving in corners. If you're not a fast, aggressive trail rider the differences don't make as much of an impact, it's when you push both machines to their limit in stock form that the Scrambler is going to come out ahead...I'm not looking for an argument or to disagree with anyone, these are just my thoughts on the situation.
i think you are following into autosports misconception of what we are discussing here. we aren't talking about the difference between specific sportsman models and the scrambler 1000. we are talking about the general difference between them, which is very little.

in all fairness lets take the 2014 scrambler 850 and the 2014 sportsman 850 LE (no winch). both have fox shocks and will have 22lbs difference between them. do you think the scrambler will destroy the sportsman or do you think it would actually be pretty close??

if..... or should i say "when" polaris releases a LE sportsman 1000 with fox shocks and no winch, do you think there will be a remarkable difference between them or do yoMLooku feel that they would be pretty close considering everything is the same minus the plastic and exhaust??
In my comment I clearly state that on paper they are very close to the same machine....all I added was that if I take a scrambler 1000 and a sportsman 1000 off the showroom floor as they sit now and put them on a course, I will be faster on the scrambler.

In case you missed the title of the thread it pertains to the two quads I compared so it seems you are the one who is a little confused. I've never ridden an 850 so I have no clue what they are like, but the 2014 850 le models of each are closer to each other than the 2015s.

When kitted out the same the quads are pretty much the same, a blind man can see that. But the first post of yours on this thread is calling someone out for saying the scrambler 1000 is more nimble and handles better than the sportsman 1000, which if you take them off the showroom floor, is hands down the truth.
 
#81 · (Edited)
I have ridden Both i have the 1000 sportsman my Buddy has the 2015 Scrambler yes i am heavier As a person and the machine, and drag racin we are close if he can keep the front end down, about a ATV length after a long ways, thats it, yes in the woods the Scrambler is a blast or on jumps, but that is all they have on the Sportsman, the sportsman is smooth, carry's allot stuff, Does not dive in corners, (whoever said that they apparently have not driven the sportsman) all around the Sportsman is a better machine, they sell 10 times as many sportsmans as scrambler's, Polaris would be out of bussiness if they depended on selling scramblers they is just not that many wanna be I can drive better then you, guys out there, yep if all i did was race in the woods or ride rough ditches i would have a scrambler, but all around the sportsman is the reason they are the number 1 seller
in another post about some of my trips, 5 days in Wisconsin we never seen one scrambler HHHMMMMM but no Renegades either, they are just not worth the extra money for the few things they are better at, and no i do not want to come and race you, i have nothing to prove, and are you sure you have one, most guys that brag how fast they are, don't even have one, because if you have one don't have to brag it up, the smile on us owners of them is good enough for me.
 
#82 ·
The sportsman may be a better machine for your purposes, but not in performance as you have even stated.
I never said the sportsman was a bad machine or an inferior machine, I simply said what appears that you can attest to... The scrambler outperforms the sportsman.

Thanks
 
#83 ·
Also, the scrambler although powerful enough to stand straight up and down, if your friend is having a hard time keeping it down during a drag race, he's not serious about racing you to win. I only say this because I have no problems pulling hole shots and keeping the front wheels on the ground. If I want to pull the front end up I can without issue but it is intentional. Just ripping out of the hole with drag intent he should pull without lifting a wheel.
 
#84 ·
but on the other hand lets pull something, lets go on a trip, lets get stuck and use the winch to pull it self out, lets ride in the mud and stay clean, ride on a wet road and stay dry so that makes the sportsman a better machine, you can make the Sportsman do anything the scrambler can but you cannot make the scrambler do everything the Sportsman can, that makes the Sportman a better Machine, i could have bought either one or one of each, but why not bye the one that can do it all
The Sportsman hands down
 
#85 ·
I don't debate a thing you've stated! You bought the right quad for you! Nice work!
Other than the "Sportsman a better machine"! For your purposes sure.
Better performance - scrambler
Better at keeping you dry - sportsman
 
#87 ·
Why so upset?
I didn't start the debate. I just post facts, and you guys get bent out of shape.
The sportsman is better in its realm the scrambler in its realm. Why so hard to understand?
 
#89 ·
Yes
Scrambler performance
Sportsman hauling/dry/heavier

What have I stated that is untrue?
 
