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Polaris Outlaw 525 IRS -vs- Honda 700xx

27334 Views 26 Replies 16 Participants Last post by  redrider
Ok, lets start a comparison page on the only true comparison for the 700xx. The one and only other IRS 2 wheel Drive Sport Quad.

What are your thoughts on the Outlaw 525 vs the 700xx?

I think there are pro and cons to both but I am interested in what you think.

These are the two machines that I am deciding on getting this spring. So far it is the 700xx for a few reasons as long as it comes out and it is what they say it is.

I would appritiate it if we keep this between the 700xx and the Outlaw 525 IRS ONLY as we can always make other subjects on the others.

Thanks
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I would definitely go with the XX if it's half as good as we think it will be. I'm still not too sure about Polaris sport quads and we all know Honda quality. Plus, the XX will have a larger engine, even if the 525 is still a pretty fast bike. Overall I just think the XX will be a much smarter choice.
hi!

my understanding is that the outlaw 525, is a race machine, not saying that you cant social ride a race quad!!

the xx seems to be aimed at the general quad population that does trail riding and the odd fun race with friends, most of us fit in this category!!

the individual riders needs should determine which quad to get.
have heard that the 525 is fast out the box(so is the price) and basically race ready.

for trail riding it would have to be the XX.(if these are your only options) thats what it built for!

good luck choosing!!
Well, I'm going to get a XX, and my buddy already has an Outlaw-which is a 500 (and is underpowered, especially on the low end), so I will be able to tell you which one is better as soon as those damn things get here! In all seriousness, the Outlaw rides very nice on the trails, high speed cornering takes a little getting used to compared to a straight axle of course, but once you figure it out there is nothing to it. When you look at the XX compared to the Outlaw, the XX looks like it was engineered much better. Even my buddy with the Outlaw said that it looked like they took the concept of the IRS Outlaw and improved EVERYTHING on it.

p.s. Thanks for starting another thread, that battle with the V-Force guys has gone on too long!
Thanks for the replies so far. I already have a 700xx reserved at my dealer for $7160. It is the one that I am planning on getting so far but I still want to keep my options open.

I am planning on trail riding and also having fun at a private 1 mile race track that we have locally. I tried it with my now sold POlaris 800 EFI and had a blast but unfortunatly the first belt only lasted 10 laps in the dry and only about 5 laps on the second belt. We also have a new indoor track called the Sandbox that is not to far from here that is open all year round. I am not planning on racing...yet but just want to have fun on the tracks as well.

The 500 Outlaw is nice but it is nothing compared to the Outlaw 525 from what I have heard. But I am still very interested in what you think of the 500 vs the 700xx in ride quality not just power.

I wish the 700xx would have a hydralic clutch like the Outlaw 525 2008. I also wish it was a little bit lighter like the Outlaw. I also wish the 700xx had more red plastic than Black as black scratches easy when you are trail riding.

Those are about the only few things so far that I like better about the Outlaw without riding them.

I do believe the rear IRS on the 700xx is far better than the outlaw just from the pictures and the fact that Polaris has had allot of issues with the Rims being to small and the IRS wears on the rims really bad when a small rock gets stuck in there. The Outlaw's flat cornering bar also looks very weak compared to the Honda's. Allot of people are giving Honda crap because of the rear rim size. And if you read the Outlaw Forums as I have you will find out why Honda has made that rear rim as large as it is.

Th other problem I have been reading is the fact that you have to go out and get a James Dean Jet kit ASAP to make if run correctly. Not a big deal just more cost.

And yes there is that Honda factor vs Polaris in reliability. I use to own a Honda 400ex and never had a problem with it. We actually had 5 in our group with no problems with any of them.

The good thing is that Honda tests there products before they are released and get most of the bugs out and as we all know Polaris does some testing to but allot of the changes come out in the later years that should have been caught before they were released. A good example is a seat falling of of the 500 Outlaw and not fixed or recalled until the 525 came out so I have been told anyway. If I owned Polaris I think I would embarrassed about that one. "So how did testing go? Oh great except the seat always falls off... Oh no big deal lets mass produce them...lol"

Any ways I still like Polaris but the quality is just not up to the Honda's and that is why I am sticking to the 700xx so far. But nothing is concrete.

Thanks again for your feedback and I look forward to many more good or bad.
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I guess it depends on how much track riding and jumping you are going to do. If you rode a Popo 800 hog on the track and had fun with it, either of the XX or 525 would seem feather lite compared to that pig. But the Outlaw will be a good 65-70 lbs lighter (wet) than the XX, so that will have some effect on handling on the track. As far as trail riding, I believe that the XX will be a far better machine, especially from a reliability standpoint. I'm thinking that it will handle better on the trail as well. You should be able to lug down that 700 real low, and it should have awesome torque. Great for trail riding. Yeah, the 525 has a hydraulic clutch, but it also isn't fuel injected, and I personally can't see buying a non-injected machine in this day and age. Buy a hydraulic clutch for 250 bucks when you swap the handlebars out on the XX and you'll be as happy as a clam. I was actually considering an Outlaw, but thankfully Honda came out with this 700XX just in time. We don't know how good this machine will be yet, but I'm literally putting my money on the fact that it will be.
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Anyone that has ridden an outlaw or pred 500 will tell you that they lack bottom end grunt because they do even the troy lee pred with the "optimized" trans. gearing. I've heard that the 525 is stronger than the 500 off the bottom by leaps and bounds. But here is the thing...... the 525 is really only 510cc's. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination but it seems to me that if you take two motors of similar size both show room stock the stronger of the two will get less power gain from a similar mod. Maybe a better way to say it is that all atv motors are watered down to some degree other wise there would be no after market. The stronger motor in stock trim is just less watered down than the other motor of similar size (In most cases). The XX ; if it does lack anything at all compared to the 525 you will get it back and more with your first mod because there is less to be gained from a less watered down 525. Even with the weight difference the XX will have the better mill there is no substitute for displacement. It is not often that you get over 35mph in the wood unless you have some kind of death wish and that 525 may be strong for a 510cc motor but its not magical and will not hold a candle to a 686cc motor off the bottom especially if you involve mods of any kind.
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I like that post Gus..very good point, thanks. One more point for the 700xx over the Outlaw.

Guilty of the 35mph +. Not all of the time but quite often :D.

Low end torque is important with the IRS as it makes cornering a blast due to the fact that the IRS does hook up better than the SRA in the corners. The more torque.. the more SRA feel you get going through the corners. (sliding the rear)
Maybe I have a pretty warped view of woods riding but I think of the woods as a never ending series of little "point and squirt" races with obstacles. Things like handling, ease of use, comfort, and all those other things play a very definite roll; but if you have someone grossly out matched from 0-35mph the handling of their machine will have to be vastly superior to compensate. I just would not expect to see that kind of handling superiority in the Outlaw over the XX by any stretch of the imagination.
I was torn between the 700 and the 525 but just could'nt wait for the Honda . Bought the 525 two months ago and LOVE it. What you have read about jetting is right waaaaay to lean . I'm in California and the emission standards are tough here . The JD kit cost $62.00 and made a all ready fast quad into a rocket . I see comparisons on this forum to the 500 outlaw power , believe me there is none . The KTM is fast !!! The Honda 700 is way to heavy to me compared to the 525 at 395 pounds . I do mostly trail riding and have had no problems at all , even before rejetting more than enough power WAY MORE !!!. It did great at Pismo beach sand dunes a couple weeks ago also . Be prepared IRS is a totally differant ride , I have a bad back and can ride all day with no pain on the outlaw . Coming out of a slide the first time is an eye opener you will be launched out so hold on !!! Some friends have ridden it and were more than impressed with the power but didnt like the differance in handling . IRS takes some getting used to !!! The out the door price was $6299 at ( OTD MOTOSPORTS ) they have most other brands ( including Honda ) all with fantastic pricing and I checked every where . Don't know what other States there in , but you can get the out the door price right online for comparison , check them out it might help you get a deal .
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Thanks for the post on the Outlaw. Keep me posted good and Bad.
Well there are a few forums going around about a few bad issues with the 700xx.
posterboy12 said:
Well there are a few forums going around about a few bad issues with the 700xx.
Yeah, sorry to share the concerns, but let's wait and see what it's all about. I myself am disappointed, but better to hold off a bit than to spend 8 grand and be pissed about it. Heck, go back a page and look at my posts about how high I was on the XX and how biased I was against the Outlaw...now I'm rethinking that one!!
Well I just got back from the dealer and my 700xx ship date got pushed out until the 28th of April now. Has any one heard the same thing? Maybe this means they are fixing a few issues before they send them out??
I have not heard that. But I talked to the dealer that I was going to buy mine from yesterday and they said that they were expecting it any day. But the "kid" I was talking too didn't seem that he really knew what he was talking about, so we'll see. Actually I'll be glas if the date got pushed back a bit, that will give a chance for a lot of reviews to get out. I wonder what kind of tweaking they could possibly do at this point?
OK... Interesting little thread here. I have ridden both and prefer my 700xx to my friend's Outlaw. My friend's Outlaw is always having this or that done to it. His quad spends more time having work done than riding. Yes, the Outlaw is fast and ready to race out of the box... But it is also not as reliable as my Honda and on trail riding I would prefer reliability. Besides, it wasn't an Outlaw taking 1st and 2nd in the Baja 500 was it?... Gee, I wonder why?

roadkill

P.S. An example of reliability is that 2 weeks ago, I went with 2 friends to Oceano Dunes... they both ride Outlaws... one the 500cc IRS and the other the 525 IRS. At the end of the weekend, my 700xx was the only one still able to ride. The 500 got a 4-5 inch tear in the boot over his CV joint and lots of sand inside... His quad is still down with CV joint damage. The 525's battery quit and I had to tow him back to our trucks... Then he noticed oil leaking from behind his front sprocket... His is still down as well. As for me, I just got home from riding with another friend a few minutes ago.
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I like the outlaws motor(sucks theres no EFI) and the fact that it is so much lighter. The XX is a very stout machine, it will take whatever you can throw at it and then some. I was jumping mine today and it definitely wasn't made for that but with some Elkas it will do just fine! I'll post pics in the picture section of the jumping. As fast as trails go, the XX is a tough SOB and has gobs of torque. If you're looking to trail ride, especially technical mud and rough stuff, then I'd go with the XX.
I own a 07 Outlaw 525 IRS, from a riding standpoint I love it. From a reliability standpoint it's a turd. Transmission issue's at less than 20 hours, torn CV boots, Clutch is making noise and I have only rode it occasionally for 9 months. I am 50 years old and own several vehicles with 100K+ miles one with 260K, they are all in perfect working order so I am not hard on my machines. I hear from the local ATV shop that CV joints and front wheel bearings fail. Not to overlook the recall involving the sprocket bolts falling out. Hence my purchase of a 2008 700XX. I haven't had time to really take the Honda out (way too hot for riding in the summer here in Phx) riding yet. But by just checking it out it is a much better designed machine.
Anyone want to buy a 2007 Polaris Outlaw 525 IRS?
LOL U gonna LOVE the XX!!!!!!!!! My nephew has a outlaw real POS spent more time workin on it than ridin it.
my best friend just bought a outlaw 525s he brought it over tonight we raced he has a jet kit filter and hmf slip on, we are dead even maybe in a mile long race he may have top end, oh btw mine is stock bought it last friday:hey:
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