#90 ·
Oh i forgot the upset thing
no kid wet behind the ears living in his Mommys basement will even spark a frown
most of us on here has forgot more about competition then you have read or done on a video game in your life, oh i wish this site had a age limit or at least have to own a ATV to come on and STATE FACTS
 
#91 ·
And I'm the child.... Nice post mature one.
 
#92 ·
Oh and I've got no shame in my game bud. I politely extended an invitation to the gentlemen with the Sportsman and even offered for him to take mine for a spin. I will gladly put my experience on the line. No shame here. I'm sure there are many on here with more experience and better than I.
So there's no confusion ;)
Land vehicle Vehicle Motor vehicle Car Automotive design
 
#94 ·
I'm in Cranberry, well Mars if you're familiar.
I'm out this weekend as I have been riding a lot recently and wifey about to kill me so this weekend is all about my wife and kids.
I also have a Scrambler 1k but would love to get together sometime! You ever been out to Mines and Meadows? Great time!
 
#95 ·
Cool. Im In south hills of pgh About 5 mins off the 79 bridgeville exit. So cranberry is a straight shot up 79 for me about 25-30 mins. I got my bike at Moody's in August and love the 1k scrammy. Got a killer deal on it I couldn't pass up. Haven't been to mines and meadows yet because I never had insurance on my old bike and they check that there. But I do have it now and plan to go there some time soon. I'll pm you so we don't steal thread bs'ing here.
 
#96 · (Edited)
Cool and so you know, I was told M&M checked ins as well but they do not.
I am pretty familiar with S.Hills, my wife just opened another location in Peters.
I look forward to your pm. Hope to get a few more good rides in before it gets super cold.
 
#99 ·
Soooo you get all hell bent and decided to write novels because I chose the word "remarkable" when you felt I should have said "minimal".
I'm a newb to the forum with few posts, why do you care so much what I think...?
I didn't mean to bruise egos of those with Sportsmans.
I've said all along they both have they're place. They're different quads to accomplish different things.
 
#101 ·
you've had your fair share of novels and i certainly don't have a bruised ego. i paid much less for my sportsman and could still upgrade to the fox shocks and come out spending less while having more so why would that hurt my ego any?? you are new to the forum but when you come on here and basically accuse members of spreading false/incorrect information, it will piss them off and we will speak out.

i think you had your ego bruised when you presented your information on why the scrambler is so much better and got educated on why the majority of it is false. i said that the remarkable difference you felt between them was mostly in your head and you got defensive talking about irrelevant specs and still insisting that there was a world of difference between them which is completely false. regardless of the evidence put in front of you, you kept bringing up different scenarios to try validating your claim, none of which proved nothing other than what was said all along which is that they are very close in comparison, especially when it came to the original reason for this topic.

the sportsman and scrambler do both have their place and they are both badass atvs but when you examine them closer, they are really no different other than to carry cargo and stay cleaner which has very little impact on their performance. i've seen first hand a similar debate go down between the can am renegade and the outlander. we had a guy insist that the outlander didn't stand a chance against the more sportier renegade because it was heavier. they too are pretty much the same quads after you remove the bodies. not only was there little difference between them but the outlander spanked the renegade which was impossible according to the guy who had the renegade. :add_wegbrech:
 
#100 ·
I think once the Sportsman 1000 is released with Fox shocks it will go from a remarkable difference to a minimal difference. Lol
 
#102 ·
believe it or not, the fox shocks that come on the polaris aren't much better than the regular shocks them. this another reason why the handling difference isn't going to be night and day between them. i've compared my buddy's 2014 LE to my 2013 LE without the fox shocks and there was hardly any difference at all. they are indeed better, but minimally. now you can get out your specs sheet and call BS on me but there are already multiple existing threads on that discussion. :fing02: hell, even the single stage Elkas are better than the polaris fox shocks. now, if you were to add a set of stage 3 or stage 4 Elkas..... :wub:
 
#105 ·
LETS SEE YOU ARE NEW, yep and recently bought a Scrambler have less then a hundred miles on it and you put a plow on a (as you say it) a far better machine, what the heck, that makes you a expert on facts, who the heck blew all this smoke up your ass, new and unfamiliar with the new Quad, and a expert rider and a engineer already Wow we can hardly wait till you have 110 miles on it, you will be saying Polaris engineers are calling you for advice how to build a woods racer
well i will give you this
you are a comic
indy
 
#106 ·
Im a comic....?
It takes one lap on a multi faceted course with each machine to know the differences between the two. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out.
I don't have a plow on it... I have one on order for when I need it.
No smoke, no mirrors, just good old fashion riding. Civil is my trade actually..... but I am certain Polaris has everything under control, no need to call me.

I will get back to business courses brought up earlier by a fellow member...
Sportsman is the workhorse that has brought Polaris to be placed on the map, no doubt! One of the best machines, if not the best machine in its class.
Then someone mentioned that, Sportsman is the best, why do you think they make only a handful of Scramblers....
Well this doesn't mean the Scrambler is a lesser machine, it merely means that because Polaris is smart, they did their research. They know the market for the Scrambler is small. They also know the market for the Sportsman is huge! They realize the task in charging more for a quad that is similar to a Sportsman wont get many buyers from the Sportsman to make the switch. So what they decided was to target the small percentage of riders who are willing and able to make the switch from sport quad to "Sport/Utility Hybrid", that want the ability to blaze the trails with an MX style suspension and less weight, but yet are capable of mudding and or riding in snow with 4wd.

This is no different than say Ford who offers the F150 (the workhorse), They know the market is small to put the Raptor into production so they don't make near as many. But, and this applies to the Scrambler as well, for them to manufacture them, they have to get a return on their money so the cost escalates to ensure the return is there due to the lack of production qtys.
Simple economics really.
 
#107 ·
Guys calm down, there's no reason to argue over this! I just bought me a 2014 sportsman 850 eps so you know what? Deal with it autosport7! Stop getting butt hurt over what 1000 is better. You keep talking about full size cars..what the hell?! That has nothing to do with atvs! Yeah aha a corvette has what..450-500 horsepower depending and yet you say.."if you take a 100 pounds off.." Well no sh!t, it'd be the same as with a 100 pounds, it all depends on the driver and how hard you are going to push it! Just calm down! There's no point in arguing over this! I orginally made this thread asking about 1000's, and I bought an 850 which Im going to turn it into a 1000 one of these days or even more powerful than a 1000...so just stop!
 
#108 ·
Deal with what...? The fact that you bought an 850? Now what would make you think I care what you buy...?
I didn't get "butt hurt" for one second. I merely stood behind my claims and provided information that supported them.
The car comments as I stated may have diverted the thread a bit, for that I apologize, but the intent of the point was there and proved my point.
The point that less weight and better suspension on an otherwise identical machine would allow for one to out perform the other. That was all I stated and I got ripped apart for it. I never lost my cool, not once, so not to worry about me and my feelings. lol
Talk about losing cool, you sir, have gone off the deep end. And talk about mentioning the obvious, no kidding the driver makes the difference, if (2) separate drivers are operating (2) separate machines. I am talking about (1) driver, (2) separate machines.
I also apologized if I offended anyone if you read on. Was never my intent. Im over it, so your post was a bit late, but all good.

Congrats on your new purchase btw. All in good fun bro. :thumbsup:
 
#109 ·
Deal with what...? The fact that you bought an 850? Now what would make you think I care what you buy...?
I didn't get "butt hurt" for one second. I merely stood behind my claims and provided information that supported them.
The car comments as I stated may have diverted the thread a bit, for that I apologize, but the intent of the point was there and proved my point.
The point that less weight and better suspension on an otherwise identical machine would allow for one to out perform the other. That was all I stated and I got ripped apart for it. I never lost my cool, not once, so not to worry about me and my feelings. lol
Talk about losing cool, you sir, have gone off the deep end. And talk about mentioning the obvious, no kidding the driver makes the difference, if (2) separate drivers are operating (2) separate machines. I am talking about (1) driver, (2) separate machines.
I also apologized if I offended anyone if you read on. Was never my intent. Im over it, so your post was a bit late, but all good.

Congrats on your new purchase btw. All in good fun bro. :thumbsup:
Well I'm glad we're on the same page about this, my post was late because I got an email about your previous post and I had no idea what was going on at first. I went off because I didn't know what was going on and I get tired of people arguing over forums in general..not just this forum. I think fighting over the internet is so low and not right. But anyway, it over. Thank you for the compliment, Have a good day!:)
 
#111 ·
Which one climbs hills better?
 
#113 ·
Figured you'd catch the irony and mis direction to get things back in perspective in here LOL.
 
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